Webinar: The value of NCQA recognition of patient-centered medical homes

Join us for a webinar with National Committee for Quality Assurance experts Thursday, May 29^th at 1pm to learn about their patient-centered medical home recognition standards updated for 2014. NCQA has the most widely adopted standards, with a growing list of 1,009 certified PCMHs in Connecticut. There is substantial evidence linking nationally recognized PCMHs with the triple aim of improving patient experience of care, improving health outcomes, and controlling costs. One in three CT Medicaid consumers is now served in a nationally certified PCMH and enjoying better quality of care, improved access and lowered costs since the adoption of PCMHs in the program. NCQA has invested over $9 million in continual improvements to their standards and employs dozens of staff to oversee the recognition process. Learn more about NCQA’s national resources that Connecticut can draw on to provide value to our state. Click here to register for the webinar.

Hospital conversion bill passed, but outcome not clear

In the last hours of the session the General Assembly passed legislation regarding for-profit hospital conversions and hospitals’ ability to merge with physician practices. The legislation was proposed in response to Tenet’s plans to partner with Yale-New Haven, Waterbury, Manchester, Rockville, and Bristol hospitals. The deal required the ability of for-profits to purchase physician practices. Labor groups have been wary of the proposal, concerned about protecting consumer and worker rights. The final language changes current law to make it easier for hospitals to convert to for-profit status, but increases state oversight. The bill includes important consumer protections, for example hospitals must notify patients’ community physician within 24 hours of admission. The bill was negotiated with heavy input from both sides, but Tenet and YNHH issued a statement critical of the bill stating that if enacted it could jeopardize the deal. This may be very good news for controlling health spending in CT as evidence mounts that hospitals’ purchase of private practices increases overall costs.

Website moving, be patient

Our CT Health Policy Project website is moving to a new home and will be temporarily offline. We expect to be back up with the information you are craving in 12 to 24 hours depending on how long the DNS propagation takes. I am told I have to be patient.

MA health reform saved lives

A new study finds that health reform and expanded coverage in MA saved lives. Comparing MA counties with matched counties in other states, researchers found a drop in mortality, especially from causes amenable to health care (i.e. not due to accidents). A completely illegitimate, back-of-the-envelope, they’ll-take-my-degree-away calculation (is that enough disclaimers?) finds that 351 MA residents each year are saved due to reform. The impact on mortality was greatest in low-income, previously high-uninsured communities, as expected if coverage is the cause. The authors also found gains in access to care and overall health status. Living in CT and a reader of this blog you might think this conclusion is obvious, but there are doubters. Previous research on the subject was mixed but as described here the study design in this analysis is much stronger.

State Employee health plan update

Today’s meeting of the Health Care Cost Containment Committee was short but interesting. The HCCC, the best kept secret in state government, is a joint labor-management committee under the Comptroller’s Office that makes decisions about the $1.2 billion/year program that covers 208,378 state employees, retirees and dependents. Consultants noted that costs in the program rose 3.4% over the last year, lower than the rest of the market at 6 to 6.5%. It was reported (they ran out of copies of the financial report) that there is an unexpected $14 million surplus in the program this year. However that will be gone next year and leave a large gap due to a large number of expected retirees. It was reported that between 1,600 and 1,800 Corrections employees eligible for retirement have signed up for retirement counseling – that is between half and all of the eligible workers.  It was reported that typically 28% of eligible workers elect to retire when eligible. After a short meeting, the public was dismissed and, according to observers, the “interesting, real meeting starts.” The committee agenda also includes no opportunities for public comment and is not held in an easily accessible public venue. The lack of transparency is reminiscent of CT’s SIM planning process.

CT hospitals safety rankings lower than surrounding states

New rankings of hospital safety by the Leapfrog Group outline sharp differences between CT’s hospitals. St. Francis and Backus earned an A grade. However Charlotte Hungerford received a D and Windham received an F. CT hospitals underperformed compared to surrounding states. MA and RI have no hospitals with D or F grades. 70% of MA hospitals earned an A as did 19% in NY and 33% in RI – compared to only 8% of CT hospitals. Every day over 200 Americans die in a hospital due to a medical error. CT’s overall performance is mixed compared to other states, and nationally hospitals are making some progress in reducing infections, but more work needs to be done.

May Health Reform Dashboard, Webquiz online

Test your knowledge about health risk factors in Connecticut adults. Take the May CT Health Policy Webquiz.

May’s Health Reform Dashboard and Progress Meter show the state moving backward. While CT improved in data transparency, we lost ground in the APCD’s decision to reject patient-centered policies and deny sensible privacy rights to state residents (more on this important issue is coming). The administration’s SIM decision to reject nationally recognized medical home standards also hurt progress toward reform.