Posts by Ellen Andrews
Free prescription drug samples less likely to go to poor or uninsured patients
$16.4 billion in free drug samples were distributed to US patients in 2004, up from $4.9 billion in 1996. Samples have been criticized for influencing physicians’ prescribing patterns among other concerns, but drug manufacturers have defended the practice by asserting that many of those drugs go to low-income and uninsured patients who might not otherwise…
Read MorePolicymaker Issue Brief No. 43 – 2008 Upcoming Health Issues for Connecticut
CT will face some important health policy issues this year including HUSKY, Medicaid, Charter Oak and Covering the Uninsured. For a summary, go to the CT Health Policy Project’s Issue Brief — 2008 Upcoming Health Issues for CT Posted by Ellen Andrews
Read MoreVote for your favorite among three current proposals to cover CT’s uninsured
Three proposals have been made by the Governor and legislative leadership to cover CT’s uninsured. Currently, the Governor’s charter Oak plan is ahead in on-line voting. For more information on the options, click here . Go to our on-line poll to vote for your favorite or suggest your own idea http://www.cthealthpolicy.org/surveys/200712/.
Read MoreOver 40 million Americans missed needed health care services due to cost
18.6% of American adults did not receive needed medical care in 2005 because they could not afford it, according to a new report by the CDC. 25 million did not get needed dental care, over 18 million missed needed prescriptions and over 15 million did not get medical care they needed because of cost. 6%…
Read MorePolicymaker Issue BriefNo. 42 — Connecticut hospitals had access to over $128 million in free bed funds in 2006
Free bed funds at Connecticut hospitals were up $5.3 million in 2006 over the year before. Yale-New Haven and Hartford Hospitals control over two thirds of the total private free bed funds in the state to cover the costs of caring for needy uninsured and underinsured patients. On average, hospitals spent 11% of their fund…
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