public health
CT among highest states in opioid-related hospital visits but rising more slowly than most states
In 2014, Connecticut’s per capita rate of opioid-related ED visits was 37% higher than the national average and our inpatient visit rate was 28% higher according to a new report by AHRQ. While those rates grew between 2009 and 2014 in almost every state, Connecticut’s growth rates were among the lowest in the nation. Opioid-related…
Read MoreAlmost one in six CT adults smokes cigarettes, rate steady and disparities persist
According to new numbers for 2014 from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC),tobacco use is the leading cause of preventable disease and death in the US. Tobacco use is blamed for 480,000 premature deaths and over $300 billion in direct healthcare costs each year. Unfortunately CT is not immune; 15.4% of adults in…
Read MoreConnecticut ranks 4th in nation for health of women and children
The newest report by America’s Health Rankings finds that women and children in Connecticut are healthier than women and children in all but three other states. While we rank best in outcomes for children, we are 48th in clinical care for infants. Our strengths include cervical cancer screening, the lowest rate of smoking in pregnancy…
Read MoreCT second lowest in US in premature deaths, but also among most costly states
Second only to New Hampshire among states, Connecticut residents are avoiding premature deaths preventable with better health care. However, no Connecticut community ranked in the top 10% across health indicators in the Commonwealth Fund’s 2016 Local Health System Scorecard. While we do very well in Healthy Lives measures, we have a great deal of work…
Read MoreMedicaid Council hears about promising homelessness partnership
Friday’s Medicaid Council meeting highlighted a new federal Medicaid-Housing Partnership opportunity for CT. The collaborative application by CT Medicaid and six other agencies and non-profits was one of eight states awarded. Under new federal guidance, Medicaid can cover tenancy sustaining and transition services, such as help with identifying a home, application assistance, help with moving,…
Read MoreJune web quiz: Health Risk Factors in CT
Test your knowledge of health risks among adults in CT. Take the June CT Health Policy Webquiz.
Read MoreRich/Poor Life Expectancy Gap Depends on Where You Live
The richest 1% of Americans live 14.6 years longer, on average, than those with the lowest 1% of incomes and that gap is growing. While this disparity is well-known, the reasons are not well-understood. The Health Inequality Project is working to change that. Publishing their results in JAMA, researchers from across academia joined forces to…
Read MorePalliative care webinar offers opportunities to improve life for seriously ill people — and save money
Today’s webinar with Dr. Diane Meier from the Center to Advance Palliative Care was moving as well as offering a very promising policy option for CT’s Medicaid program. Palliative care offers great potential to improve and extend the lives of people with serious illness, allowing them to get care at home if they wish, while…
Read MoreGood news on CCIP – SIM’s plan for Medicaid
As recommended by independent advocates and others at from the Care Management Committee, DSS and SIM have agreed to make SIM’s Community and Clinical Integration Program (CCIP) optional for Medicaid provider networks, at least for the first year. Advocates and others on the committee were concerned that the plan was too prescriptive, very expensive, and…
Read MoreFDA flu vaccine meeting – lots of smart people doing important work, tons of wonk fun
Today’s FDA meeting to vote on what subtypes next year’s flu vaccine will include was fascinating. As more than one participant said, our heads hurt by 10am. There is a lot of work by people all over the globe that goes into figuring out what nature has planned nine months from now. (An important example…
Read More