Download the full briefingThis is a big election year in Connecticut: On Nov. 6, state residents will pick a new governor and vote for people to represent them in the state House and Senate. To help inform candidates, we put together a briefing about some of the major issues in health care in our state.
As an independent, nonpartisan foundation, we have provided similar briefings to candidates in previous election cycles and hope you will find this information helpful.
Why this briefing matters
Connecticut is consistently ranked as one of the healthiest states in the United States. However, there are wide disparities in health care access, coverage, and outcomes. Often, people of color fare far worse than their white counterparts.
For example, Connecticut has the lowest diabetes-related mortality rate in the nation. Yet black Connecticut residents are twice as likely as white residents to die from diabetes-related causes. The diabetes-related mortality rate among Hispanics is 1.5 times that of white residents.
Connecticut pays a high price for such racial and ethnic health disparities. The Connecticut Department of Public Health estimates that these disparities resulted in $88 million in excess hospital costs in 2012.
In this briefing you will find:
- Data on health disparities in Connecticut and an infographic on how these disparities affect people’s lives.
- An overview of key issues and strategies for improving health in Connecticut.
- Enrollment data by town for Medicaid and Access Health CT – Connecticut’s health insurance exchange.
- Data and personal stories showing the impact of health policy decisions on Connecticut residents.
- An overview of grants provided by the Connecticut Health Foundation.
A resource on health in Connecticut
The Connecticut Health Foundation has nearly two decades of experience in both grantmaking and health policy work. We will be glad to be a resource for those working on health policy matters now and in the future.