More than you wanted to know about CT healthcare wages and employment

Download the data It’s time to check in again on healthcare wages and employment in Connecticut. The analysis focused on selected highly trained and well-paid categories as of May 2024. The data is from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics database. The highlights:

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CT healthcare costs grew faster than ever in 2023, but Medicaid bucked the trend

Download the analysis This month, the Office of Health Strategy (OHS) released their three annual Healthcare Benchmark reports. The main event, the Cost Growth Benchmark Report, finds that healthcare costs rose by 7.8% in 2023, well above the 2.9% benchmark set by an old OHS committee based on economic indicators. This is the third year…

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Reform section updated in CT Healthcare Explained

We’ve updated the Reform chapter of CT Healthcare Explained, our explainer website cutting through the complexities of our state’s healthcare system. Like the other 17 topic sections, Reform includes a Basics summary and a much longer Deeper Dive into the issue. In the left hand box, you can skip to your specific question. There is…

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HUSKY still very efficient but drugs are driving up costs

Read the full report Like other states, Connecticut Medicaid per member costs are beginning to increase after dropping during COVID. However, Connecticut’s rate trend remains better than other states. Since switching from managed care organizations in 2012 to focus on care management, Connecticut Medicaid spending stabilized while enrollment expanded significantly, according to the state’s latest…

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DSS’s comprehensive HUSKY report finds a very strong program, with plans to improve

In response to 2023 legislation, on Tuesday DSS provided a 72-page comprehensive description and analysis of Connecticut’s Medicaid program to MAPOC, the program’s oversight council. The report also includes DSS’s strategy to improve the program and members’ health. The report finds that the program’s performance is very strong. “Overall, the Medicaid program achieves good quality…

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Join Medicaid EPSDT Grand Rounds

CT 359 will host a panel of experts and commentators on EPSDT:  Medicaid Federal Impacts, Developmental Screening, and Practice Insights on Tuesday, February 11th from 9:30 to 11am via Zoom. CT 359 is a coalition of twenty nonprofits, government agencies, and universities dedicated to ensuring that all children in Connecticut are thriving by ages three,…

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Analysis: Hartford HealthCare Settlement with St. Francis Still Leaves Two Important Class Action Suits Active

CT News Junkie reports that St. Francis Hospital and Medical Center has reached a settlement with Hartford HealthCare in their lawsuit alleging unfair business practices. It’s good that St. Francis’s complaints as a competitor have been addressed, but the concerns of consumers and payers are still outstanding in two class action lawsuits against Hartford HealthCare.…

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Analysis: Despite the name, value is not the solution for raging healthcare costs

The murder of a United health executive has intensified very strong reactions to America’s broken healthcare system. Unfortunately, too many opportunists are using this tragedy to push a tired, failed agenda – value-based care and its corollary, Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs). Read more

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Wandering around in OHS’s databases – lots to learn and a surprise

Our state Office of Health Strategy has several impressive portals and dashboards to explore their trove of data and other information. They include healthcare affordability, ED visits, quality ratings, facility plans, self-sufficiency tools, hospital finances, prescription drug costs, and Race, ethnicity and language data. Visitors can sort the data by service, payer, age, gender, and…

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