research
Cost Cap finds hospital system costs driving healthcare spending, but we knew that
Download the report In a surprise to no one, the first analysis by the Cost Cap project finds that inpatient and outpatient hospital services are a main driver of rising healthcare spending in Connecticut. Hospital and drug costs have been identified in multiple studies as the main drivers of rising health costs in our state.…
Read MoreAccessHealthCT report offers roadmap to address disparities
Access Health CT has published a new, very well-researched description, both quantitative and qualitative, of Connecticut’s health disparities and COVID’s impact. The graphic on page 2 following the lives of two boys, Marcus and Tyler, born on the same day but into very different circumstances, makes the impact tangible. I’ll be using it as a…
Read MoreState Partnership Plan losing money but still more expensive than average CT plan options
Download the report Connecticut’s most recent public health insurance option, the Partnership Plan 2.0, offers healthcare coverage to municipal employees. According to a new analysis by Brown & Brown Insurance, Partnership Plan premium increases have not kept up with costs. The very impressive analysis is based on Freedom of Information requests; very little information on…
Read MoreBook Club — Counting: How We Use Numbers to Decide What Matters
I’ve never dog-eared as many pages in a book as Counting: How We Use Numbers to Decide What Matters by Deborah Stone. It’s very trendy to be “data-driven” and assert that “science matters” but what gets counted and how it’s defined make all the difference. Numbers and statistics are nice, but only if they represent…
Read MoreWhat does the public really think about a public option? Two polls, and we still don’t know
Dueling polls released this week find Connecticut residents either love the idea of a public health insurance option or they are not big fans. Not surprisingly, the polls are sponsored by groups with dueling agendas and they don’t give details or survey question wording. According to a poll released Monday by Comptroller Kevin Lembo, 71%…
Read MoreHalf of CT hospitals not compliant with new requirement to post negotiated prices for care
Download the report As of January 1st, all US hospitals are required to prominently display on a publicly available website prices privately negotiated with payers for 300 services, under CMS’s Hospital Price Transparency Rule. Hospital “charges” have been available to patients but not the actual prices paid by insurers. CMS requires both a “display of…
Read MoreConnecticut Medicaid costs stable but rising physician and clinic spending threaten progress
Download the report Since switching from managed care organizations in 2012 to focus on care management, Connecticut Medicaid spending has stabilized while enrollment has expanded significantly, according to the state’s latest financial report. Medicaid now covers one in four state residents. However, physician and clinic spending increases are eroding early progress in controlling costs. Medicaid…
Read MoreCTNJ: Analysis — Control Prices to Lower Health Insurance Premiums
Connecticut health insurance premiums are the sixth highest in the U.S. While our costs are rising less quickly than other states, that’s cold comfort to Connecticut’s households and employers. This isn’t a new problem and it has not been ignored. The simple fixes haven’t been enough. Read more
Read MoreMore physicians joining large health systems across CT
From 2016 to 2018, the number of Connecticut physicians affiliated with large health systems grew in every area of the state, according to a new analysis in Health Affairs. Nationally the percent of physicians in large health systems rose by 11%, and the rate grew in 92% of US metro areas. Growth was fastest in…
Read MoreCT got fewer vaccines than other states, but did far better at getting people vaccinated
Download the report here Policymakers and experts have expressed disappointment at the slow rollout of the COVID-19 vaccines. While the vaccines were developed and manufactured at record speeds, getting Americans vaccinated has been slower than expected. The Secretary of Human Services expected to have 20 million Americans vaccinated by the end of 2020. But as…
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