State officials are poised to legally exceed Connecticut’s spending cap for the first time in nearly two decades to avert a crisis in paying Medicaid bills — and to pave the way for a new two-year budget.

 

Both Gov. Ned Lamont’s administration and House Speaker Matt Ritter, D-Hartford, confirmed a tentative understanding to resolve the Medicaid shortfall expected to approach or exceed $300 million this fiscal year.

HARTFORD, CT – Nonprofit agencies supporting mental health services, addiction, homelessness, immigration and more were well represented Tuesday at the state Capitol during a rally for increased state funding on the building’s south lawn.

 

The event, organized by the CT Community Nonprofit Alliance, drew an estimated 2,500, according to Capitol police.

On April 11, 2025, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) issued a Deregulation Request for Information (RFI) seeking public input on federal regulations that may be overly burdensome or outdated. This initiative aligns with Executive Order 14192, “Unleashing Prosperity Through Deregulation,” aiming to reduce regulatory burdens and enhance transparency. The Alliance submitted its formal comment response on May 12, incorporating input from over 100 member organizations and 47 state associations signing on in support.

 

We appreciate the thoughtful input and stand ready to continue advocating on behalf of our membership to ensure the delivery of high-quality care in the home. The Alliance also intends to provide feedback to a Medicare-specific deregulation RFI, with comments due on June 10, 2025. The Administration has also released an RFI encouraging stakeholders to submit ideas for deregulatory actions through the Regulations.gov docket (AHRQ-2025-0001) or via an online portal at Regulations.gov/Deregulation.

 

Of note, the Connecticut Association for Healthcare at Home signed on in support of the Alliance’s comment letter as well as sending in a separate letter based on member feedback.  Click here to read CT’s letter.

CMS Veteran and Research & Analysis Expert Sharpen the Alliance’s Ability to Deliver for Care at Home

(Alexandria, VA and Washington, DC) – The National Alliance for Care at Home (the Alliance) is excited to announce two new leadership roles to expand its Advocacy team: VP of Policy & Regulatory Affairs and VP of Research & Analytics. These additions underscore the Alliance’s core commitment to advocating for policies that support care at home providers and protect and expand access to care for America’s growing aging population.

The Alliance welcomes Hillary Loeffler as its VP of Policy & Regulatory Affairs. Hillary comes directly from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), where she served as a Senior Advisor for the Office of Legislation, shaping and executing Medicare legislative and regulatory policy. Hillary has served as a positive change agent on behalf of the care at home community throughout her previous tenure, including: Senior Health Policy Advisor for the Committee on Ways and Means for the U.S. House of Representatives; Senior Advisor to the Deputy Administrator for Program Integrity at CMS; Director of the Home Health & Hospice Division of CMS; Senior Health Care Analyst for the U.S. Government Accountability Office. During her time in the Home Health & Hospice Division of CMS, she led the implementation of several key initiatives, including the home health Patient-Driven Groupings Model, and advised the CMS Innovation Center on a variety of major models including the Medicare Care Choices Model, the Home Health Value-Based Purchasing Model, and the hospice component of the Medicare Advantage Value-Based Insurance Design Model. Hillary has a Master of Public Policy from the University of Denver and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of Minnesota.

The Alliance published the results of new research exploring perceptions of hospice care among underserved communities: CONNECT to Care – Expanding Access through Hospice Insights. Based on series of nationwide surveys (n=2,000) conducted by Transcend Strategy Group, this report explores perceptions of hospice care among historically underserved communities — Black, Hispanic, Asian American, LGBTQ+, and rural.

 

Using the CONNECT acronym — Communication, Outcomes, Network, Nurture, Engagement, Collaboration, and Transparency — the report aims to help providers support equitable, inclusive, and comprehensive access to care. Along with key findings from the research, CONNECT to Care offers recommendations for hospice providers to help increase understanding of hospice care and overcome barriers to access.

 

Download the full report from the Alliance website.  

An Invited Commentary published Wednesday in JAMA Network Open highlights vital new consensus on when to refer dementia patients to specialist palliative care. The commentary, authored by Laura J. Morrison, MD, from Yale University School of Medicine, analyzes the Delphi survey study, which established the first international agreement on palliative care referral criteria for dementia patients.