Stats & Data
Comments to DSS opposing increase in PCMH Plus funding for program that didn’t improve quality and increased state costs
Read the full comments Thank you for this opportunity to oppose this amendment to add an additional $600,000 to the growing costs of PCMH Plus, the experimental new Medicaid shared savings program. The state cannot afford to spend more on this program that, in 2017 its first year, did not improve the quality of care…
Read MoreCTNJ: Public Health has a Free Rider Problem
Public health is the best deal on the planet. Connecticut spends only $29 per person, less than most states, on public health but $9,859 on healthcare services, more than most states. But Connecticut expects our under-funded public health system to solve this intractable health problem while all the savings go to the inefficient healthcare system…
Read MoreCT up to third healthiest state this year
According to America’s Health Ranking, Connecticut is the third healthiest state in the union this year, up from fifth last year. We are doing far better than our 13th ranking in 1992 but down from 2nd in 2008 and 2006. The ranking by the United Health Foundation has compared states on 34 health indicators since…
Read MorePCMH Plus Year 1 Performance and Savings Results: Increased state costs but little evidence of impact on quality
Read the full report This month, Connecticut Medicaid announced the first year performance of PCMH Plus[1], their controversial new shared savings program[2] compared to the prior year. Under shared savings, if health systems (ACOs) are able to lower the cost of their members’ care, they receive a bonus equal to half those savings. PCMH Plus…
Read MoreNew data mapping tool gives changes in uninsured rates by CT town
The CT Data Collaborative has entered new Census data into a mapping tool that gives, among other metrics, the percent of uninsured residents by town or Census tract over time. Two maps compare five-year uninsured rates by town/census tract from 2008-2012 to 2013 to 2017. The uninsured rate in most municipalities dropped between those time…
Read MoreICER seeking new members of comparative effectiveness panel
The Institute for Clinical and Economic Review (ICER) has opened nominations for their New England Comparative Effectiveness Public Advisory Council. The council, one of three in the US, is composed of leading clinicians, patient and public representatives, methodologists, and health economists. The group meets three times each year to consider ICER effectiveness reports on the…
Read MorePCMH+ quality reports surprisingly underwhelming
At the MAPOC and Care Management committee meetings we finally received the promised quality evaluation of PCMH +’s first year. PCMH+ is DSS’s experimental new payment program that now covers 165,432 HUSKY members. We only received information on the 13 mainly process measures. These measures were chosen as basis for shared savings payments, not for…
Read MoreCT hospitals report $1.6 billion in community benefits, but most of that is claims of Medicaid underpayment
Yesterday’s Healthcare Cabinet meeting focused on CT nonprofit hospital community benefit reports to the IRS. Last year, CT hospitals claimed $1.6 billion in community benefits, but over half of that (57%) are claims of Medicaid underpayment. Charity care provided to patients unable to pay for their services constituted 21% of total charity care; health professional…
Read MoreAnthem keeps lion’s share of CT insurance market
The best-kept secret in CT healthcare – the Insurance Department’s Consumer Report Card on Managed Care Plans – is out again this year covering 2017. Once again, Anthem has the lion’s share of the market at 46%. ConnectiCare lost almost 55,000 members between 2016 and 2017. About two out of three insured people in Connecticut…
Read MoreEmployer health benefit costs hit lowest wage workers hardest
The latest Kaiser Employer Health Benefits Survey found that nationally last year premiums for employer-sponsored health benefits rose by 3% for single coverage and 5% for family coverage. In comparison, wages rose 2.6% and inflation was 2.5%. As in previous surveys, premiums were highest in the Northeast. But in a really unfair twist (which also…
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