Providers and advocates renewed their calls to reject a potential return to Medicaid managed care during multiple meetings hosted by the Department of Social Services last week.
The stakeholder meetings were intended to collect feedback on the current state of the Medicaid program as part of the “landscape analysis” that Gov. Ned Lamont charged the department to conduct. The study is meant to explore different Medicaid models, including managed care, which 45 states use in some form for at least part of their Medicaid programs. Connecticut is one of five states that do not.
Lamont’s curiosity about managed care has drawn fierce criticism from some Medicaid providers, advocates and enrollees, who pointed to potential downsides of the model, including reduced access, increased cost and lack of transparency. A handful of participants in last week’s meetings reiterated those concerns.
“We should be very concerned about access to care in the long-term care environment, and managed care would not be an answer to any of those significant issues,” said Matthew Barrett, president of the Connecticut Association of Health Care Facilities, during one of the sessions.
David Bednarz, a spokesperson in the governor’s office, said that the study is merely a tool to ensure the state is best serving its Medicaid members, adding that Lamont is not proposing any policy changes as of now.
“This review will provide the administration and the General Assembly with information on whether there are improvements to achieving this goal that could be implemented, and we shouldn’t be afraid of receiving that data. At this time, Governor Lamont is not proposing any policy changes — whether administratively or legislatively — on this topic,” said Bednarz in an emailed statement.
The study report is due by the end of this year, stated Christine Stuart, a DSS spokesperson.
Connecticut used managed care until 2010 but then transitioned to a managed fee-for-service model, where the state pays providers directly for services delivered to Medicaid beneficiaries. In a traditional “capitated managed care” model, the state instead pays a set monthly fee per member to insurance companies to manage the Medicaid program, and the insurance companies pay providers.
States often turn to managed care for increased budget predictability and improvements to quality and access, but according to KFF Health News, its impact on both access and costs is “limited and mixed.”
Some critics of the governor’s plan to study managed care say that the results of last Tuesday’s presidential election make it even more important to defend the Medicaid program.
“We have a ton of work to do to adjust to the changing landscape in Washington and protect the Medicaid program, and certainly as part of that, we have to fulfill our promise to raise rates for providers,” said Sen. Matt Lesser, D-Middletown, in an interview with The Connecticut Mirror. “Throwing additional chaos into the program at a time when the very future of the Medicaid program is potentially on the line is unwise and a major unneeded distraction for the Department of Social Services and the administration.”
During President Donald Trump’s first administration, he approved Section 1115 waivers that allowed states to impose certain work requirements for Medicaid eligibility, though many of the approvals were struck down in the courts.
Project 2025, which Democrats tied to Trump policies and future plans on the campaign trail despite the GOP candidate’s insistence he wasn’t tied to it, also includes a proposal to restructure Medicaid as a block grant program, which would cap the amount of federal funding it receives. Currently, the federal government pays a fixed percentage of states’ Medicaid costs, regardless of the amount. Affordable Care Act subsidies that lower the cost of buying a health plan on state exchanges are also set to expire in 2025, unless they are renewed by Congress.
Others have concerns that the study is being conducted by an organization with interests in the managed care industry.
At the beginning of November, over 30 organizations and individuals sent a letter to Lamont criticizing the selection of Manatt, one of the consultants conducting the Medicaid study. According to the advocates, several of Manatt’s clients are Medicaid managed care providers. The firm has also done legal work on behalf of Medicaid Health Plans of America, a trade association of managed care organizations.
“In sum, it is impossible for Manatt to provide an independent, evidence-based assessment of our current nation-leading, efficient managed fee for service Medicaid program,” stated the advocates.
A spokesperson with Manatt did not respond to a request for comment. DSS spokesperson Stuart and Bednarz, the governor’s spokesperson, did not address specific questions about the concerns regarding Manatt.
NEW BRITAIN, CT — Stanley Black & Decker on Thursday said it has decided to close its manufacturing facility in New Britain.
Debora Raymond, vice president of external communications for the manufacturer, said the decision is a result of a “structural decline in demand for single-sided tape measures.”
The New Britain facility predominantly makes these products, according to Raymond.
“These products are quickly becoming obsolete in the markets we serve,” Raymond said, via an emailed statement Thursday.
The decision is expected to impact approximately 300 employees, according to Raymond.
“We are focused on supporting impacted employees through this transition, including providing options for employment at other facilities, severance, and job placement support services for both salaried and hourly employees,” Raymond said.
As of Thursday at 4:30 p.m., no Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act notice had been filed with the state Department of Labor.
The company’s corporate headquarters remains at 1000 Stanley Dr., New Britain.
Gov. Ned Lamont released the following statement on the decision:
“Although Stanley has made the decision to discontinue operations for manufacturing outdated products, a change in workforce opportunities is difficult for employees, their families, and any community.,” Lamont said. “However, I am hopeful that these skilled workers will be repurposed with the help of Stanley Black & Decker, a company that will still proudly be headquartered here in Connecticut. My administration is working closely with local and state leaders to support affected workers and to reimagine the factory site so it can continue to create opportunity and strengthen New Britain’s economic future.”
New Britain Mayor Bobby Sanchez said he is “deeply disappointed” the company will be closing its Myrtle Street operations.
“For generations, Stanley Works has been part of the fabric of our city, providing good-paying jobs, supporting families, and helping build New Britain’s proud reputation as the ‘Hardware City,’” Sanchez said.
According to the mayor, his office’s immediate focus is on helping affected workers and their families. The mayor has been in contact with Lamont’s office, and they will be working closely to make sure employees have access to job placement services, retraining opportunities and support, Sanchez said.
