Chronic conditions, such as asthma, diabetes, and coronary artery disease, are attacking our wallets in Michigan. According to a new issue brief from the Center for Healthcare Research and Transformation (CHRT), average annual spending for someone with a chronic condition can cost from $3,785 to $38,270 more than someone with no chronic condition.

Chronic conditions are also disproportionally costly. Data from Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan showed that the 35% of its patients with at least one chronic condition accounted for more than 64% of its total spending.

Not only are chronic conditions expensive, but personal health risk factors such as smoking and obesity have been shown to contribute to many of these conditions. At 20.5%, Michigan’s smoking rate is higher than the national average of 18.4 percent, and accounted for $3.3 billion in smoking-related health care expenditures.Continue Reading Chronic Conditions Equal High Expenditures in Michigan

Cover Michigan 2010, a comprehensive view of health coverage in the U.S. and Michigan released today by the Center for Healthcare Research & Transformation (CHRT), shows upward negative trends from the 2009 report: more people lacking health insurance, more employers dropping coverage, higher costs for those with health insurance, and a growing strain on the health care safety net including hospitals.

This year, the report also provides a projected picture of how the state’s health coverage would look if the newly passed Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (P.L. 111-148) were already in effect.Continue Reading Cover Michigan 2010 Finds Health Safety Net Still Critical Despite Health Reform