The Division of Health Care Finance and Policy issued their second “Key Indicators” report today (available here). The report is a detailed compendium of up-to-date health care statistics, covering insurance coverage, employer coverage, premiums, health plan, CHC and insurer financials, and access to care.
The past few days have been health reform wonk’s dream; I’ve lost count of how many reports have come out recently. They each deal with a different aspect, at a different time, using different methods. Each provides a different viewpoint, but the trends all point in the same direction.
For example, this report shows the net total growth in the insured of 336,000 people from July 1, 2006 to Dec. 31, 2007, compared to net growth of 256,000 through September 30, 2007.
The growth 7/1/06-12/31/08 includes a 123,000 person increase in private insurance, 55,000 new MassHealth members with full coverage, and 158,000 members in Commonwealth Care. Since then, CommCare has grown to some 177,000 members (one has to be careful in adding up numbers from different time periods, since people move among categories of coverage and other factors may be at play).
Figuring out the details of what all these reports add up to will take some work. But it’s clear that together, they provide a picture of substantial increasing coverage for both private and public coverage programs since the passage of chapter 58.
Brian Rosman
