Grove health events

I co-work with amazing people doing exciting things at The Grove in New Haven. Among those amazing things are two upcoming events sponsored by the Transforming Maternity Care Partnership, a national multi-stakeholder collaboration working to implement a consensus Blueprint for Action to improve the quality and value of maternity care. The Nurse-Midwifery Week Celebration and Symposium this Sunday from 11am-3pm will feature two speakers - Tina Smillie talking about breastfeeding and Tricia Pil talking about patient safety in maternity care from the patient, provider, and systems perspective. And next Wednesday evening, October 12, they are hosting health economist and Health IT leader, J.D. Kleinke who has written his first novel about ob-gyn practice. He will be reading from his book and leading a discussion on system transformation. The Grove is at 71 Orange St. in New Haven. For more information on either event, contact Amy Romano at romano@childbirthconnection.org.
Ellen Andrews

Courant OP-ED raises concerns about Medicaid PCMH proposal

An Opinion piece in today’s Hartford Courant by Sheldon Toubman of New Haven legal aid outlines many problems with DSS’ proposal for person-centered medical homes. PCMHs have been used by payers, including many other state Medicaid programs and CT’s state employee plan, to improve the effectiveness of health care, reduce duplications and errors and rein in skyrocketing costs. However, DSS’s proposal varies significantly from best practices identified in other states. The current PCCM program, used by a majority of states, provides a set amount of funding to providers upfront to encourage investment in care coordination. DSS’s proposal asks primary care practices, on very thin margins, to pony up with the potential for funding/reimbursement later. It also builds on the current fee-for-service system that has been blamed for over-utilization that drives up costs. Most funders are moving away from fee-for-service payments.
Ellen Andrews

October webquiz, webinar slides and video online

Test your knowledge of CT’s uninsured. Take the October CT Health Policy Webquiz.

Slides and video of Friday’s webinar with CEPAC are posted.

State chooses CHN to run Medicaid

The administration announced that they will be negotiating with Community Health Network to administer the entire state Medicaid program as of January 1st. Based on the state’s community health centers, CHN has been a participating managed care provider for HUSKY since its inception sixteen years ago. The managed care program will expand beyond the current 400,000 children and families to include 120,000 seniors, single adults (formerly SAGA members) and people with disabilities. The new program will not be capitated and will focus on coordinating care and building patient-centered medical homes to both improve quality and rein in costs. CHN’s contract is estimated to be between $70 and 73 million for the first year. CHN expects to contract with McKesson for intensive care management and data analytics and with Value Options for intensive case management.
Ellen Andrews

Friday webinar: Cutting costs and improving quality through research

New technologies and treatments are a significant driver of skyrocketing health costs and the resulting overtreatment is harming our health. Join us for a webinar Friday at noon with The New England Comparative Effectiveness Public Advisory Council (CEPAC) to learn more about comparative effectiveness research and how it is being evaluated and applied in New England. CEPAC is an initiative of the Institute for Clinical and Economic Review in Boston, funded by the US Agency for Healthcare Quality and Review. To make informed healthcare decisions policymakers, patients and clinicians need rigorous evidence on the comparative risks and benefits of care options. But that science must be integrated with patient values, individual clinical needs, costs, current patterns of practice, local health system characteristics and public values. CEPAC provides a forum to discuss all these considerations. CEPAC’s mission is to provide objective, independent guidance on how information from AHRQ evidence reviews can be used across New England to improve the quality and value of health care decision making. CEPAC includes clinicians, scientists, policymakers and patient advocates with members from all the New England states.
Ellen Andrews

CTHPP brief: One in ten CT residents still uninsured last year

Results of two new Census surveys found that the rate of uninsurance in CT was stuck at one in ten last year. The number of uninsured in CT is higher than the populations of five counties and exceeds the total populations of Hartford PLUS New Britain PLUS Stamford. Not surprisingly, Black, Hispanic and lower income state residents were more likely to be uninsured, but noncitizens were at highest risk. Among cities, Stamford leads the list with 24% of city residents without coverage; nearby Norwalk had the lowest rate among cities at 10%. Among counties, Fairfield had the highest uninsured rate at 11.7%; Tolland was lowest at only 5.1%. The new numbers reinforce the need for health care reform.
Ellen Andrews

Editorials support consumer representation on CT health insurance exchange

Today’s Hartford Courant and yesterday’s New Haven Register have both run editorials calling on policymakers to add consumer and small business representatives to the CT Health Insurance Exchange Board. Advocates have raised concerns about insurance industry dominance in the Board membership and the lack of consumer and small business representation. One in ten state residents are expected to rely on the exchange to purchase coverage in 2014 when the federal individual mandate becomes effective. An estimated 140,000 state residents will have no choice but to purchase coverage in the exchange to access affordability subsidies. The Board will make important decisions about which plans are included in the exchange, how much they can charge, and what services they will cover. Consumer voices must be at the table, with a vote.
Ellen Andrews