Posts by Ellen Andrews
Video on impact of ACA in CT
A new video from Rep. Joe Courtney, CTHPP Board member, shows real patients and doctors describing the important benefits of the Affordable Care Act on CT residents, providers and small businesses right now.
Read MoreCSG/ERC health policy webinar
Join Stan Dorn of the Urban Institute for a webinar about the Basic Health Program option for states under the national Affordable Care Act. The webinar will be Monday, April 4th at noon. To register, go to https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/191056697. The Basic Health Program option can allow states to continue to cover higher income parents who have…
Read MoreSingle payer reform moves forward in VT
This week I was in Montpelier for a CSG/Eastern Region state capitol visit. House committees were debating their single payer reform bill, H202. Virtually all the discussion revolves around how to do it, not whether to do it. More than once I heard policymakers remark that this is a huge undertaking, but “we have to…
Read MoreGetting health information exchange right
Anyone who shows up in an ER unconscious wants to know that the doctors treating them have all the information they need to make them well. It is also critical to keeping health costs down and reducing duplicate testing. But a proposed opt-out policy could jeopardize all that. An OP-ED by Helen George highlights the…
Read MoreMedicaid Council and PCCM updates
At Friday morning’s Medicaid Council meeting we heard from Mercer about their HUSKY quality review project. The authors pointed out that most of the measures were about paperwork, not outcome-based, and of limited usefulness. For example, the study measured the reading level of member handbooks but not whether any members actually received or used them.…
Read MoreFAQs about patient-centered medical homes in CT
As part of discussion of national health reform and SustiNet, questions have been raised about patient-centered medical homes (PCMHs) in our state. We have drafted responses to some of those questions including:What is a patient centered medical home? (Coordinated care delivered by a team that helps patients keep themselves healthy) What is a patient centered…
Read MoreMA health reforms did not reduce medical bankruptcies
A new study finds that health reform in MA, including the individual mandate, did little to reduce bankruptcies due to medical bills. The number of medical bankruptcies grew from 7,504 in 2007 to 10,093 in 2009; the proportion of bankruptcies due to medical bills dipped insignificantly from 59.3% to 52.9%. Insurance is not enough —…
Read MoreSustiNet passes Public Health Committee
Yesterday the Public Health Committee passed the SustiNet bill on a party line vote. Even legislators who voted against the bill praised most of the provisions and the intent of the bill. Concerns centered on potential state liability (although the bill requires SustiNet to be self-sustaining), that it will “take over” Connecticut’s insurance market (only…
Read MoreCT residents middle of the pack in well-being
A Gallup poll of Americans finds that CT ranked 22nd among states in well-being in 2009, down from 19th in 2008. The detailed poll includes measures of learning, stress, and happiness. Among CT cities, Norwich is highest in well-being, closely followed by Bridgeport and Hartford: New Haven is very far behind. (It appears our work…
Read MoreQuality of care in CT remains high
AHRQ’s new 2010 Health Care Quality and Disparities reports find that our state is among the best in the overall quality of care we receive, however we lag behind the rest of New England in prevention and acute treatment and behind others for chronic disease management and health outcomes. Nationally, urban – rural disparities in…
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