Cost Cap project could reduce access to care, stifle efficiency and innovation, and increase disparities

Download the Summary or Full Report Healthcare costs a lot in Connecticut, especially for middle and lower income residents. Primary care is the foundation of a healthy health system. Lowering costs and supporting primary care are important goals, however the Office of Health Strategy’s (OHS) new plan to limit costs is ill-conceived and likely to…

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Advocates, providers send Governor, legislators letter about cost cap impact and unintended consequences

Yesterday, twenty advocates and providers sent letters to the Governor and legislative leaders objecting to the rush to develop a cap on healthcare cost increases during a pandemic, and to use the time to incorporate input from diverse stakeholders and for thoughtful design with a broad group chosen democratically. “This controversial proposal, if rushed ahead…

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CT Medical Society signs on with state HIE that plans to sell medical records

The state’s controversial HIE signed up its first participating provider network. Thursday the Office of Health Strategy (OHS) announced that CT Health Link, run by the CT State Medical Society (CSMS), will “immediately begin the technical connections necessary” to allow access into their system. Advocates have been concerned about OHS’s plans to sell access to…

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COVID hits hospital bottom lines but boosts insurer profits

Contrary to earlier concerns, it appears that health insurers are doing pretty well through the COVID pandemic. It appears the costs of treating people with the virus are more than offset by a 60% reduction in other medical care including elective surgeries, routine outpatient care and lower ED visits. The six largest insurers reported $8.6…

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Hospitals question viability and policy in OHS plans to share medical records

It’s unusual when independent consumer advocates and hospitals are on the same page. In a strongly worded letter, the CT Hospital Association laid out serious problems with OHS’s proposed plan to share data in their controversial Health Information Exchange (HIE). Only some hospitals were given the opportunity to comment on OHS’s plans. Under law, all…

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Opportunity to inform CT community public health priorities

The State Health Improvement Coalition is seeking community members from Northeast, Southeast, and Southwest Connecticut for input on prioritizing the most pressing public health needs for our state. Every five years, DPH creates a new plan to improve the health of our state in a model of inclusive, data-driven policymaking. The latest version will be…

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How CT can ensure everyone gets help for COVID-19

People of color are dying of COVID-19 at higher rates than other Connecticut residents. While researchers work on why that is, the CT Health Foundation has given us four concrete, feasible recommendations to improve access in these trying times. The first is to expand testing to everyone who needs one. The to-do list includes offering…

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Book Club: Everything you need to know to understand, and fact check, data claims

The pandemic has placed us all in a crash course on health claims, science and data – what we know and what we don’t know. It can be confusing and scary. The Art of Statistics: How to Learn from Data by David Spiegelhalter is here to help. The book describes how statistics and probability can…

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CT hospitals would fare better than most if all payers used Medicare payment rates

A new study published in Health Affairs finds that if commercial payment rates were set at fee-for-service Medicare levels in 2017, US hospital revenue (inpatient and outpatient) would drop by 35%. Interestingly, also raising Medicaid rates to Medicare levels does little to mitigate that, changing the revenue loss to 30%. However, the authors note that…

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Q poll finds CT residents worried but support COVID public health restrictions

Almost half of Connecticut residents (43%) are feeling stressed by dealing with the state’s stay-at-home order, according to a new Quinnipiac University poll. But two thirds believe the level of restrictions to stop the spread of the COVID-19 virus have been about right and most (59%) believe that the state should wait a few months…

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