CT medical home Medicare application in

The Office of State Comptroller has taken the lead in filing an application for CT to participate in a new Medicare option. The project would join the state employee plan, Medicaid, Medicare and private insurers in an exciting plan to build patient-centered medical homes for over a million state residents eventually. The Governor, DSS, the SustiNet PCMH Advisory Committee and dozens of consumer and provider groups have all signed on to support the application. The plan is to start with ProHealth, a large primary care practice with 74 sites across CT, but to reach out to other accredited PCMH providers soon after. Beyond the core PCMH functions, the project includes special focus on discharge transitions, expanding primary care for nursing home residents, extended hour facilities, and care coordination for patients with multiple chronic conditions. CT has also agreed to collaborate with a new multi-state PCMH collaborative sharing data, evaluations, technical assistance, and best practices. There is so much here to be excited about, but the best part may be the cooperation across agencies and provider groups. This project can serve as a foundation for thoughtful reform in Connecticut.
Ellen Andrews

Webinar: Dan Malloy and Nancy Wyman on health care issues

The next administration faces both great challenges and great opportunities to improve health care in Connecticut. Join us for a webinar September 28th at noon to hear from Dan Malloy and Nancy Wyman, Democratic candidates for Governor and Lieutenant Governor, on health care issues. There will be time for your questions at the end and, as always, a video of the webinar will be posted online. To register for the webinar and to be notified when the video is posted, go to https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/260958984 After registering you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the Webinar.

CT uninsured rate up to 12%

The Census is reporting that CT’s uninsured rate rose from 10% in 2008 to 12% in 2009, an increase of 43,000 residents without coverage. Employer sponsored coverage levels held steady despite rising unemployment, possibly because of generous federal COBRA subsidies. While Medicaid numbers dropped during the study period, HUSKY enrollment grew and has grown faster since. Click here for the CT Health Policy Project’s brief.
Ellen Andrews

CT insurers propose double digit rate hikes

Once again CT health insurance companies are asking the CT Insurance Department for permission to charge very large premium increases, more than 20% in many cases, according to the Hartford Courant. Predictably, insurers are blaming rising medical costs and national health reform. Members of CT’s Congressional delegation and the Attorney General are objecting. The largest increases would fall on new businesses and individuals. CID has not yet ruled on the increases. In their applications, the insurers outline how much they believe various provisions in national reform will raise premiums above the effect of rising medical costs. Anthem estimates that requiring coverage for children with pre-existing conditions will raise premiums 4.8% and removing annual caps will cost 22.9% more. The federal government and independent analysts estimate the impact of national reform on premiums for next year at 1 to 2%. I hope that someone at CID remembers these estimates and looks back next year to see if they were realistic. Especially as they consider next year’s proposed increases.
Ellen Andrews

CT lags in health IT adoption

If you’ve been avoiding the health information technology debate (it can get a bit technical), yesterday’s CT Mirror has a great analysis. While electronic medical record adoption is slow across the US, it is glacial here in CT. There are several reasons nicely outlined in the story; we need to address them all. Health IT is critical to improving quality, reducing waste, avoiding errors, coordinating care (patient-centered medical homes), accountability, and so much more. How often have you heard that we don’t have the data we need in CT to do any meaningful system planning or even to know where the problems are? We don’t know what is really working and what is just hype. Health IT is critical to all this and more. The feds have devoted billions to the effort, but it is still a slow slog in CT. The problem is that busy providers, especially primary care practices, don’t have the time or resources to invest in health IT. It will help them, but it will help the rest of us far more. We need to support them – with money, resources, and political chits to make this happen. Hopefully, the next administration is listening.
Ellen Andrews

HealthJusticeCT launches website

Health Justice CT, a new social networking project to address racial and ethnic health disparities in CT, has launched a website, www.healthjusticect.org. It is interactive, gathering news, research, events, and online conversations. The resources section is particularly helpful. Health Justice CT is funded by the CT Health Foundation. Check back often to learn more.

CT residents need to eat more fruits and veggies, but we are doing better than most states

The good news is that CT residents eat more fruits and vegetables than most Americans, according to today’s MMWR. The bad news is that our consumption of fruits dropped each year from 2000 to 2009; vegetable consumption was somewhat steady. Last year, 37.6% of us ate fruit two or more times a day and 28.5% ate three or more vegetables each day. We all should be, but the US averages were 32.5% and 26.3%, respectively. Compared to other states, we do better in fruit consumption (5th) than veggies (11th). Eating fruits and vegetables is important for maintaining healthy weight and reducing the risk of many illnesses.


Between 1987 and 2007, the percentage of obese adult Americans more than doubled. A new analysis by CBO estimates that we could reduce health spending increases 3% by 2020 if we could level off rising obesity rates; we would save 4% if we could return to 1987 levels.
Ellen Andrews