Report on the Washtenaw Health Initiative, a voluntary health care collaborative facilitated by CHRT.
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Survey shows health coverage is important — but not sufficient to guarantee access to care
The second annual Cover Michigan Survey, released today by the Center for Healthcare Research & Transformation (CHRT), shows that people who lack health coverage are more likely to seek medical treatment in costlier care settings and less likely to have regular, preventive care.
The survey of 1,000 Michigan adults also reveals that simply having health coverage does not guarantee access to care.
Among those with health coverage, those with Medicaid coverage reported the greatest difficulty gaining access to preferred primary care providers or specialists and were the most likely to delay seeking care when needed.
The uninsured—who reported more difficulty accessing care when compared to the insured—appeared to be sicker or more acutely ill at the point they sought health care services. And among the uninsured, nearly one in three (32 percent) reported having been diagnosed with depression, compared to one in ten (11 percent) of the insured.
“This second-year survey tells us that having any kind of health insurance is better than being uninsured. Those with coverage—including Medicaid—are better linked to primary care doctors who can provide regular, preventive care,” says Marianne Udow-Phillips, director of CHRT. “But when we see the level of difficulty in finding providers to accept their coverage and provide them with the care they need reported today by Medicaid beneficiaries, it raises concerns about the ability of Michigan’s Medicaid system to handle the expected increase in enrollment when the expanded eligibility provision of the Affordable Care Act goes into effect in 2014.”Continue Reading Survey shows health coverage is important — but not sufficient to guarantee access to care
Study: State Medicaid users face uphill battle
Report on CHRT’s Cover Michigan Survey 2011.
(No longer available online)
Report: Uninsured patients 3 times more likely to use emergency departments, are sicker
Report on CHRT’s Cover Michigan Survey 2011.
Michigan’s collaborative quality improvement programs cut health care costs and improve quality of care; Serve as successful national model for improvement
In a paper published today in the professional health care journal, Health Affairs, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan and the University of Michigan report that their model for collaborative health care quality improvement has measurably improved safety and quality in several clinical areas, and has saved millions in health care costs.
Collaborative Quality Initiatives (CQI), the term given to the payer-hospital initiatives aimed at improving safety and quality of specific surgical procedures and clinical practices, have been shown to outpace the positive results of similar, national programs. For example, an initiative aimed at reducing 30-day post-surgical complication rates accomplished faster improvement in Michigan (from 13.1% to 10.5%) than a similar national program (from 12.5% to 11.5%).Continue Reading Michigan’s collaborative quality improvement programs cut health care costs and improve quality of care; Serve as successful national model for improvement
Antibiotics overprescribed for children, study finds
Report on CHRT’s February 2011 Issue Brief, “Antibiotic Prescribing and Use.”
Study: Mich. children overprescribed antibiotics
Report on CHRT’s February 2011 Issue Brief “Antibiotic Prescribing and Use.”
(No longer available online)
Adult antibiotic use down, but up for children in Michigan, says report
Report on CHRT’s February 2011 Issue Brief, “Antibiotic Prescribing and Use.”
Easy Access To Antibiotics May Not Be The Cure
Report on CHRT’s February 2011 Issue Brief, “Antibiotic Prescribing and Use.”
Report shows high rates of inappropriate antibiotic use continue, despite educational efforts to improve prescribing patterns
The Center for Healthcare Research & Transformation (CHRT) today released an issue brief showing continued high rates of inappropriate antibiotic use, despite a 15-year national outreach campaign by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) to educate providers and consumers on the dangers of antibiotic overuse.
According to the CDC, antibiotic-resistant infections in the U.S. create $20 billion in excess healthcare costs and eight million additional hospital days. Antibiotics do not help or cure viral infections, such as bronchitis or the flu.Continue Reading Report shows high rates of inappropriate antibiotic use continue, despite educational efforts to improve prescribing patterns