(Portland) This week, HealthyCT received a Platinum Connecticut Quality Improvement Award at the 27th annual CQIA Innovation Prize Conference held in Portland.
The CQIA Innovation Prize annually recognizes organizations and companies that develop improvements to processes and services that enhance their competitive position. HealthyCT CEO Ken Lalime received the award on behalf of the Wallingford-based non-profit health insurance CO-OP.
"On behalf of all of the women and men working hard at HealthyCT every day to provide our members with a different health insurance experience, I am so proud to accept a Platinum CQIA Innovation Prize," he said. "This is important confirmation that what we have done over the past two and a half years in creating a new kind of health insurance company – and getting it up and running in record time – is groundbreaking. We will continue working to prove that HealthyCT truly is a different option for health insurance in Connecticut."
In the fall of 2011, the non-profit entity HealthyCT filed an application with the federal government to be recognized as a Consumer Operated and Oriented Plan (CO-OP) and in 2012, it received federal start-up loans to assist in its development. In April 2013, it received a state insurance license and began selling health insurance on and off the state health insurance exchange on October 1. HealthyCT now provides affordable, quality health insurance to individuals, families, small and large businesses across Connecticut. Through HealthyCT's creation, Connecticut has a new choice for health insurance that is a member-governed non-profit, based in Connecticut, serving only Connecticut individuals and businesses.
As a non-profit CO-OP, any surpluses HealthyCT earns are to be used to stabilize the price of premiums or enhance benefits, decisions made by a board comprised of small business owners, physicians and consumer members. The company has a robust statewide provider network with more than 13,000 unique individual providers and one provider network for all of HealthyCT's plans.
Earlier this year, with only a brief period of operation behind it, HealthyCT received NCQA Interim Accreditation, an important quality benchmark. NCQA is an independent, not-for-profit organization dedicated to assessing and reporting on the quality of managed care plans, physician organizations, disease management programs and other health-related programs.
About HealthyCT
Founded by physicians and started with a federal loan in 2012, HealthyCT's mission is to provide Connecticut residents with comprehensive health insurance and easy access to quality healthcare. It is committed to developing an innovative, progressive health plan that ensures the delivery of patient-centered care for individuals, families and businesses of all sizes. Unlike traditional for-profit insurance companies, any profits generated by HealthyCT are to be used to stabilize or reduce premiums to consumers and businesses, and/or to enhance plan benefits and services. HealthyCT can be found at www.healthyct.org; on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn @HealthyCTPlan and at 35 Thorpe Avenue in Wallingford. HealthyCT's toll-free phone number is 1-855-HLTHYCT (458-4928).
