CT 28th in nation in tobacco prevention spending, and that’s the good news

CT is up to 28th among states in spending on tobacco prevention, according to a new report from the Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids. The bad news is that we will spend only $7.2 million this year on prevention, 16 % of what CDC recommends. However we bring in $494 million from the tobacco settlement…

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How reducing health care costs could work

Many pundits have criticized the national health reform bills because they don’t do enough to reduce costs – to “bend the cost curve” – and deride the pilot programs to test cost cutting innovations. But an article by Atul Gawande in the latest New Yorker magazine describes how government sponsored pilot programs reduced skyrocketing food…

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Obesity and tobacco forum

The CT Public Health Policy Institute will hold a breakfast forum on overweight and obesity in CT and tobacco use and smoking in CT Tuesday Jan. 19th from 8 am to noon in Room 2A of the Legislative Office Building. The forum will include presentations with background, cost analysis and consequences of the problems followed…

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Insurance Dept. approves United-Health Net acquisition

Not surprisingly, the CT Insurance Dept. (CID) has approved United Health’s proposal to purchase information on all Health Net members, past and present. Advocates and providers have raised grave concerns about the merger including privacy of sensitive health information, consolidation in CT’s already anti-competitive insurance market, and large increases in premiums for consumers and small…

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Way too much fun

The pink glove dance to raise breast cancer awareness from the Providence St. Vincent Medical Center in Portland, OR.

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The upside of rising unemployment and rising health costs

An article in yesterday’s Wall Street Journal found the silver lining in our current economic crisis. As incomes for many dropped this year and health care costs for virtually everyone went up, more Americans will be able to qualify for the end of year tax deduction for medical expenses. Because the rules do not allow…

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Public hearing on impact of the recession

Speaker of the House Chris Donovan is holding the first of five hearings around the state on the impact of the recession on CT families this Saturday, December 5th at 10am at the Legislative Office Building, Room 2C. Policymakers especially want to hear from children and youth about how the recession is affecting them, their…

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