healthcare costs
CT is underfunding public health despite growing risks, Updated CT Public Health resource
Public health focuses on preventing health problems rather than the more costly treatment of patients when they are ill. Experts estimate that only 20% of our health outcomes are connected to clinical care services. Over the 20th Century, Americans’ life expectancy rose 62%. Those gains were largely due to effective public health initiatives. More recently…
Read MoreOpinion: Advice From An Advocate For Connecticut’s Next OHS Commissioner
Last week, the Governor announced that Diedre Gifford will be leaving the state Office of Health Strategy (OHS) next month. The agency has an ambitious mission — access to high quality, affordable healthcare for every state resident. It’s a heavy lift. Healthcare prices keep rising, the quality of care is just average, and everyone has…
Read MoreNew analysis finds CT Medicaid payment rates compare well to other states
A new analysis finds that Connecticut Medicaid payment rates averaged 71% of Medicare rates for the same 33 codes for common healthcare services in 2024, slowly narrowing the gap since 2019. The national average was the same at 71%. Comparison state averages were below Connecticut’s. Comparison states’ Medicaid rates were not as generous as Connecticut’s…
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 MoreIn avoidable deaths, CT excels among states, but behind globally despite higher spending
Download the analysis Connecticut is second best among US states in avoidable mortality, according to a new study in JAMA Internal Medicine. In 2021, we were 71% less likely than other Americans to die of avoidable causes such as lacking vaccines or sepsis. We do very well in access to care-related mortality, but worse in…
Read MoreCT healthcare costs grew faster than ever in 2023, but Medicaid bucked the trend
Download the analysis This month, the Office of Health Strategy (OHS) released their three annual Healthcare Benchmark reports. The main event, the Cost Growth Benchmark Report, finds that healthcare costs rose by 7.8% in 2023, well above the 2.9% benchmark set by an old OHS committee based on economic indicators. This is the third year…
Read MoreNutrition initiative could save $908 million per year in CT healthcare spending – Potential Medicaid LTC spending relief option
Medically tailored meals (MTMs) could save Connecticut $6,299 net per year per person, by far the highest savings among states, according to a new study published in Health Affairs. This research offers an important option to address Connecticut Medicaid long-term care costs that not only saves money, but also improves health. MTMs are nutritious, prepared…
Read MoreJust a sample of Trump healthcare news
I’ve been avoiding writing about the impact of the Trump administration’s policies on healthcare. It’s overwhelming and it changes daily. But waiting for it to settle out isn’t working. It’s time to dig in. Reporters, in Connecticut and nationally, are doing an exceptional job of documenting this as it happens. Here are a small sample…
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 MoreCTNJ Analysis: It’s Time To End HUSKY’s ‘Value-Based’ Medicaid Program
Connecticut’s Person-Centered Medical Home (PCMH) Plus program has been troubled from its start in 2017, and it’s time to go in a new direction. Read more
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