Stats & Data
CT medical debt levels declining, new state law will help even more
The percent of Connecticut residents with medical debt is coming down, but it still affects one in 28 of us, according to a fascinating new tool from the Urban Institute. In a survey last year, 3.5% of Connecticut residents (blue line) reported they have medical debt that has been referred to collections, down from 8.6%…
Read MoreAnalysis: Newest Hartford Healthcare lawsuit adds a critical twist
Yet another lawsuit against Hartford Healthcare (HHC) may seem obscure and limited to healthcare, but it goes much further. There is overwhelming evidence that prices for care at huge health systems like HHC are driving up healthcare prices for private health plans in Connecticut and it’s getting worse. The third anti-trust lawsuit against HHC outlines…
Read More43 sign letter urging Governor not to return MCOs to HUSKY
A letter signed by 27 organizations and 16 individuals was sent to Governor Lamont urging him not to return Connecticut’s successful Medicaid/HUSKY program to the failed managed care (MCO) model. The signers cited HUSKY’s progress leading the nation in cost control, quality, innovation, and access to care since MCOs left our program in 2012. Read…
Read MorenoHuskyMCOs webinar for advocates online
A recording and slides from yesterdays’ noHuskyMCOs webinar for advocates is online. The webinar covered – Questions included — If your group would like a presentation on noHuskyMCOs, email andrews@cthealthpolicy.org.
Read MoreCT inflation adjusted RN and NP pay
Becker’s Hospital Review has calculated 2023/2024 hourly pay levels for Registered Nurses (RNs) and Nurse Practitioners (NPs) by state. Adjusted by the Cost of Living Index, Connecticut ranks 16th highest for RNs but only 33rd for NPs among states. Adjusted Connecticut rates are similar to comparable Northeastern states. Without adjustment for the cost of living,…
Read MoreGood and bad news in CT hospital fair share spending
US non-profit hospitals receive federal, state, and local tax breaks totaling tens of billions of dollars. Taxpayers must pay more to cover those losses. In exchange, hospitals are expected to devote resources to improving their community’s health. Nonprofit hospitals must report their community benefit spending to the IRS. The Lown Institute has published their 2024…
Read MoreBook Club: Risky Business—Why Insurance Markets Fail And What to Do About It
I thought I knew a lot about how insurance markets work (and don’t), but I learned more than I expected from Risky Business—Why Insurance Markets Fail And What to Do About It by Liran Einav, Amy Finkelstein, and Ray Fishman. Adverse selection (commonly called cherry picking) is a double-edged problem. I knew about insurers’ schemes…
Read MoreCT Medicaid compared to other states – What the evidence says
Download the report Governor Lamont is reportedly considering a plan to have private insurance managed care plans (MCOs) run Connecticut’s Medicaid program. From 1996 through 2011, Connecticut Medicaid was run by MCOs, and it was deeply troubled. The program ended under pressure from advocates, providers, and legislators. Since the MCOs left Connecticut Medicaid, access and…
Read MoreStudy finds CT private healthcare payment rates more than double Medicare’s, close to US average
A new study by RAND analyzing provider payments rates for commercial plans finds Connecticut’s 2022 rates averaged two and half times (258%) what Medicare would’ve paid for the same services at the same hospital (Relative Price). There was little variation by overall type of services. However, individual Connecticut hospitals varied considerably in Relative Price. There…
Read MoreMedicaid MCOs and quality, access – What the evidence says
Go to the full report Governor Lamont is reportedly considering a plan to have private insurance managed care plans (MCOs) run Connecticut’s Medicaid program. Do MCOs improve quality or access to care in state Medicaid programs? We looked into the evidence. In a word, No. From the literature: The evidence does not support Medicaid MCOs…
Read More