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Connecticut shifts Office of Health Strategy programs to other agencies as healthcare cabinet sunsets
Summary
Under Public Act 2668, Connecticut will move key Office of Health Strategy programs — including the cost-growth benchmark, Certificate of Need oversight, the Connecticut AHEAD grant, Family Bridge home visiting, and hospital community benefit reporting — to multiple state agencies effective July 1; receiving agencies pledged continuity and stakeholder engagement at the cabinet's final meeting.
The Connecticut Healthcare Cabinet held its final meeting June 9 as leaders outlined how Public Act 2668 will redistribute the Office of Health Strategy's programs across state agencies, effective July 1.
"As you know, Public Act 2668 changes the way we think about the Executive Branch's approach to our collective work," the acting commissioner said, laying out transfers of the cost-growth benchmark and health information technology work to the Office of Policy and Management (OPM); the Certificate of Need program and Health Systems Planning Unit to the Department of Public Health (DPH); the Connecticut AHEAD grant to the Department of Social Services (DSS); the Family Bridge universal home visiting program to the Office of Early Childhood (OEC); and hospital community benefit activities to the Office of the Healthcare Advocate.
Why it matters: the statute restructures how state health policy work is staffed and overseen, consolidating several functions into agencies that oversee regulation, budgeting and service delivery. Officials said the intent is to give the programs greater reach and access to resources while preserving ongoing policy, research and programmatic efforts that affect affordability, access and quality for Connecticut residents.
OPM commitment and Covered Connecticut feasibility work
Secretary Wojcik told the cabinet that OPM will continue stakeholder engagement and maintain a focus on affordability and quality, and he introduced Undersecretary Claudio Galtieri to describe next steps. "I think that that's really important and will continue to be important as we move forward, with our work, on the various components of the Office of Health Strategy that are moving to a variety of different agencies," Secretary Wojcik said.
Undersecretary Galtieri said OPM will bring OHS expertise into ongoing efforts around the cost-growth benchmark and primary care spending and will run a feasibility study for a Connecticut option (Covered Connecticut). "And so we look to be engaging a number of you as we bring on a consultant to look at various options for designing provider incentives, narrow network designs, and how we get better addressing some of the root causes of our health care cost growth in the state," Galtieri said, adding that cabinet members will be invited into work groups and focus groups.
DPH, DSS, OEC and the Office of the Healthcare Advocate: receiving agencies speak
Miriam Miller, attending for DPH, said the department will integrate Certificate of Need oversight with its regulatory and data-management operations and fold community health worker advisory board functions into licensing and training work. "There are certainly some efficiencies that we can integrate with the certificate of need program and our regulatory affairs," Miller said, adding that DPH looks forward to strengthening analytics and data collection on behalf of the state.
Dr. Dalal, speaking for DSS, said the Connecticut AHEAD grant transfer has proceeded smoothly and offers opportunities for voluntary global hospital budgets and federal funding through a program described as Primary Care AHEAD. "It affords quite a bit of opportunity for innovation in the payment, to global budgets where hospitals can voluntarily participate," Dr. Dalal said, and noted DSS will lead outreach and marketing for waiver-related work connected to Covered Connecticut.
The Office of Early Childhood will take on the Family Bridge universal home visiting program, and the Office of the Healthcare Advocate will re-assume hospital community benefit reporting, the Advocate's representative said, thanking OHS staff and consultants for transition support and the datasets that underpin community benefit reports.
Cabinet questions and transition details
Cabinet members asked for practical transition details. "Could we get... an understanding of which reports go to who — who I bug in the future?" Commissioner Ellen Andrews asked, requesting a mapping of specific reports and responsibilities. The acting commissioner agreed to prepare that mapping so members know future contact points for work formerly housed at OHS.
Public enrollment announcement
Undersecretary Galtieri used part of the meeting to urge outreach around a special enrollment period for people who lost enhanced premium tax credits. "They can still join and take full advantage of some of the state assistance that we've provided up until the end of this month," he said, noting the state's backfill for some vulnerable populations.
Votes at a glance
- Approval of March 24 minutes: motion by Shelly Sweatt; second recorded. Vote recorded as multiple "Aye" votes and one abstention by Nicole; outcome — approved.
What happens next
Officials said the receiving agencies will continue work with stakeholders and that program transfers take effect July 1. The cabinet adjourned at 2:28 p.m., marking this session as the cabinet's final official meeting prior to the statutory realignment.
