Analysis: Advice to CT’s next Medicaid director

CTNewsJunkie – Monday, February 23, 2026
By Ellen Andrews, Ph.D.

Ellen Andrews, Ph.D., is the executive director of the CT Health Policy Project.

Welcome. You’re taking on a big job at a difficult time. Your program covers healthcare for one in five state residents and is about a quarter of the state budget. But we’re in a very good place and you’ll have lots of help.

The good news first. You’re getting a very efficient program that is a national model for cost control, quality, and access to care. In the latest state report, from 2019 to 2023 Medicaid per person costs dropped 0.8%, while Medicare costs rose 7.3% and private coverage rose 25%. Unlike most state Medicaid directors, you don’t have to deal with private insurers to get things done in your program. If someone has a good idea, you can just implement it. No waiting to renegotiate contracts or to beg private companies to implement the good idea.

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