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Top Stories of 2020
A year ago, our predictions for 2020 missed all but the recession. COVID has us giving up on predictions, so we’ll just take a look back at our top stories of this year. Advocacy Toolbox now online — Updates include specific, real world tools for legislative, administrative, and state budget advocacy, how to change public…
Read MoreTo make health premiums affordable, CT must address input costs
Download the report here Health benefits in Connecticut are costly and rising faster than inflation. Last year, total employer-sponsored health insurance premiums in Connecticut were the sixth highest among states for both single and family coverage. Connecticut workers paid 7.8% more for single coverage and 4.3% more for family plans than other Americans. Although Connecticut…
Read MoreHelp us build a CT health policy learning hub
Healthcare is critical to Connecticut’s wellbeing but navigating health policy is complicated and confusing. The Connecticut Health Policy Project is considering a new project for 2021 to foster understanding about health policy in our state. We plan to build on this year’s Advocacy Toolbox but widen to anyone who wants a better understanding of how…
Read MoreCT workers’ health benefits cost more, but growing more slowly and take less of our incomes
Download the report While total premiums, deductibles, and the workers’ share of premiums for Connecticut employee health coverage are higher than the US average, they have generally grown less quickly and consume less of our incomes than for other Americans from 2010 to 2019. Connecticut employer health coverage total premiums, employee share of premiums, and…
Read MoreICER seeking members for New England evidence review group
The Institute for Economic and Clinical Review (ICER) is seeking nominations for new members to the New England Comparative Effectiveness Public Advisory Council (New England CEPAC). The Council includes leading clinicians, patient and consumer advocates, methodologists, and health economists. The group holds public meetings three to four times per year to discuss evidence reports on…
Read MoreConnecticut healthcare employment coming back
Download the report Like other Connecticut workers, healthcare employment was hit hard by the pandemic in March, according to data from the CT Department of Labor. While the pandemic sharply increased demand in a few healthcare sectors to care for COVID patients, other sectors declined as people and providers delayed non-COVID care. But that is…
Read MoreCost Cap underservice monitoring plan is very weak, puts people at risk
Download the report This week, the Office of Health Strategy (OHS) unveiled their plan to monitor for unintended consequences of their plan to cap healthcare cost increases. OHS acknowledged in the plan that the Cap “may cause providers to reduce provision of necessary healthcare services so as not to exceed the benchmark.” Only a very…
Read MoreCT Medicaid eligibility and service decisions benefit members but also the state budget
It may be counter-intuitive but, despite our high incomes, Connecticut’s generosity in eligibility and provider rates means the federal government provides more support to our program than other states. Medicaid is jointly funded, and administered, by both federal and state governments. Federal funding is highest to states with the lowest per capita incomes. As a…
Read MoreCT hospital uncompensated care below US average, varies between hospitals, no relation to profits
Read the report According to the state’s latest report, Connecticut hospitals provided totaled $806 million in uncompensated care last year, up 5.3% from 2018. Uncompensated care is the total of charity care, provided to needy patients that hospitals never expected to be reimbursed, plus bad debt, care provided that patients couldn’t or wouldn’t pay for.…
Read MoreUS safe injection sites could save lives and save cities up to $4.35 million each year
Allowing safe sites for injecting opioids in the US would save lives and lower healthcare spending significantly for affected communities, according to ICER’s latest draft evidence report. In 2018, opioid overdoses killed 948 Connecticut residents and there are signals that the rate has risen during the pandemic. Supervised injection facilities (SFIs) are part of a…
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