Posts by Ellen Andrews
The Future of Medicine in the Human Genome Genomics — Making a difference in patients’ lives / By Mary Branham
From CSG-ERC’s Annual Meeting in Connecticut Mapping the first human genome in 2000 cost about $4 billion; today, it costs about $1,000. The cost has come down because of investment, and because of the important role genomics is playing in medicine today, according to Dr. Murat Gunel, a professor of neurosurgery, genetics and neuroscience at…
Read MoreEarly look at exchange premiums finds Hartford premium trends modest compared to other US cities
A Kaiser Foundation very early look at 2018 health insurance exchange monthly premium proposals, subject to change, across 21 US cities predicts that Hartford consumers will do well next year. The report compares early rate filings for a 40 year old non-smoker making $30,000/year choosing the second-lowest silver plan. Silver plans are the most popular.…
Read MoreOne in ten CT adults has high medical needs
Understanding high-need adults with complex conditions and their barriers to care are key to developing solutions that improve health and control costs. High-need adults have at least two chronic diseases and a functional limitation in their ability to care for themselves or perform routine daily tasks. A new report from the Commonwealth Fund outlines in…
Read MoreCT Medical Society standing up an HIE for the state
Miscommunication is blamed for thousands of deaths and billions of dollars in costs. One part of miscommunication involves providers not being able to access records for patients they are treating. Numerous state groups working to reform CT’s broken health care system over the last decade have urged policymakers to develop a Health Information Exchange (HIE)…
Read MoreAugust CT Health Reform Dashboard – Medicaid concerns grow but continuing hope for drug costs
CT’s August Health Reform Dashboardremains mixed. Medicaid policy development and implementation remains mired in mistrust, rushing ahead without data, quality problems, and a lack of transparency while state officials refuse to answer questions. The new state HIT plan is travelling the same troubled path from the past but thankfully physicians and others are just getting…
Read MoreCT health provider capacity varies significantly
A new mapping and data tool from CMS allows web visitors to visualize the density of a range of health care providers relative to the number of consumers. The updated Market Saturation and Utilization Tool uses Medicare claims data and can be sorted by state or county. Policymakers can use the Tool for health services…
Read MoreICER seeks comment on Value Framework Changes for Ultra-Rare Condition Treatments
The Institute for Clinical and Economic Review(ICER) has proposed adaptations to its value framework for very rare conditions. ICER is a leader in evidence-based analysis of the effectiveness of drugs and other medical treatments. ICER’s analyses, including benchmark value-based prices for new drugs, are used by a growing list of payers in developing fair prices.…
Read MoreQuality challenges remain in CT Medicaid PCMHs
Also at Friday’s meeting, DSS reported on a selection of quality results from 2015, highlighting concerns. The results compared quality measures for patients receiving care from private practice and community health center Patient-Centered Medical Homes. In other programs, PCMHs have improved quality performance over non-PCMH practices. There remains a lot of room for improvement. Only…
Read MoreDéjà vu at Medicaid Council meeting
Friday’s Medicaid Council meeting focused on the controversialPCMH+ shared savings program reminding many observers of years of rosy DSS presentations about the very similar, failed HUSKY MCO program. PCMH+ started six months ago with 137,000 members. The concept is to give Accountable Care Organizations (large health systems) a reason to lower the total cost of…
Read MoreSen. Blumenthal holding fifth hearing on ACA replacement bills
Friday at 2pm Senator Blumenthal will convene an emergency field hearing to collect input from Connecticut residents on current proposals to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act. This is the Senator’s fifth hearing on the issue. The latest Senate version of the bill from Republican leaders was published today. The hearing will be held…
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