Study finds only two thirds of CT patients getting primary care, 11th worst in US

Download the report A new study by Fair Health found that of Connecticut patients who had a medical visit from 2016 through 2022, one third (33.1%) had no claim for a primary care visit. Connecticut was 11th highest among states in patients missing primary care visits. At half of Connecticut’s rate, Massachusetts was the best…

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CT low wage workers pay more but get less health benefits

Download the data Download the brief Connecticut workers with the least resources are charged more for less, when they are offered health benefits, according to a new analysis of 2021 federal Medical Expenditure Panel data. The lowest wage workers in Connecticut are less likely to be offered health benefits, are offered less generous plans, and…

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Analysis: Are Connecticut Hospitals Losing Money? It Depends

 Our state’s hospitals are hemorrhaging money according to the Connecticut Hospital Association. They report losses of $164 million last year. But state officials are pushing back, saying hospitals aren’t telling the full story and hospitals are the main driver of rising healthcare costs in Connecticut. It all depends on how you look at it. Read…

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New standards to include health equity lens in effectiveness, fair pricing analyses

There is a growing consensus that healthcare systems can, unintentionally, exacerbate health disparities for underserved communities. There is a special concern that, as more payers use health technology assessments (HTAs) to promote value in the healthcare system, that health equity be incorporated into the methods. HTAs are evidence-based evaluations of healthcare treatments for clinical effectiveness…

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Insurance Committee passes bills prohibiting anti-competitive health system practices

This morning, the Insurance and Real Estate Committee approved two bills that  prohibit huge healthcare systems from using their monopoly power to jack up prices and insurance premiums. The Committee’s bill passed unanimously; the Governor’s bill that also includes an out-of-network price cap passed overwhelmingly. The Committee passed a similar bill last year. It passed…

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Healthcare breaches reach new high — affecting Members of Congress and over 70,000 in CT

Over 385 million US patient records were breached between 2010 and last year, including 70,340 Connecticut patient records. Those are only the breaches that affect over 500 people and are reported to HHS’s Office of Civil Rights. As more medical records are digital and we use add more digital healthcare services, opportunities for hackers have…

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CT Medicaid costs stable but hospital spending needs monitoring

Download the report Sources below Connecticut Medicaid per member costs are stable and growing slower than other states. CT Medicaid per member costs are lower than all but 27 other states, just below the median. But hospital spending increases could erode that progress. Medicaid is not the driver of rising state budgets, growing less than…

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