Archive for August 2013
Consumer advocates provide constructive input to SIM
Today a letter was sent to state SIM planners from 24 CT consumer advocates representing 21 organizations proposing an alternative to the state’s proposed SIM plan. The SIM project, funded with a $3m federal grant, is developing payment and care delivery models for at least 80% of state residents – 3 million people or…
Read MoreQuinnipiac med students start classes today
The first class of students at the new Quinnipiac University medical school started classes today. Training for the sixty students will emphasize team-based care with the goal of encouraging them to practice primary care.
Read MoreBook Club: Naked Statistics
A new addition to the CT Health Policy Project Book Club – Naked Statistics: Stripping the Dread from the Data – makes statistics relevant, accessible and entertaining. “Statistics is like a high-caliber weapon: helpful when used correctly and potentially disastrous in the wrong hands.” If you want to understand health policy, you need to…
Read MoreWaterbury Hospital for-profit takeover community forum tonight
A community forum on Vanguard/Tenet’s planned takeover of Waterbury Hospital will be tonight at 7pm at St. John’s Episcopal Church, 16 Church St. in Waterbury. Community and labor organizations are concerned about the for-profit, out of state company buying the nonprofit hospital.
Read MoreSIM and Cabinet meeting update
Yesterday’s Health Care Cabinet meeting wasn’t very enlightening. The SIM report on consumer outreach was pretty much as expected. Consultants reported on focus groups with HUSKY and uninsured consumers and described plans for an online survey. Not surprisingly, they found lots of complaints about challenges accessing health care, stigma and poor treatment. They did…
Read MoreFor-profit Vanguard and Yale-New Haven set to takeover ECHN
Eastern CT Health Network, including Rockville and Manchester Hospitals and their networks, has entered an agreement with for-profit Tennessee-based Vanguard Health Systems and Yale-New Haven Health Systems. Under the agreement Vanguard will takeover outpatient facilities at both hospitals and Yale will provide clinical support. Vanguard is also seeking to acquire Waterbury Hospital and more…
Read MoreExchange premiums up from this year, lots of variation
Our analysis of the recently announced 2014 Access Health CT standard plan premiums finds that for five typical CT households covered by the two health insurers with premium history – Anthem and ConnectiCare – in all but one case, families will experience significant premium increases from this year. Premiums will rise between 30 and 163%.…
Read MoreCT moves up to 13th worst in hospital Medicare readmission penalties
Twenty four CT hospitals will face Medicare penalties because of readmission rates averaging 0.43% of Medicare revenues. In an important move to link payment to quality of care, Medicare began last year providing individual hospitals with penalties and rewards based on the number of discharged patients who are readmitted within a month. While CT…
Read MoreAetna leaves CT insurance exchange
Aetna has withdrawn their application to participate in Access Health CT, our state’s health insurance exchange. Aetna’s proposal was the least costly individual premium option for 14 of the 15 examples given at the last Board meeting. Unfortunately this reduces the affordability of options in the exchange and leaves only three plans each in…
Read MoreAugust CT Health Policy Webquiz: CT health insurance base premiums
Test your knowledge of base health insurance premiums in Connecticut for this year. Take the August CT Health Policy Webquiz.
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