CT Health Policy Roundtable: CT’s APCD

Join national and state experts for a Roundtable to learn more about the potential for Connecticut’s new All-Payer Claims Database in health care planning, improving health care quality, capacity and promoting health equity. The Roundtable is sponsored by the CT Health Policy Project, the CT Center for Patient Safety and Access Health Analytics and made…

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Comments on CT’s APCD policies and procedures

  In support of the enormous potential to promote and guide sensible health planning in CT, consumer advocates, the CT Health Policy Project and the CT Center for Patient Safety, submitted constructive comments on draft policies and procedures for CT’s All-Payer Claims Database, Access Health CT (APCD). We urge APCD leadership to commit to full…

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Cabinet meeting update

  This month’s Cabinet meeting included updates on SIM, the insurance exchange and CT’s APCD. SIM leaders reported that with the delay offered by HHS the new deadline for the state health plan model is the end of this year. They expect to have a first draft for public release sometime in October. The testing…

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New action guide on Community Health Workers

ICER has published an action guide, Community Health Workers: Applying the Evidence to Policy and Practice, to effectively incorporating Community Health Workers into the health system for the CHW workforce, insurers, and providers and organizations that employ CHWs. The guide, based on CPAC’s CHW effectiveness report, gives evidence-based action steps tailored to the needs of…

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CT’s All Payer Claims Database – an important opportunity, if we do it right

A new report for the CT Health Foundation outlines CT’s progress and future options toward developing an All-Payer Claims Database (APCD). Putting all health care claims in the state across providers, payers and regions in one place would allow better health resource planning, identification of hotspots of high utilization, develop targeted solutions, improve patient safety…

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Comparing US and Canadian health systems

Last week’s CSG/ERC annual meeting in Halifax, NS featured a plenary session comparing health systems across the border. Despite distinct financing mechanisms there were many common challenges including skyrocketing costs, struggles to improve quality and ensuring adequate workforce. Speakers included Rep. Laurie Harding (NH), Asm. Richard Gottfried (NY), Paula Roy (DE Health Care Commission), MLA…

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RAND report predicts reform will save CT state government 10% on health care spending

A new economic modeling analysis by RAND for the Council of State Governments estimates that 170,000 more CT residents will gain coverage by 2016 under health reform bringing our uninsured rate from 11% to 5%. The report also predicts that slightly more employers will offer coverage; employers will remain the largest source of coverage for…

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Geek alert: New report on geographic variation in Medicare spending

Huge variations in health care spending per person between different regions of the US have generated a lot of interest in the last year or two. The variations cannot be explained by the incidence of disease, demographics, or even prices. You won’t be surprised to hear that CT is a very expensive state. There is…

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New report on states and quality-based purchasing

Health care consumes 17% of America’s economy and, sometime this year, government’s share of that spending will pass 50%. A consensus is growing that the way we pay for health care is driving costs. The current fee-for-service system encourages utilization and does nothing to improve quality. States have important and unique roles in the health…

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