Stats & Data
Some 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…
Read MoreCTNJ: Forecast Estimates More Than 100,000 New CT Medicaid Members
According to modeling by Health Management Associates, the COVID-19 pandemic could raise Connecticut’s Medicaid rolls 15% to 32% by mid-2020, depending on how much unemployment grows. Connecticut residents with employer-sponsored coverage could drop by 130,000 to 382,000 and Access Health CT coverage could grow by 8,000 to 33,000. Uninsured could rise by 77,000. Read more
Read MoreIs Connecticut ready for COVID-19?
Almost half (45%) of Connecticut adults have one or more clinical risks that could complicate COVID-19 infections, very close to the US average of 44%, according to a new report from the Commonwealth Fund. The report compares states across clinical risk factors of adults, state health system capacity, insurance coverage and other cost barriers to…
Read MoreCTNJ: The recession is here, and healthcare is in the center of it
After the longest economic recovery in US history, we’ve been expecting a recession for a long time. We knew when it came, Connecticut healthcare would be hit hard. But no one expected this. Connecticut didn’t fare well in the last recession and we took longer than other states to build back the jobs we lost.…
Read MoreMore HIE concerns from advocates and others
Public comment to the Office of Health Strategy about the state’s planned Health Information Exchange raised concerns, including those regarding privacy and selling/monetizing the data shared in the advocates letter. Connecticut’s three legal services agencies sent a letter with similar concerns on Friday. Advocates’ concerns were raised by members at last week’s online Health IT…
Read MoreWalletHub – CT third worst state for doctors
According to WalletHub’s latest rankings, Connecticut ranks 49th among states and DC for physician practice. Nationally, physician is the highest paying job but new doctors leave medical school with $194,000 in student debt on average. As we all may be relying on physicians and other healthcare providers during this crisis, remember that March 30th is…
Read MoreCommunity health center quality behind the rest of Medicaid
Download the report The good news is that Medicaid health outcome quality measures generally improved in all practice setting from 2016 through 2018. Unfortunately, community health centers (FQHCs) are not doing as well as their counterparts, either other Patient-Centered Medical Home practices (PCMHs), or non-PCMH practices in serving Medicaid members. This data comes from CHNCT’s…
Read MoreNew state health data updates – over one in six CT residents have high medical cost burden
According to State Health Compare’s updated data, 18.1% of Connecticut residents had out-of-pocket health costs that were more than 10% of their family income in 2018. That is up from 17.8% the year before while the burden on the rest of the US went down. While Connecticut’s rate is bad, it’s better than the US…
Read MoreICER and Donaghue Foundation highlight the power of patient engagement in assessing value; ICER to report on novel opioid addiction interventions
Steve Pearson, President of the Institute for Clinical and Economic Review (ICER), has published two pieces for Connecticut’s Donaghue Foundation Soapbox on the importance of meaningful patient engagement in value assessments and an exciting new initiative to move beyond the usual rhetoric and integrate patient priorities into the value assessment outcomes. Patients are usually left…
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