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Connecticut, like other states, launched an online health exchange -- Access Health CT -- where residents can shop for and purchase health insurance. There could be new opportunities for the unemployed or uninsured to receive health insurance. Here, we gather our coverage of changes under the new federal law.

With Obamacare, Not Everything Is Public Information

Jeff Cohen
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Connecticut Public
Credit Arielle Levin Becker / The Connecticut Mirror
/
The Connecticut Mirror
Kevin Counihan, head of Access Health CT.

The nation's new health care law rolls out next week. One essential part of that is a call center to both field questions and enroll people. But it's not clear how much the private company taking these calls, Maximus Health Services, is actually charging taxpayers. 

Maximus was hired by the quasi-public state agency Access Health CT that's running the state's healthcare exchange. So, how much is the company charging the taxpayers to do this work?

To find out, we asked for a copy of the contract with the company. What we got was a contract that was hard to read. Any language that has anything to do with how much Maximus is paid -- both in the original contract as well as in its amendment -- is blacked out.

Kevin Counihan, head of Access Health CT, said, "Redactions are things that typically relate to privacy, and competitive issues from vendors. Is price something that someone should be able to redact? I sure think so. What's the whole point? If everybody knows what everybody is pricing, everyone's going to be pricing at the same level. And that doesn't drive a good deal."

"Is price something that someone should be able to redact? I sure think so." Kevin Counihan

Maximus won the contract in what Counihancalled a competitive bidding process. The company has said the contract costs an estimated $15 million over three years. But Counihan says that's an educated guess at best.

State law does allow public agencies to redact things like trade secrets in some cases. But the contract itself includes language that says it's a public document the minute it's signed. I asked Counihan, in the public sector, shouldn't the public have a right to know what the public is paying for something?

"The public should absolutely know what the public can know," Counihan responded. "I completely agree with you. However...there are legal requirements for what can be redacted and what can't be."

The agency says if taxpayers have a problem with that, they can file a complaint with the state's Freedom of Information Commission. 

Access Health CT is an underwriter of WNPR.

Jeff Cohen started in newspapers in 2001 and joined Connecticut Public in 2010, where he worked as a reporter and fill-in host. In 2017, he was named news director. Then, in 2022, he became a senior enterprise reporter.

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SOMOS CONNECTICUT is an initiative from Connecticut Public, the state’s local NPR and PBS station, to elevate Latino stories and expand programming that uplifts and informs our Latino communities. Visit CTPublic.org/latino for more stories and resources. For updates, sign up for the SOMOS CONNECTICUT newsletter at ctpublic.org/newsletters.

SOMOS CONNECTICUT es una iniciativa de Connecticut Public, la emisora local de NPR y PBS del estado, que busca elevar nuestras historias latinas y expandir programación que alza y informa nuestras comunidades latinas locales. Visita CTPublic.org/latino para más reportajes y recursos. Para noticias, suscríbase a nuestro boletín informativo en ctpublic.org/newsletters.

The independent journalism and non-commercial programming you rely on every day is in danger.

If you’re reading this, you believe in trusted journalism and in learning without paywalls. You value access to educational content kids love and enriching cultural programming.

Now all of that is at risk.

Federal funding for public media is under threat and if it goes, the impact to our communities will be devastating.

Together, we can defend it. It’s time to protect what matters.

Your voice has protected public media before. Now, it’s needed again. Learn how you can protect the news and programming you depend on.