Stats & Data
Advocates’ guide to underservice recommendations
Connecticut’s State Innovation Model (SIM) is seeking to radically transform our state’s $30 billion health system by aligning incentives to build value. SIM has chosen a shared savings payment model for those reforms. Advocates are concerned about incentives to deny necessary care under the new payment model, as happened in the past. SIM’s Equity and…
Read MoreWebinar online – Caring for high-need patients – Lessons for CT
Evidence is growing that we cannot fix our health care system without addressing the needs of the small number of patients with very complex and costly health problems. Connecticut can learn from other programs across the US as we build reforms for our state and our Medicaid program. On this week’s webinar we heard from…
Read MoreBest practices guide on integrating behavioral health into primary care
Up to 70% of physician visits involve a mental health issue and health care costs for people with mental health issues are often up to three times higher than other patients with similar conditions. CEPAC, New England’s comparative effectiveness council, has published their latest guide featuring best practices for integrating behavioral health services into primary…
Read MoreBackgrounder on Hartford health needs for Malta House of Care
Last week CTHPP gave a presentation for the Malta House of Care on health care needs in Hartford and health care trends. Malta provides free primary care to Hartford’s uninsured with volunteer providers and a mobile van that travels to neighborhoods in need. Given seismic shifts in the health care environment that affect both their…
Read MoreWeeds you should understand
A great NY Times Upshot article describes, in normal English, the difference between mortality and survival rates. They do sound the same, but aren’t. The article starts out with two cancer studies seem to have reached opposite conclusions. (These things really bug me because it leads people to throw up their hands and doubt all…
Read MoreOnly 36% of CT physicians have any shared savings arrangements, correcting questionable SIM estimates from 2013 driving expansive policy
UConn’s new SIM survey of CT physicians found that currently only 36% of CT physicians participate in any shared savings or ACO program. There is no information on whether shared savings are a significant part of revenues in even the minority of physicians who are in this payment model. Not surprisingly, shared savings is slightly…
Read MoreMedicaid update – impressive quality dashboard demo
At Friday’s Medicaid Council meeting, DSS demonstrated their upcoming HUSKY Health Data Dashboard. When it goes live the dashboard will give visitors drill-down access to a wealth of quality and access data across the program including outcomes, member and provider experience, provider enrollment, spending and utilization, as well as special projects. All Medicaid services will…
Read MoreQuestionable Hartford flu numbers
A fascinating piece from CT by the Numbers digs into why conflicting reports find over 150,000 flu cases in Hartford for one week, in a city with 125,000 residents. Bottom line: Don’t believe everything you read in an ad.
Read MoreCT’s APCD chooses data contractor, concerns remain
The Hartford Business Journal is reporting that CT’s developing all-payer claims database (APCD), run by AccessHealthCT, has chosen Onpoint Health Data to run their system. APCDs have enormous potential to improve population health, track problems, evaluate solutions and maximize scarce resources. Most New England states are ahead of CT in APCD development. However, concerns have…
Read MoreFact checking CT’s uninsured numbers since the ACA
An article in today’s CT Mirror focuses on a question bouncing around CT health policy circles – what impact has ObamaCare had on coverage in our state? The answer – we don’t know. Current estimates by Access Health CT have caveats. Highly recommended reading — especially click on the graphic.
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