CT Health Reform
Health reform dashboard reflects uncertainty, good and bad trends
March’s CT Health Reform Dashboard update reflects good, bad and uncertain policy movement in CT and DC. Most troubling is the level of mistrust among stakeholders in our state’s health system first recognized formally by out-of-state consultants to the Health Care Cabinet. This problem undermines even well-intentioned efforts to make progress, that otherwise would receive…
Read MoreCT stuck at C+ grade for health reform, Mistrust is high and pervasive
Connecticut health care thought leaders again gave our state a C+ grade for health reform last month, but our GPA dropped from 2.4 to 2.2. Connecticut’s grade for effort didn’t change from last year still at a B-/C+ (GPA 2.5) in this survey. Connecticut continues to earn higher marks for Medicaid and the health insurance…
Read MoreCT Health Reform Dashboard update reflects Medicaid concerns
February’s CT Health Reform Dashboard update reflects growing concerns about CT’s Medicaid program. Problems with the new EVV system threaten consumer access to home care, provider sustainability and privacy rights. The experimental PCMH+ program began a month ago, but no information on the program has been shared and plans for evaluation too little and too…
Read MorePCMH + evaluation plans – weak review and too late to matter
Wednesday DSS unveiled their initial plans to evaluate PCMH +, the new experimental HUSKY shared savings program that just started January 1st with 160,000 members. HUSKY’s previous experience with financial risk was a universally acknowledged failure. Contrary to promises for a meaningful evaluation of the program before moving another 200,000 members into the program next…
Read MoreCabinet begins to tackle prescription costs
CT’s Health Care Cabinet began drilling down into rising prescription drug costs and state options to stem the rise. We heard from Ameet Sarpatwari, consultant to NASHP on their report for states, and Tom Brownlie of Pfizer and Jenny Bryant of PhRMA. Dr. Sarpatwari outlined high US spending on drugs and the consequences for consumers’…
Read MoreBusting Medicaid spending myths
Despite best efforts by legislators, advocates, and state officials, persistent myths remain about the success of Connecticut’s Medicaid program. It’s understandable – before the shift five years ago away from private insurers to care coordination, costs were out of control, but things are very different now. We’ve looked under the hood, drilled down into details,…
Read MoreDashboard update reflects deep uncertainty at state and federal levels
January’s CT Health Reform Dashboard update reflects CT’s changing health care landscape. Uncertainty is fueled by a significant state budget deficit and, at the federal level, the ACA repeal and radical plans to change Medicaid. The Health Care Cabinet’s attempts at reform are mercifully over. It’s unclear how much of the very contentious report will…
Read MoreHealth Care Cabinet finalizes controversial report recommendations for reform with tight votes
At yesterday’s meeting, the Health Care Cabinet took a final vote on controversialrecommendations to reform our state’s health system. The main concern that garnered the most disagreement and public input was a recommendation to place all Medicaid and state employees in a downside risk payment model within four years. While the measure still passed, the…
Read MoreCT Health Reform Dashboard responds to eroding accountability in hospital oversight and Medicaid consumer rights
This month’s Health Reform Dashboardupdate once again reflects more attempts to unravel progress in CT. Medicaid leads the concerns with the success of new ACOs at the last minute in blowing up federally required consumer notices that were carefully negotiated over months, so that consumers will need a college education to understand the risks of…
Read MoreHealthcare Cabinet gets an earful on reform proposals
At today’s public hearing, the Cabinet got a lot of thanks for the hard work, but not a lot of support for the proposals. Unfortunately the meeting was poorly attended, especially by some of the strongest proponents of downside risk. Speakers included providers, advocates, a SIM official, a foundation, and business representatives. Many spoke against…
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