The hospital system in Connecticut plays a crucial role in ensuring the well-being of state residents and is a vital contributor to the state's economy. A high functioning health system geared towards improving health outcomes must focus on primary and preventive care and include efficient, safe and accessible hospital care.
Too many CT residents are struggling to afford the healthcare and medicines they need. Hospitals, as a significant contributor to healthcare cost growth, must also contribute to reducing those costs. The same approaches and strategies of the past, with double digit increases in insurance costs and healthcare prices outstripping wages will not solve the problem. Connecticut residents face inpatient hospital prices higher than most comparable areas of New England and far above the national median.* It’s time for a new approach that puts patients and families first.
During their press conference, hospital representatives called upon the state to reimagine Medicaid to help them better address the root causes of health disparities and meet communities’ health-related social needs. We agree that payment systems must focus on health outcomes, health disparities, and health-related social needs needs and efforts continue on that front. DSS and OHS are working together on programs like the Maternity Bundle and the Connecticut AHEAD total cost of care model, offering hospitals an opportunity to be a part of that solution. Our maternity bundle will emphasize team-based care focused on improving birth outcomes, and Connecticut AHEAD will bring additional revenue to the state for our struggling primary care system. These models provide a pathway to focus on patient-first care and prioritize the services communities need, easing hospitals’ reliance on high-volume, high-margin services.
We look forward to partnering with hospitals on these and other collaborative solutions to make high quality, affordable healthcare a reality for all Connecticut residents.
Commissioner Deidre S. Gifford, MD, MPH
Commissioner Andrea Barton Reeves, JD
*HMI Interactive Report. (2021). Health Care Cost Institute. https://healthcostinstitute.org/hccioriginals/hmi-interactive