Medicare
ICER seeks input on non-drug topics for 2020
The Institute for Clinical and Economic Review is seeking input on non-drug topics they should study for 2020. An independent nonprofit research institute, ICER is the US leader in assessing the evidence on the effectiveness and value of drugs and other medical services. ICER’s reports and pricing benchmarks that represent a good value for consumers…
Read MoreBipartisan Insurance Committee forum finds a lot of consensus on potential reforms
Download the CTHPP presentation Yesterday the Chairs and Ranking Members of the Insurance Committee convened a forum on potential reforms to lower healthcare costs. Legislators invited David Seltz from the Massachusetts Health Policy Commission. Connecticut speakers included representatives from the insurance industry, providers, state officials, a foundation and advocates. A recurring theme was the need…
Read MoreConnecticut’s uninsured rate stabilizes, retaining ACA gains
Download the report New numbers from the US Census Bureau report that 187,000 or 5.3% of Connecticut residents were uninsured last year. That number is down slightly from the year before when the uninsured rate was 5.5%, but above 2016’s rate at 4.9%. The new data continues the trend of fewer uninsured that began with…
Read MoreCoincidence? CT spends little on primary care, and we have high ED, preventable hospitalization rates
A new analysis finds that Connecticut, at only 3.5% of our health care dollars spent on primary care, is last among 29 states studied. Not surprisingly, we also rank among the highest in ED visits, all hospitalizations, and in avoidable hospitalizations. The US average is 5.6% of health care spending devoted to primary care, well…
Read MoreLarge study finds selection bias in Medicare shared savings erases savings and quality improvements – advocates saw this coming
Researchers from the University of Michigan found that the modest savings and quality improvements reported by Medicare’s extensive shared savings program (MSSP) are likely due to adverse selection. High cost clinicians and beneficiaries were far more likely than others to exit the program. When adjusted for the selective bias in MSSP exit, reported savings and…
Read MoreState budget deal restores coverage for 4,000 HUSKY parents, a move toward quality-based payments, and insurance protections
Policymakers have reached a $43 billion state budget deal to cover the next two fiscal years, on-time before the end of the session. For health policy folks, there is a lot to like in the deal but a few notes of caution. The best part is a partial restoration of HUSKY parents’ eligibility cuts from…
Read MoreCTNJ: AG expands generic drug price-fixing lawsuit
Friday, Connecticut’s Attorney General Tong and 43 other Attorneys General filed a federal lawsuit alleging that 20 generic drug manufacturers and 15 individuals conspired to inflate prices for 114 drugs that treat a multitude of conditions. The complaint outlines a broad, coordinated campaign across the industry to fix prices, allocate markets and rig bids. Price-fixing…
Read MoreAdvocates offer recommendations for Medicaid shared savings future
The first year of Connecticut Medicaid’s PCMH Plus experiment in shared savings was disappointing. The program cost the state at least $1.3 million extra tax dollars and quality did not improve compared to Medicaid members outside the program. Every Accountable Care Organization (ACO), regardless of savings or quality improvement, was rewarded with a payment. The…
Read MoreAppropriations Committee passes their budget proposal — Still mixed news, but better
Tuesday, the Appropriations Committee passed their version of the 2019-2021 state budget on a party line vote. While they mainly agreed with the Governor’s proposal from February, they did improve in some areas. Good and better news – The committee agreed with the Governor not to cut eligibility for HUSKY parents or the Medicare Savings…
Read MoreBetter, safer ideas to support primary care in Connecticut
Download the report Primary care is the foundation of the health system. It is, or should be, patients’ first interaction with the healthcare system for non-urgent issues. There is strong evidence that care coordination linked to primary care practices, such as patient-centered medical homes (PCMHs), foster improved health while lowering costs.[i] Areas with more primary…
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