Archive for May 2009
Last year drug costs rose for children, were down for seniors, and CT prescription use was below average
An annual report on drug costs and utilization by Medco, a pharmacy services company that covers over 60 million people, found that prescription drug costs rose by 3.3% in 2008 fueled mainly by price increases. For the first in ten years, utilization of prescriptions actually decreased (by 1.1%). Use of drugs by children grew by…
Read MoreWhite House reform chief coming to CT
Senator Dodd and Congresswoman DeLauro will host a visit from Nancy-Ann DeParle, Director of the White House Office of Health Reform. The visit, part of Sen. Dodd’s town hall meetings on health care, will be at 11:30 this Saturday morning, May 16th in the cafeteria at Griffin Hospital, 130 Division Street, Derby. Sen. Dodd is…
Read MoreCT Overweight and Obesity forum
Join us at the Overweight and Obesity in CT forum this Thursday May 14th 8:30 to 11:30am at Wilde Auditorium, University of Hartford. The forum, hosted by the new Public Health Policy Institute of CT, will feature the Institute’s inaugural policy paper outlining the problem in CT, the impact of current policies and recommendations to…
Read MoreSutiNet bill modified
For budget and political reasons the SustiNet bill was changed last week. The new version creates a 14 member volunteer SustiNet Health Partnership Board of Directors across stakeholder groups tasked with making recommendations to the legislature by Jan. 1, 2011. The goals of SustiNet remain the same and much of the detail remained in the…
Read MoreMedicaid Managed Care Council/Charter Oak update
The news from today’s Council meeting is that while Charter Oak’s enrollment continues to increase – 8,210 as of May 1st — the number of people denied coverage under the program is far higher — 18,635 so far. While 705 of those were denied because they have coverage or have had it in the last…
Read MoreNotes from community outreach
Yesterday I did an outreach event for about 25 participants in the STRIVE- New Haven program to let them know about different health insurance options. STRIVE does “employability skills training workshops” for residents of greater New Haven to help them find and keep jobs. STRIVE is a comprehensive job and life-training program with a great…
Read MoreNew book for the book club
According to the Environment Protection Agency, a human life is worth $6.1 million. That estimate came out of cost-benefit analyses of arsenic from drinking water. Priceless, by Frank Ackerman and Lisa Heinzerling (2004), provides a fascinating look at the assumptions and questionable methodologies used to develop cost benefit analyses across fields. The costs of arsenic…
Read MoreLegislative briefing on health care reform
A special briefing on health care, “Health Care Reform: Opportunities for New Directions”, was held yesterday at the Legislative Office Building in Hartford. Spectators almost filled the room. Speakers included Congressman Christopher Murphy, 5th District; Joy Johnson Wilson, Health Policy Director for the National Conference of State Legislators; and Enrique Martinez-Vidal, Vice President of State…
Read MoreMay CT Health Policy Web Quiz
Test your knowledge of CT hospital finances, take the May CT Health Policy Web Quiz. This month’s quiz was written by Karen Nepomuceno, Policy Intern at the CT Health Policy Project.
Read MoreHealth care reform briefing for legislators
Monday there will be a special briefing for legislators, open to the public, on Health Care in 2009: Challenge and Opportunity. Speakers include Sen. Chris Dodd, Congressman Chris Murphy, Enrique Martinez-Vidal of Academy Health’s State Coverage Initiative, and Joy Johnson Wilson from the National Council of State Legislatures. The briefing will be in Room 2C…
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