workforce
CT now fourth healthiest state
Connecticut residents are healthier than all but three other states. According to the latest America’s Health Rankings by the United Health Foundation. That is down from third last year, and below 2006 and 2008 when we were the healthiest in the nation. Despite the wobbling, we consistently rank well. Unfortunately, our health isn’t reflected in…
Read MoreSurvey finds CT ACOs planning services for high need members
Similar to national results, a new survey of Connecticut Accountable Care Organizations for MAPOC’s Complex Care Committee by the CT Health Policy Project finds that most are using multiple methods to identify high need members. But they are still working on implementing effective programs to address the needs. Many of their plans follow best practices…
Read MoreHealthcare workforce growing faster than rest of employment
In good news for healthcare workers, from September 2018 to 2019, Connecticut healthcare employment grew by 1.75%, or 3.8 times faster than total non-farm employment. One in eight Connecticut workers is employed in healthcare. Healthcare grew even faster nationally, by 2.66% vs. 1.50% for all workers. One in six US workers is employed in healthcare.…
Read MoreThirty medically complex children stuck in CT hospitals waiting for home health care cost state over $100 million
Last week, MAPOC’s Complex Care Committee heard from the three remaining home health agencies that provide care for Connecticut’s most medically complex children. We heard about the massive challenges facing both families and agencies. Most parents caring for medically complex children are single mothers due to high divorce rates, who cannot work because of inconsistent…
Read MoreAs provider shortages grow, salaries are up, Eastern physicians lag behind rest of US
From 2017 to 2018 total compensation rose 3.4% for primary care physicians and 4.4% for specialists across the nation, according to Physicians Practice. Total provider compensation rose between 7 and 11% over the last five years. The highest increasing specialty from 2017 to 2018 was 7.71% for diagnostic radiology. Physician assistants’ and nurse practitioners’ total…
Read MoreAging CT healthcare workforce raises concerns about loss of expertise and capacity
Connecticut’s workforce is getting older, including healthcare, according to a new analysis by the state Dept. of Labor. This raises concerns about retirements, a loss of expertise, and capacity which could hit Connecticut hard. The share of all workers over age 54 rose from 20% in 2008 to 26.5% in the third quarter of last…
Read MorePCMHs in CT – not the “shiny new toy” anymore but moving forward improving care, controlling costs
Ten years ago, patient-centered medical homes (PCMHs) were exotic in Connecticut. PCMHs are one of the best documented innovations to improve health. PCMHs are primary care practices that help keep people well by assessing needs, coordinating care, and giving people the skills and resources to maintain their own health. As a nurse managers told me,…
Read MoreState budget deal restores coverage for 4,000 HUSKY parents, a move toward quality-based payments, and insurance protections
Policymakers have reached a $43 billion state budget deal to cover the next two fiscal years, on-time before the end of the session. For health policy folks, there is a lot to like in the deal but a few notes of caution. The best part is a partial restoration of HUSKY parents’ eligibility cuts from…
Read More31 ways to save on healthcare in Connecticut’s budget
Connecticut’s state budget is facing future deficits and health spending is a large share of the budget. The state now spends $3.8 billion between Medicaid and the state employee health plan to cover about a million state residents. Health care spending outside the state budget is also growing. Connecticut has the sixth highest per capita…
Read MoreCT trains lots of doctors but we don’t keep them
A new report on physician workforce finds that CT is a hub for training physicians, both medical school and residency training but we are falling behind in retaining those graduates. The report from the Association of American Medical Colleges finds that physician capacity in CT now is is good ranking 6thhighest among states in the…
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