New index introduced to measure Connecticut health care costs

Comptroller Kevin Lembo and the Connecticut Office of Health Strategy have unveiled the Connecticut Healthcare Affordability Index (CHAI), a tool designed to help policymakers determine statewide health care costs and the challenges faced by residents in meeting their basic medical expenses.

The CHAI measures the impact of health care costs, including premiums and out-of-pocket expenses, within a household”™s total budgetary needs.

The index calculates health care costs and affordability for 19 household types and includes data that influences costs, such as type of insurance coverage, age and health risk.

According to Lembo, the goal of the project is to provide a tool for data and analysis to inform policymakers on how to improve health care affordability.

The index was created with financial and expert input by the CT Health Foundation and the Universal Healthcare Foundation of Connecticut.

“There is an ongoing crisis of health care affordability in Connecticut,” said Lembo, who noted the “struggles faced by people of color and families with children are especially jarring.

“I urge all lawmakers to use this tool to turn rhetoric into action and show their work by explaining how they plan to make health care more affordable in our state.”