Search results for: SIM
Sen. Blumenthal meets with CT health leaders to discuss effective drug cost control
Thursday Senator Blumenthal met with over a CT dozen health leaders at Charter Oak Health Center in Hartford to learn more about the drivers of rising drug costs, the impact on the health of state residents, the burden on public and private sector budgets across the state, and what can be done. He heard that…
Read MoreAdvocates ask DSS yet again for a robust evaluation of risky experiment before expanding
Twenty-three independent advocates sent a letter today again urging the state to conduct common sense evaluation of the first wave of a risky new program before expanding the program, as promised. Advocates have learned that the planned evaluation will not be available until 2 months after the RFP for the second wave is finalized and released. In addition, current…
Read MoreGovernor proposes new health reform planning agency, and more cuts to HUSKY parents
The Governor’s state budget proposal, released today, includes $5.8 million in rearranged funding and staff for a new Office of Health Strategy, effective July 2018, to “enhance coordination and consolidate accountability for the implementation of the state’s health care reform strategies.” The office will combine OHCA (formerly a separate agency, but now part of DPH…
Read MorePCMH + evaluation plans – weak review and too late to matter
Wednesday DSS unveiled their initial plans to evaluate PCMH +, the new experimental HUSKY shared savings program that just started January 1st with 160,000 members. HUSKY’s previous experience with financial risk was a universally acknowledged failure. Contrary to promises for a meaningful evaluation of the program before moving another 200,000 members into the program next…
Read MoreCT hospital Medicare hospital-acquired condition penalties much higher than US average for third year in a row
Next year fourteen of Connecticut’s 31 hospitals will be penalized by Medicare for poor rates of potentially avoidable complications, according to an analysis by Kaiser Health News. While this is down from eighteen this year, it is almost three times higher than the US average. Seven Connecticut hospitals have been penalized under this program every…
Read MoreCT Health Reform Dashboard responds to eroding accountability in hospital oversight and Medicaid consumer rights
This month’s Health Reform Dashboardupdate once again reflects more attempts to unravel progress in CT. Medicaid leads the concerns with the success of new ACOs at the last minute in blowing up federally required consumer notices that were carefully negotiated over months, so that consumers will need a college education to understand the risks of…
Read MoreHealthcare Cabinet gets an earful on reform proposals
At today’s public hearing, the Cabinet got a lot of thanks for the hard work, but not a lot of support for the proposals. Unfortunately the meeting was poorly attended, especially by some of the strongest proponents of downside risk. Speakers included providers, advocates, a SIM official, a foundation, and business representatives. Many spoke against…
Read MoreFDA panel barely approves new antibiotic for pneumonia
Friday, the FDA’s Antimicrobial Drug Advisory Committee split 7 to 6, to approve Solithromycin, a new drug for community-acquired pneumonia. Pneumonia is responsible for 4.5 million ambulatory visits. About half of bacteria causing pneumonia in the US are now resistant to the best current treatment option. The committee agreed that the drug was proven effective,…
Read MoreCT Health Reform Dashboard responds to efforts to undermine constructive policies
This month’s Health Reform Dashboardupdate reflects more attempts to unravel progress in CT. Medicaid leads the concerns with broken promises on downside risk and attempts to weaken critical consumer notices about shifting provider incentives, potential underservice, and how to protect yourself. OHCA’s approval of YNHH’s acquisition of L&M health system will require a lot…
Read MoreNew England health policymakers meet to consider the future of hospitals
Last weekend NESCSO, the Millbank Fund and the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services convened a group of twenty-two state executive and legislative branch health policymakers in Portsmouth, NH to consider the future of hospitals in the region. All six New England states were represented. Hospital roles are evolving quickly with national and…
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