Commissioner of the Office of Health Care Access (CGS §§ 19a-612 and 19a-613)

The commissioner is responsible for authorizing and overseeing health care data collection and health system planning for the state; monitoring health care costs; and implementing and overseeing health care reform as enacted by the General Assembly.

GENERAL QUESTIONS

1. What is the mission of OHCA? Has it changed over the years? How do you ensure that the agency's mission is met?

2. Describe the certificate of need (CON) process? Does OHCA spend a majority of its time on CON?

3. What type of data does OHCA collect? Is this sufficient to perform your statutory duties? What data is lacking and what can the legislature do to assist your agency?

4. Does OHCA have sufficient statutory and regulatory authority to meet its duties of overseeing and coordinating statewide health system planning? Describe the agency's approach to this responsibility.

5. What is the role of OHCA in the current debate over health care reform and expanding coverage and access to health care?

QUESTIONS RELATED TO RECENT PROGRAM REVIEW AND INVESTIGATIONS STUDY OF HOSPITAL FINANCING

The Program Review and Investigations Committee (PRI) recently completed a study of “Funding of Hospital Care” in Connecticut. A number of its recommendations are directed at OHCA. The following questions are based on this study.

1. The PRI study recommends that OHCA assume a more advisory role to policy makers on health care. Do you agree with this position? Give some examples of how this can be accomplished.

2. The study recommends that OHCA prepare a supplemental report that summarizes all information currently filed by hospitals concerning provision of services for the uninsured and under insured. At a minimum, OHCA, according to PRI, should analyze the data and compare hospitals on the basis of size or geographical locations and make recommendations to the legislature based on its analysis. Has OHCA considered such a comparative report? Can OHCA do this given its current structure and resources?

3. Another recommendation directs OHCA to broaden its oversight to include requiring the reporting of outpatient data from health care facilities as outlined in statute and analyzing and reporting this data in the same manner as it does for inpatient hospital data. Please comment on this.

4. Should OHCA obtain aggregate financial data from health care facilities other than hospitals? How would such data be used?

5. PRI recommends that OHCA, within available resources, develop and provide information that will assist consumers in making more informed health care decisions. This could be done in collaboration with the Department of Insurance. Has OHCA undertaken any activities in this regard? What type of information would be most useful to health care consumers?

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