Stats & Data
Cost Cap project could reduce access to care, stifle efficiency and innovation, and increase disparities
Download the Summary or Full Report Healthcare costs a lot in Connecticut, especially for middle and lower income residents. Primary care is the foundation of a healthy health system. Lowering costs and supporting primary care are important goals, however the Office of Health Strategy’s (OHS) new plan to limit costs is ill-conceived and likely to…
Read MoreCOVID hits hospital bottom lines but boosts insurer profits
Contrary to earlier concerns, it appears that health insurers are doing pretty well through the COVID pandemic. It appears the costs of treating people with the virus are more than offset by a 60% reduction in other medical care including elective surgeries, routine outpatient care and lower ED visits. The six largest insurers reported $8.6…
Read MoreOpportunity to inform CT community public health priorities
The State Health Improvement Coalition is seeking community members from Northeast, Southeast, and Southwest Connecticut for input on prioritizing the most pressing public health needs for our state. Every five years, DPH creates a new plan to improve the health of our state in a model of inclusive, data-driven policymaking. The latest version will be…
Read MoreBook Club: Everything you need to know to understand, and fact check, data claims
The pandemic has placed us all in a crash course on health claims, science and data – what we know and what we don’t know. It can be confusing and scary. The Art of Statistics: How to Learn from Data by David Spiegelhalter is here to help. The book describes how statistics and probability can…
Read MoreCT hospitals would fare better than most if all payers used Medicare payment rates
A new study published in Health Affairs finds that if commercial payment rates were set at fee-for-service Medicare levels in 2017, US hospital revenue (inpatient and outpatient) would drop by 35%. Interestingly, also raising Medicaid rates to Medicare levels does little to mitigate that, changing the revenue loss to 30%. However, the authors note that…
Read MoreQ poll finds CT residents worried but support COVID public health restrictions
Almost half of Connecticut residents (43%) are feeling stressed by dealing with the state’s stay-at-home order, according to a new Quinnipiac University poll. But two thirds believe the level of restrictions to stop the spread of the COVID-19 virus have been about right and most (59%) believe that the state should wait a few months…
Read MoreProtecting affordability in a pandemic — Experts find fair prices for remdesivir between $10 and $4,500
In a nation hungry for good news in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic, remdesivir has emerged as a first ray of hope. The FDA has quickly approved the drug for emergency use with seriously ill patients. However there are concerns that the data supporting remdesivir’s effectiveness has not been published or peer reviewed by independent scientists…
Read MoreCT 7th best at social distancing, Fairfield leads CT counties
Last week, Connecticut residents did better than most Americans in maintaining social distance according to a University of Maryland model. (We slipped a bit on Saturday – to 18th among states.) The aggregate score uses the percent of us who stay home and reductions in trips per person. 35% of Connecticut residents stayed home last…
Read MoreSome bizarre COVID-19 myths busted
There are persistent but false rumors that 5G mobile networks can spread the COVID-19 virus, that being able to hold your breath for 10 seconds means you don’t have it, and that hot baths will keep you from getting it. None of these are true. The World Health Organization has a new resource debunking some…
Read MoreCT hospital and worker capacity lower than rest of US
As Connecticut and the rest of the nation faces the COVID-19 pandemic, hospital workers are on the front line. New analysis from the Bureau of Labor Statistics finds that Connecticut was behind most states in hospital capacity before the pandemic began. Last year, Connecticut ranked 11th among states in population per hospital at 31,274 Connecticut…
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