Better, safer ideas to support primary care in Connecticut

Download the report Primary care is the foundation of the health system. It is, or should be, patients’ first interaction with the healthcare system for non-urgent issues. There is strong evidence that care coordination linked to primary care practices, such as patient-centered medical homes (PCMHs), foster improved health while lowering costs.[i] Areas with more primary…

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CTNJ op-ed – Advice From an Advocate to the Next Social Services Commissioner

Welcome, you have a big job ahead of you. Connecticut’s Department of Social Services (DSS) is a huge agency, spending $8.4 billion this year for programs that impact many lives. As a healthcare advocate who has spent decades trying to move your agency and your predecessors, with mixed results, you have a difficult job. Luckily…

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Practical Wisdom – The Right Way to Do the Right Thing

New to the Book Club Why do our institutions and systems, including healthcare, seem to be getting more complex and more costly but not better? This fascinating book argues that we have lost practical wisdom – the ability to balance the need for reasonable rules and standards with doing the right thing. The law of…

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More questions for YNHH about controversial primary care proposal

Yesterday, the state Office of Health Strategy sent their eighth set of questions about the controversial application of Yale-New Haven Health System and their community health center partners to move primary care for 28,500 mainly low-income New Haven area residents out of the current neighborhood sites to Long Wharf. Among others, critical concerns have been…

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What We’re Reading

Pharma lobbyists flooded Maryland to block a drug-pricing bill. Opponents pushed back – and won. STAT – The story behind the story of how a group of consumer advocates and legislators were able to prevail over Pharma’s considerable resources to get a bill passed to push back on sky high drug prices and protect consumers…

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SIM primary care capitation proposal gets another tepid reception

This week, SIM presented to the Healthcare Cabinet their proposal to capitate primary care, initially for Medicare members, but eventually for all state residents. The proposal is to move primary care to capitated “bundles” – one for basic primary care services and a voluntary, supplemental payment for expanded activities such as infrastructure and HIT and…

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YNHH answers latest questions about controversial primary care proposal

Monday Yale-New Haven Health System and their community health center partners answered the latest set of questions from the state Office of Health Strategy (formerly OHCA) to their controversial plan to move primary care services for 28,000 low-income New Haven residents out of the current neighborhood sites to Log Wharf. Under the proposal, patients’ care…

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PCMH+ update: discussions ongoing to fix problems

At yesterday’s MAPOC Care Management Committee meeting, DSS and Mercer reported on their plans for PCMH+, the controversial shared savings Medicaid program. A workgroup has been meeting at DSS to drill down on what didn’t work. DSS has lobbied the Governor to include a new Wave 3 to update the current program in his budget…

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CT needs to monitor ACOs

Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) are a growing part of CT’s healthcare landscape. But if you’ve never heard of them, you’re not alone. ACOs are large health systems run by providers, often including hospitals, doctors, home health, nursing homes, and other providers. It is estimated that 15 to 20% of CT residents have already been enrolled…

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