Where We Live – Hospital CEO pay: How much is too much?

Last year, CT’s hospital CEOs averaged over $1million in compensation. Yesterday’s Where We Live focused on those salaries and the disconnect with quality of care. The lowest paid CEO in CT – at New Milford Hospital – runs the only CT hospital not penalized this year by Medicare for having too many patients return within…

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Ten CT hospitals paid over $1 million to an employee last year

Ten CT hospitals paid over $1 million each in total compensation to 19 employees last fiscal year, according to a new DPH report. The lowest paid top employee was at Essent-Sharon (CT’s only for-profit hospital to date) and the highest was at Yale-New Haven topping out at $3.5 million. Sharon Hospital had four millionaires on…

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Unfortunate SCOTUS decision limits Medicaid provider rights

A decision yesterday by the US Supreme Court reversed a Ninth Circuit decision and ruled that providers do not have the legal right to sue a state Medicaid program under the federal Medicaid act. Armstrong v. Exceptional Child Center involved an Idaho clinic suing the state because rates were too low to ensure adequate access…

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Surgical hospital coming to CT, promises to serve Medicaid

The Hospital for Special Surgery has received approval to open a large outpatient center in Stamford, according to Crain’s New York Business. The New York hospital has a reputation for very high quality and serving wealthy patients. But as a condition of DPH approval, HSS has agreed that 10% of their CT patients will be…

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Surgical errors in CT hospitals climbed in 2013

A new analysis by C-HIT found that adverse events (serious medical errors) in CT hospitals were up significantly in 2013, more than double the year before. The greatest increases were for foreign objects left in bodies and perforations during surgery. Deaths, serious falls, serious medication errors, and surgeries on the wrong body part all increased…

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CT hospitals made $597 million profit last year

A new analysis of CT’s 29 acute care hospital finances by C-HIT found that while operating profits were down last year to $333.6 million from $513.6 m last year, overall profits were still $597 million due to an increase in investment and other income. The annual OHCA report found that just under half (48%) of…

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CT has second highest rate of 2013 hospital Medicare readmission penalties

CT was behind only NJ last year in the percent of hospitals receiving Medicare readmission penalties and the average penalty for CT hospitals more than doubled from 2012. Medicare fines hospitals for patients who return unplanned to the hospital for treatment within 30 days of discharge compared to an expected readmission rate, adjusted for severity…

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Malloy signs bills allowing for-profit hospital conversions and not allowing e-cigarettes for minors

Among the 23 bills signed by Gov. Malloy yesterday was SB-35which eases CT hospitals’ conversion to for-profit status, however with more restrictions and protections for patients and workers. The Governor also signed SB-24making the sale of e-cigarettes to minors illegal.

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News: Independent CT hospitals discussing tiered networks, Pre-ACA CID routinely approved very high rates for Aetna

The Hartford Business Journal is reporting that some smaller, independent CT hospitals are in discussions with each other and with insurers about options that improve their efficiency and make coverage more affordable. The hospitals are talking with insurers about value-based insurance designs or tiered networks where consumers who choose to access care at lower priced…

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