Archive for July 2011
Health care spending growth last year matched growth in the economy – almost
Today CMS published health spending growth numbers for last year; US health care spending grew only 3.9% while the overall economy grew by 3.8%. Consequently health care as a share of GDP stayed at 17.6%. This is a significant slowing of health care costs which had increased by double digits in past years. Unfortunately the…
Read MoreNCQA slides and video online
Slides and video of Monday’s NCQA patient-centered medical home webinar are online. You can also register for next Monday’s webinar on URAC’s patient-centered medical home accreditation program.
Read MoreGov. Malloy letter outlines impact of federal debt ceiling crisis on CT and a better option for Medicaid savings
In a letter to Congressional leaders sent Friday, Governor Malloy estimates the harm to CT from proposed Medicaid state funding and GME cuts. As an alternative, he offers a proposal by MD Governor O’Malley for gainsharing between Medicare and Medicaid that would save as much as the current proposals but would improve options and ease…
Read MoreURAC patient-centered medical home standards webinar
Join us for a webinar August 1st at noon to hear from Christine Leyden, Senior VP at URAC, about their new patient-centered medical home program. URAC, an independent nonprofit organization, is a leader in promoting health care quality through accreditation, education and measurement programs. To register for the webinar, go to https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/931344113
Read MoreHealth cuts in budget deal
The new plan to balance the state’s budget was unveiled Friday. Proposed cuts touch most areas of state spending, including health and the safety net. The Governor’s office was clear that these cuts were not their first choice and they worked hard to avoid making them. Health care cuts include $7.7 million in Medicaid fees…
Read MoreCT third least obese state in US
A new report by the Trust for America’s Health confirms CT’s status as relatively less obese compared to other states. However obesity is a growing problem everywhere, including CT. The authors note that the lowest state’s rate now (Colorado) is higher than the lowest state’s rate fifteen years ago. 21.8% of adults in our state…
Read MoreMedicaid Council update
Friday’s Council meeting was mixed. DSS described their process for developing person-centered medical homes — a far better name. Their provider advisory group will be guiding the department in choosing which PCMH standards providers will have to meet, how they will be paid and the outcomes they will be measured against. Doctors are well-represented (a…
Read MoreGovernor vetoes insurance rate review bill
Governor Malloy vetoed SB 11, An Act Concerning the Rate Approval Process for Certain Health Insurance Policies. The act would have required the Insurance Dept. to hold public hearings if insurers sought permission to raise rates by 10 percent or more. Consumers have been repeatedly hit with double digit rate increases, despite very large profits…
Read MoreCEPAC meeting
The New England Comparative Effectiveness Public Advisory Council held its first meeting last month in Boston. CEPAC is an initiative of the Institute for Clinical and Economic Review, funded by the US Agency for Healthcare Quality and Review. To make informed healthcare decisions policymakers, patients and clinicians need rigorous evidence on the comparative risks and…
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