WALLINGFORD – The Connecticut Hospital Association (CHA) released the following statement regarding today’s announcement by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) that Connecticut has been selected as one of the first states to participate in the States Advancing All-Payer Health Equity Approaches and Development (AHEAD) Model:
“Connecticut hospitals are aligned with the goals of advancing health equity, improving overall population health, and slowing the growth of healthcare spending, which are also the described goals of the AHEAD Model. Questions remain as to how the model can achieve these goals if it bases budgets on Medicare and Medicaid payment rates that are nowhere near covering the cost of care – a problem that has contributed to many of the issues this model seeks to correct. Additionally, the model design rewards the government, rather than the communities and local hospitals providing services and care, if long-term prevention outcomes are achieved and community health and well-being improves over time. We will continue working with the Office of Health Strategy on the details of this program, which both CMS and the state have clearly described as voluntary, including ensuring the model does not build off of Medicaid underpayments.”
CHA is available to answer additional questions related to the model upon request.
