CT Medicaid child checkup rates jumped when HMOs were fired

Well-child screenings increased twelve percent for HUSKY children between FY 2001 and FY 2012, according to a new report from the Government Accounting Office. While correlation is not causation, it is important to note that on January 1, 2012 Connecticut Medicaid payment shifted from capitation through private managed care companies to our current managed fee-for-service…

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Join webinar for patients on leading methodology to evaluate the value of costly treatments

September 4th all patients and groups are invited to a webinar to give input on ICER’s Value Assessment Framework methods. The non-profit Institute for Clinical and Economic Review (ICER) is the nation’s leading independent analyst of evidence on the effectiveness and value of drugs and other treatments. ICER produces public reports used by Medicare, Medicaid,…

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State approves controversial New Haven primary care move

Friday, the state Office of Health Strategy gave final approval Yale-New Haven’s application to move primary care for over 25,000 low income consumers out of neighborhoods and shift them to the Cornell Scott and Fairhaven health centers for payment purposes. Under the final agreement patients would still be cared for by the same YNHH primary…

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CT eighth highest in unaffordable rents, impacts health

In 2017 almost half (48.5%) of renters in Connecticut spend over 30% of their household income on rent, more than renters in all but seven other states. The analysis by SHADAC found that Connecticut has been in the top ten states for most unaffordable rents in five of the last six years and the rate…

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CTNJ: CT doesn’t score well on healthcare – prices are to blame

A new state health ranking is out, and Connecticut trails the rest of New England. Connecticut’s big problem is the cost of our care. Our performance in health outcomes and access to care are passable, but we are 44th among states in the cost of care. Read more

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Join us: CT affordable housing conference features health/housing connection

Join us at Housing 2019, the 30th annual CT conference on affordable housing, to hear about collaborations in CT between housing and community health programs that are improving both. The conference is sponsored by the Affordable Housing Alliance of CT (formerly the CT Housing Coalition). At “Health and Housing: Learning from Each Other”, attendees will…

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Health Equity Conference

Next week the CT Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities is sponsoring a conference to explore CT’s progress toward health equity. Join to hear from CT experts and agencies about access to care, challenges facing people with mental health conditions, and the impact of implicit bias. The conference is Tuesday, August 6th from 9 am…

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Coincidence? 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…

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Aging CT healthcare workforce raises concerns about loss of expertise and capacity

Connecticut’s workforce is getting older, including healthcare, according to a new analysis by the state Dept. of Labor. This raises concerns about retirements, a loss of expertise, and capacity which could hit Connecticut hard. The share of all workers over age 54 rose from 20% in 2008 to 26.5% in the third quarter of last…

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For the Book Club — Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World

If you’ve sat next to me in a meeting this month, you probably already know I’m reading this book. I can’t stop talking about it. The author debunks the common myth that specialization is the key to success using detailed evidence explained so anyone can understand. The experts’ consensus is that you need to devote…

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