“We will continue aggressively pursuing economic development opportunities and attracting businesses that are looking for a true community partner, a city ready to collaborate, innovate and grow alongside them,” Sanchez said. “New Britain has reinvented itself before, and we will do so again.”
Stanley Black & Decker, founded in 1843, operates manufacturing facilities worldwide, according to its website. It reports having 43,500 employees globally, and makes an array of products, such as power tools and equipment, hand tools, and fasteners.
Newly released police video shows former WWE executive Vince McMahon ram his luxury sports car into the rear end of another vehicle on a Connecticut highway last summer as he was being followed by a state trooper.
McMahon, now 80, was driving his 2024 Bentley Continental GT at more than 100 mph on the Merritt Parkway when he crashed in the town of Westport, according to state police.
A trooper’s dashcam video shows McMahon accelerating away, then braking too late to avoid crashing into the back of a BMW. The Bentley then swerves into a guardrail and careens back across the highway, creating a cloud of dirt and car parts.
“Why were you driving all over 100 mph?” state police Detective Maxwell Robins asked McMahon after catching up to the wrecked Bentley, which can cost over $300,000.
“I got my granddaughter’s birthday” McMahon replied, explaining he was on his way to see her. The encounter was recorded on police bodycam video.
No one was seriously injured in the July 24 crash, which happened the same day that WWE legend Hulk Hogan died of a heart attack in Florida.
Besides damage to the rear of the BMW, another vehicle driving on the opposite side of the parkway was struck by flying debris. The driver of that third car happened to be wearing a WWE shirt, according to the police video.
McMahon was cited for reckless driving and following too closely. A state judge in October allowed McMahon to enter a pretrial probation program that will result in the charges being erased from his record next October if he successfully completes the program. He was also ordered to make a $1,000 charitable contribution.
McMahon’s lawyer, Mark Sherman, said the crash was just an accident.
“Not every car accident is a crime,” Sherman said. “Vince’s primary concern during this case was for the other drivers and is appreciative that the court saw this more of an accident than a crime that needed to be prosecuted.”
State police said Robins was trying to catch up to McMahon on the parkway and clock his speed before pulling him over. They said the incident was not a pursuit, which happens when police chase someone trying to flee officers. They also said it did not appear McMahon was trying to escape — though in the video the detective suggests otherwise.
“I’m trying to catch up to you and you keep taking off,” Robins says.
“No, no no. I’m not trying to outrun you,” McMahon says.
An accident information summary provided to the media shortly after the crash did not mention that a trooper was following McMahon.
The Associated Press obtained the videos Wednesday through a public records request. They were first obtained by The Sun newspaper.
The trooper’s bodycam video also shows him asking McMahon whether he was looking at his phone when the crash happened. McMahon said he was not and adds that he hadn’t driven his car in a long time.
After Robins tells McMahon that his car is fast, McMahon replies, “Yeah, too (expletive) fast.”
The videos also show McMahon talking to the driver he rear-ended. Barbara Doran, of New York City, told the AP last summer that McMahon expressed his concern for her and was glad she was OK. She said she was heading to a ferry to Martha’s Vineyard at the time of the crash.
After McMahon was given the traffic summons, he shook hands with Robins and another trooper and they wished him well.
McMahon stepped down as WWE’s CEO in 2022 amid a company investigation into sexual misconduct allegations. He also resigned as executive chairman of the board of directors of TKO Group Holdings, the parent company of WWE, in 2024, a day after a former WWE employee filed a sexual abuse lawsuit against him. McMahon has denied the allegations. The lawsuit remains pending.
McMahon bought what was then the World Wrestling Federation in 1982 and transformed it from a regional wrestling company into a worldwide phenomenon. Besides running the company with his wife, Linda, who is now the U.S. education secretary, he also performed at WWE events as himself.
The New Haven Pride Center will close for 30 days starting Thursday, as leaders reassess the organization’s finances and its long-term business model.
Board members said the temporary shutdown will allow the nonprofit to stop accruing expenses and get better insight into a $250,000 IRS debt discovered in 2022 that has weighed heavily on the center’s operations.
According to board co-chair Hope Chavez, the debt was found four years ago. The board let the executive director go and began paying the back taxes. The payments have been ongoing, but Chavez said there’s no clarity on how much has been paid toward principal versus interest, making it hard to map out a payoff.
Chavez said the organization has an attorney to help obtain more details from the government, and that the debt has hurt its ability to generate income during an already challenging time.
“It all depends on the political climate — whether corporate sponsors feel like they can sponsor you, whether funders feel like they need to redirect elsewhere,” she said.
The 30-day furlough will include a pause in services. In the meantime, staff members are compiling a list of alternative LGBTQ-affirming resources in the Greater New Haven area to support community members.
Laura Boccadoro, who has worked at the center for more than six years, joined at what she says was a dark time.
“I was in and out of rehab dealing with drug abuse, and the center found me,” she said. “I grew up here, honestly.”
She said the organization has offered vital services, such as a clothing closet and a food pantry, and programs that she is helping clients find through partner organizations.
“There are so many LGBTQ-specific or affirming spaces that have food pantries, clothing closets, healthcare — all those kinds of things,” Boccadoro said.
Chavez highlighted partnerships with groups including AIDS Project New Haven, Anchor Health Initiative, and Q Plus, as well as other grassroots community organizations that will offer assistance during the pause.
Boccadoro emphasized that the staff’s focus remains on serving the community as effectively as possible.
“Our job at the end of the day is to impact the community in the best possible way that we can,” Boccadoro said.
The Board hopes a clearer financial picture and a restructured business model will position the center to reopen stronger and more stable.
“We want to ensure that our community has the care and supportive services that we’ve been providing,” Chavez said.
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