Budget Process
CT ranks 5th among states in Medicaid coverage, 2nd in quality
COVID has emphasized the importance of a strong, healthy Medicaid program for states. A new analysis by WalletHub ranks Connecticut fifth among states in 2021 Medicaid coverage. Rather than just using the percentage of state residents with Medicaid coverage, the ranking included quality, spending, as well as eligibility and enrollment. We ranked 2nd in quality…
Read MoreCost Cap finds hospital system costs driving healthcare spending, but we knew that
Download the report In a surprise to no one, the first analysis by the Cost Cap project finds that inpatient and outpatient hospital services are a main driver of rising healthcare spending in Connecticut. Hospital and drug costs have been identified in multiple studies as the main drivers of rising health costs in our state.…
Read MoreState Partnership Plan losing money but still more expensive than average CT plan options
Download the report Connecticut’s most recent public health insurance option, the Partnership Plan 2.0, offers healthcare coverage to municipal employees. According to a new analysis by Brown & Brown Insurance, Partnership Plan premium increases have not kept up with costs. The very impressive analysis is based on Freedom of Information requests; very little information on…
Read MoreCTNJ: If The COVID Vaccine Is Free For Patients, Who Is Paying For It?
Federal law ensures the COVID vaccine will be provided to every American at no cost. So who is paying for it? Because it’s healthcare, the answer is complicated and we are all paying for it – mostly through taxes and a bit through our insurance premiums. Read more
Read MoreGovernor’s budget includes drug cost control and exchange subsidies, but misses other health priorities
Released today, the Governor’s budget proposal for the next two fiscal years acknowledges the importance of addressing critical health priorities, especially during a pandemic. The document highlights the state’s public health challenges of funding and implementing COVID testing, treatment, and vaccination all while facing a severe economic slowdown, high unemployment, and increased demand for social…
Read MoreCT Medicaid rates squeezed a bit but still higher than other states
A new comparison published this month in Health Affairs finds that Connecticut Medicaid provider payment rates lost some ground between 2012 and 2019, but they remain higher than the US average and well above most nearby states. Primary care rates are highest relative to other states than other services. From 2012 to 2019, compared to…
Read MoreConnecticut Medicaid costs stable but rising physician and clinic spending threaten progress
Download the report Since switching from managed care organizations in 2012 to focus on care management, Connecticut Medicaid spending has stabilized while enrollment has expanded significantly, according to the state’s latest financial report. Medicaid now covers one in four state residents. However, physician and clinic spending increases are eroding early progress in controlling costs. Medicaid…
Read MoreTop Stories of 2020
A year ago, our predictions for 2020 missed all but the recession. COVID has us giving up on predictions, so we’ll just take a look back at our top stories of this year. Advocacy Toolbox now online — Updates include specific, real world tools for legislative, administrative, and state budget advocacy, how to change public…
Read MoreCTNJ OP-ED | New Health Plan for State Employees Needs Transparency
The State Comptroller’s Office is undertaking payment reform for the very costly state employee health plan without public accountability or transparency. The controversial plan to pay for health care in bundles and reward high quality providers for the plan’s 250,000 members could be a gamechanger, but it could also fail. The problem is that we…
Read MoreCT workers’ health benefits cost more, but growing more slowly and take less of our incomes
Download the report While total premiums, deductibles, and the workers’ share of premiums for Connecticut employee health coverage are higher than the US average, they have generally grown less quickly and consume less of our incomes than for other Americans from 2010 to 2019. Connecticut employer health coverage total premiums, employee share of premiums, and…
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