healthcare markets
New tool to compare CT healthcare prices
Medcompare collects publicly available hospital price transparency data and converts it into a searchable format. The site compares US cash/self-pay hospital prices for 8,967 procedures in 31 categories across 29 hospitals in Connecticut. Prices for the same service vary significantly between Connecticut hospitals. Uninsured and self-pay patients can save hundreds to thousands of dollars by…
Read MoreNew tool finds CT employer health insurance costs 8th highest in US
A new Health Cost Landscape data tool finds that Connecticut residents spend 15% more than the national average on employer-sponsored health insurance coverage. Only seven states cost more. But because of higher average incomes, the burden of healthcare costs is lower here than for most Americans. High prices are the main force driving up Connecticut…
Read MoreReference pricing lowers healthcare prices, could save CT millions
Download the backgrounder Hospital prices are driving up healthcare costs making coverage unaffordable, in Connecticut and across the US. It’s hard to reduce hospital prices, especially in consolidated markets like Connecticut’s, where huge health systems have monopoly power to demand steep prices. But Oregon and Montana have been saving millions annually on just their state…
Read MoreCTNJ: To make healthcare affordable, break up OHS
Candidates are hearing a lot about affordability, in Connecticut and across the country. Rising healthcare costs are a big part of the problem, erasing any wage increases. Connecticut is among the most expensive states for health insurance premiums, and they’re rising fast. Our state Office of Health Strategy is tasked with finding solutions that lower…
Read MoreReference pricing lowers healthcare prices, could save CT millions
Hospital prices are driving up healthcare costs making coverage unaffordable, in Connecticut and across the US. It’s hard to reduce hospital prices, especially in consolidated markets like Connecticut’s, where huge health systems have monopoly power to demand steep prices. But since 2019, Oregon has been saving $50 million annually on just their state employee plan,…
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 MorePrivate Insurance chapter in CT Healthcare Explained updated
We’ve updated the Private Insurance chapter of CT Healthcare Explained. The update was prompted by new numbers and new topics, including level-funded plans, Connecticut private insurance prices compared to Medicare, and wide hospital price variation. CT Healthcare Explained is our explainer website cutting through the complexities of our state’s healthcare system. Like the other 17…
Read MoreAnalysis: CT is a National Leader in Fight to Control Drug Costs
This year, Connecticut passed meaningful laws to control stubbornly-high prescription drug prices. According to the Office of Health Strategy, prescription drugs are among the top three drivers of Connecticut’s unaffordable healthcare costs, across Medicaid, Medicare, and private insurance. States don’t have the powerful levers that federal policymakers could access, and federal law can be a…
Read MoreCT health policy learning opportunity
To help build health policy capacity in our state, the CT Health Policy Project is launching a guided study/class that builds on CT Healthcare Explained. There is no cost for the course. There is a webpage for the course (learncthealth.org) that starts in September and runs through December. We’ll use a hybrid format – video…
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…
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