Evaluating the State Basic Health Program in Connecticut

Abstract

The federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) offers states many options and alternatives for tailoring national health reform to best meet their specific needs. The ACA’s State Basic Health Program (SBHP) option affords states an opportunity to design a program for low-income individuals that offers better continuity of care at a lower cost, while providing a financial benefit to the state. This issue brief examines the factors that Connecticut should take into account in assessing the potential benefits of a SBHP. This analysis relies on the parameters of a SBHP as described in the ACA. The federal government has not yet issued key regulations – delineating, for example, what is the minimum benefits package that must be covered in a SBHP, or exactly how funds will flow to states – that will affect the potential cost and coverage of the SBHP option. The analysis presented here is based on existing information, acknowledging that the federal guidance may narrow the range of options available to the state. This issue brief was presented to the Connecticut State Legislature on January 31, 2012. An update to this January 2012 Research Brief was published on April 4, 2012. Client/Partner: Legal Assistance Resource Center of Connecticut