Smart Savings - CT Health Policy

Integrating behavioral health into primary care focus of next CEPAC meeting

By Ellen Andrews | March 24, 2015 |

The next CEPAC meeting will review the latest research on best practices to effectively integrate behavioral health into primary care practice. Up to 70% of physician visits include a behavioral health component. Patients with chronic conditions are more likely to experience mental illness as well and costs for these patients can be two to three…

Cutting HUSKY parents increases the total cost of care by $500 per person

By Ellen Andrews | March 19, 2015 |

The Governor’s budget proposal to cut 34,000 working parents from the HUSKY program into AccessHealthCT will increase the total cost of care for those parents by $500/year according to a new analysis by the CT Health Foundation. While the state will save $2,400 per person annually, two thirds of the cost shift will fall on…

CT Mirror looks at Medicaid spending – per person down, but total spending up – and that’s OK

By Ellen Andrews | February 12, 2015 |

A new analysis of CT’s Medicaid spending by CT Mirror outlines 5 things everyone should know. My top 5, below, overlap the Mirror’s. 1. Per person spending is down, especially among newly eligible childless adults 2. Total spending is up – because we have a lot more people in the program…

Medicaid coverage for children linked to higher tax receipts by age 28

By Ellen Andrews | January 13, 2015 |

A new studyfinds that in addition to improved health and lower mortality, children who were covered by past Medicaid expansions paid more taxes by age 28. The longer they were eligible for Medicaid, the higher the tax receipts. They also had lower Earned Income Tax payments and were more likely to attend college. Interestingly, the…

Medicaid quality up, costs stable since switch to ASO

By Ellen Andrews | October 10, 2014 |

We got lots of good news at today’s Medicaid Council meeting. New financial reports show that since October of 2013 HUSKY enrollment has grown 20% but spending has grown only 13.6%. Per person spending on HUSKY Part D, which includes the former SAGA members and the newly eligible childless adults from the ACA, has actually…

Comparative effectiveness opportunity guide for New England OB-Gyn services

By Ellen Andrews | June 18, 2014 |

The Institute for Clinical and Economic Review (ICER) has produced a comprehensive analysisof opportunities to reduce overtreatment from the Choosing Wisely list of five overused treatments identified by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. ICER’s report focuses on New England including analysis of current regional utilization patterns, the feasibility of practice change, resources for…

Dense breast tissue screening consumer guide available

By Ellen Andrews | March 6, 2014 |

I don’t believe CEPAC has addressed as sensitive an issue as supplemental screening for dense breast tissue. We heard very moving public testimony from survivors and advocates at the December meeting. About half of women have dense breast tissue and face the questions of determining their risks, whether to have supplemental screening, and if so,…

CT’s Medicaid success: Access and quality are up, costs are down

By Ellen Andrews | February 6, 2014 |

Since 2012, when CT’s Medicaid program shifted from a capitated payment model to a self-insured model based on care coordination, the program has enjoyed significant improvements in quality, access and cost control, as predicted. A new analysis finds that the number of providers participating the in the program is up 32%, person-centered medical homes are up…

Updated website and expanded reach for comparative effectiveness org – ICER

By Ellen Andrews | January 16, 2014 |

The Institute for Clinical and Economic Review has a new website with decision aids for consumers and doctors, comparative value analyses of new treatments, and regional roundtables to translate that research into policy. Adding the CA Technology Assessment Forum to their CEPAC work in New England allows millions more people to benefit.

CEPAC meeting on dense breast tissue screening

By Ellen Andrews | December 23, 2013 |

This month’s CEPACmeeting focused on that status of comparative effectiveness research on supplemental cancer screening for women with dense breast tissue. 40% of women have dense tissue, both raising the risk of cancer and the chances that a lump will be masked on a routine mammogram. CT is the only state that both requires notification…