CT Health Reform
Cost cap committee excludes patients’ provider choices from primary care spending increase
On Thursday, the main committee convened by the Office of Health Strategy (OHS) met to continue their work to set a cap on how much healthcare costs can increase and, at the same time, double spending on primary care. At the meeting they codified a narrow definition of primary care provider for purposes of calculating…
Read MoreOHS Cost Cap committee retreats on quality, providers driving the delay
The Office of Health Strategy (OHS) rejected concerns been raised by stakeholders and some Cost Cap committee members that the Cost Cap on healthcare spending will be implemented at least a year before reporting on quality performance. Concerns center on the possibility of lowering costs by lowering the quality of care to achieve the ambitious…
Read MoreMedicaid rolls up 3.9% since February
The number of people getting medical assistance through the state is up by 40,158 or 3.9% from February to last month, according to new numbers from DSS. This was expected as people lose jobs and the employer-sponsored coverage that comes with those jobs. With less income more state residents were expected to qualify for Medicaid.…
Read MoreCost Cap committee considers who qualifies for increased primary care spending
In response to stakeholder feedback that the prior Cost Cap levels were unrealistic and risk unintended harm to patients, at their last meeting the Office of Health Strategy’s Cost Cap committee slightly softened the cap levels. The committee continued their discussion of which providers qualify as primary care providers. OHS wants to significantly increase the…
Read MoreUpdate: OHS committee slightly eases unrealistic cap for CT healthcare costs
In response to stakeholder concerns, at their July 29th meeting the Office of Health Strategy’s (OHS) Technical Team choosing the cap for future Connecticut healthcare costs eased their previous decision on how much healthcare costs for every state resident will be allowed to increase over the next five years. Many stakeholders have voiced concerns that…
Read MoreComprehensive updated resource on Connecticut’s health landscape from DPH, get involved
Almost one in six Connecticut children are food insecure and the number of state residents newly diagnosed with HIV has been dropping since 2010, according to the Dept. of Public Health’s new 2019 State Health Assessment. In 2017, 14.4% of Connecticut high school students used e-cigarettes, up from 2.4% in 2009. Over one in four…
Read MoreCost cap update – possible easing on growth cap but primary care target proves difficult
In response to concerns from many sources about potential harm to people, the Office of Health Strategy (OHS) is considering easing the proposed caps on the growth of all healthcare spending. In the latest Technical Team meeting, OHS and Bailit, the consultants running the project, said they would consider starting the cap next year higher…
Read MoreStudy finds PCMHs cost less, fewer ED visits than ACOs
A new analysis finds that total healthcare costs and ED visits are significantly lower for adult patients of Patient-Centered Medical Homes (PCMHs) than for Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs), hybrids (both PCMHs and ACOs), or standard care (from facilities that are neither). PCMH patients had the lowest average total cost of care, 23% lower than standard…
Read MoreFact Check: Are primary care doctors underpaid?
Download the Fact Check A statement was made in a recent Connecticut state public meeting that primary care physicians are paid less than specialists. The statement was made a recent Technical Team meeting for the Office of Health Strategy’s cost cap project considering a substantial increase in spending on primary care. The facts, however, are…
Read MoreImprove health policymaking — Nominate a claim for fact checking
In Connecticut state policymaking committee meetings, advocates routinely hear questionable claims stated as facts. Often very important caveats and context are left out. As non-members, we have no opportunity to question the claim or correct the misinformation. Too often policy is made based on these un-challenged claims. For twenty years, the CT Health Policy Project…
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