Poor choice of monitor in YNHH-L+M deal undermines accountability

Yale-New Haven Health has chosen Deloitte & Touche to monitor compliance with conditions of their acquisition of Lawrence + Memorial Healthcare. The conditions on the unusual acquisition were set in place by the state to protect prices in the new monopoly market, protect health services for southeastern CT, oversee promised investments in the region, and…

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CT remains costly for Long Term Services and Supports while demand grows

A new survey by Genworth Financial finds that costs for Long Term Services and Support in Connecticut are among the highest in the nation, and rising. At $146,000 for a semi-private room and $158,775 for a private room, median annual costs of nursing home care were more expensive in Connecticut last year than any other…

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Medicaid update: New data on high-cost, high-need members

Friday’s Medicaid Council meeting focused on CT’s participation in a national technical assistance program to identify and meet the needs of high-cost, high-need patients. This population has received a great deal of attention from policymakers as the best opportunity to both improve access and quality of care as well as control costs. The concept offers…

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Medicaid update: New data on high-cost, high-need members

Friday’s Medicaid Council meeting focused on CT’s participation in a national technical assistance program to identify and meet the needs of high-cost, high-need patients. This population has received a great deal of attention from policymakers as the best opportunity to both improve access and quality of care as well as control costs. The concept offers…

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SIM update

Across various meetings this month we’ve received a few updates on CT’s SIM planning. CT is competing with 17 other states for 12 test grants. SIM staff has acknowledged receipt of the independent advocates’ letter to CMMI and an FOI regarding Consumer Advisory Board voting and SIM budget development, but we’ve had no response to…

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MAPOC: Harnessing the power of data analytics to improve health

Last week, MAPOC’s Complex Care Committee heard an exciting presentation by Alan Fontes of UConn Analytics and Information Management Solutions.  Alan came to UConn from DeLoitte where he led their project providing healthcare advanced analytics and information management for states across the US. He described the power of analytics to help guide smart planning for…

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Heated debate – healthcare vs. health care

Have you ever wondered if health care should be one word or two? Apparently it is currently two words, according to the Associated Press, but the debate is heating up. Each side has strong support and even stronger feelings about the subject. I always thought that the CT Health Policy Project used two words, but…

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Medicaid update: PCMH+ limping along, bad news for HUSKY parents, and Medicare cuts loom

PCMH+, CT Medicaid’s experimental move back into financial risk that now impacts just over 100,000 people, survived the budget cuts – sort of. The PCMH+ budget was cut from $500,000 (state costs) last year to $300,000 this year, but the SIM federal grant has been devoting a lot of resources to the initiative. We have…

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Chartbook: CT drugs costs high and growing fast

14.4% of our state’s economy was devoted to health care services in 2014, slightly below the US average, according to a new Chartbook on CT health spending. Based on newly released data from CMS actuaries, the analysis finds that CT health costs per person are not surprisingly high but we out-perform most other states in…

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CT trains lots of doctors but we don’t keep them

A new report on physician workforce finds that CT is a hub for training physicians, both medical school and residency training but we are falling behind in retaining those graduates. The report from the Association of American Medical Colleges finds that physician capacity in CT now is is good ranking 6thhighest among states in the…

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