consumer info
Book Club: The Seven Rules of Trust
There’s been a lot of hand wringing about trust lately. The loss of trust in science, government, institutions, and organizations has serious consequences. When it’s lost, it’s hard to repair. The Seven Rules of Trust: A Blueprint for Building Things that Last is an excellent place to start exploring how to fix the mess we’ve…
Read MoreStill the best kept secret in CT healthcare – CID insurer report card
The 2025 annual CT health insurance plan comparison report from the CT Insurance Department (CID) is an underappreciated gold mine of information – for people and employers choosing plans and for researchers looking for trends and high performers. CID has been publishing the report since at least 2011. The Consumer Report Card on Health Insurance…
Read MoreMedicare chapter in CT Healthcare Explained updated
We’ve made another massive update to CT Healthcare Explained – this time to the Medicare chapter. The update was prompted by new numbers and new research, especially about Medicare Advantage plans. We also included the changes to the program required by the budget bill passed by Congress and the Trump administration this month. CT Healthcare…
Read MoreMedicaid chapter in CT Healthcare Explained updated
We’ve made a massive update to the Medicaid chapter of CT Healthcare Explained. The update was prompted by new numbers and updated performance. We also included the significant changes to the program required by the budget bill passed by Congress and the Trump administration this month. We also included a description of Connecticut’s decision not…
Read MoreFederal changes are coming into view – it’s not good, but there is hope
It’s hard to keep up with the updates about the potential impact of Congressional healthcare proposals. Just when there is a glimmer of light, it gets worse. I won’t blame anyone for not reading any further. For those of us who can’t look away, here are two new analyses of note and two glimmers of…
Read MoreThree years after 988 mental health line launch, impact is mixed
Studies considering the impact of national 988 system finds significant variation between states, but access to emergency services after the call is deficient nationwide. The 988 phone system for mental health crises launched nationwide in July 2022, providing a single easily-remembered number for mental health crises anywhere in the country. Call rates increased significantly after…
Read MoreUpdated data tool finds CT life expectancy 8 years better than US, but large disparities
County Health Rankings has updated their massive dataset for 2025, and Connecticut is doing well overall. We live longer than residents of other states, but our quality of life is just average. There are also significant health differences between communities in our state. The site has a wealth of data, and an AI-powered tool to…
Read MoreUS News: CT is third best state for healthcare
New US News rankings find Connecticut’s healthcare system is behind only Hawaii and Massachusetts. The rankings are based on surveys across all 50 states and primarily government data. We are fortunate to be # 2 in the US in Healthcare Access and # 5 in Public Health Outcomes. We are a bit lower, at #…
Read MoreReform section updated in CT Healthcare Explained
We’ve updated the Reform chapter of CT Healthcare Explained, our explainer website cutting through the complexities of our state’s healthcare system. Like the other 17 topic sections, Reform includes a Basics summary and a much longer Deeper Dive into the issue. In the left hand box, you can skip to your specific question. There is…
Read MoreAnalysis: Trump order jeopardizes cost effective, life-changing cure for sickle cell
We are lucky to live in a time when creative scientists are developing life-changing new cures for debilitating genetic diseases. These breakthrough treatments are as important as penicillin or insulin were in their time. Unfortunately, they are also very expensive. To help pay for them, federal Medicaid officials created an opportunity to help states afford…
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