CSG/ERC annual meeting highlights

This year’s CSG/ERC annual meeting in Puerto Rico this month included several health panels and meetings. The first was an initial report on Value over Volume 2.0, an update on our first report from 2009 on payment reform for state/provincial/territorial policymakers with tools to both improve quality and control costs. An ACA Roundtable generated a…

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CEPAC meeting on dense breast tissue screening

This month’s CEPACmeeting focused on that status of comparative effectiveness research on supplemental cancer screening for women with dense breast tissue. 40% of women have dense tissue, both raising the risk of cancer and the chances that a lump will be masked on a routine mammogram. CT is the only state that both requires notification…

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SIM update

SIM leaders released their financial analysis, response to public comments, and revised vision statement at the last meeting. We will be providing a longer analysis when the final plan is available, but a few points bear highlighting. Despite strong public comments voicing concern about under-treatment incentives in shared savings, SIM leaders recommended not to include…

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SIM public comments: diverse and mostly critical

Last month Connecticut’s State Innovation Model (SIM) planning group, working for most of the year, solicited public comment for the first time. SIM is the administration’s plan, based on federal grant provisions, to radically transform Connecticut’s health system – payment and care delivery. The federal grant requires the plan to cover at least 80% of…

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Safety net hospitals expect to see more uninsured undocumented immigrants

CT hospitals are expecting a growing burden of uncompensated care for undocumented immigrants next year, according to C-HIT. Undocumented immigrants cannot benefit from expansions of coverage under the ACA. They are not eligible for Medicaid regardless of income level and cannot purchase coverage on the insurance exchange, even without a subsidy.  The ACA also decreases…

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CT Health Reform Progress Meter moves up to 28.3%

CT policymakers have completed 28.3% of the tasks necessary for health reform, up slightly from November. Most tasks on the Progress Meter list are due in just a month. Medicaid accounted for the forward progress in again this month, largely due to strong quality and care management performance reports. Once again, deep concerns about payment…

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CT Mirror Obamacare Maitre d’ – everything you wanted to know

CT Mirror has created a set of tools to guide the confused through Obamacare’s maze. Obamacare Maitre d’ steps you through the basics, simple questions about CT’s health insurance exchange, and the Medicaid/HUSKY program. Helpful articles include Obama and you – an explainer, What you need to know (overview) – and resources, and 6 things…

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