Cost Containment

Reining in healthcare cost increases is a priority MHA and our members share with all healthcare stakeholders in the commonwealth. Find more information on MHA’s efforts and leadership on this important issue below.
04.15.2019  | House Releases $42.7 Billion Budget
The House Ways & Means Committee last Wednesday released its FY2020 $42.7 billion proposed state budget.
04.15.2019  | Safety Net Funding for Uninsured in Doubt
MHA will be working with legislative champions in the House to strengthen the FY2020 budget directive in a manner that will ensure the administration fulfills the $15 million transfer to the Health Safety Net.
04.15.2019  | Government & Hospitals to Pharma: Be Transparent
State and federal governments are looking into rising prescription drug prices.
04.08.2019  | How Can Physician Practices Help Reduce Hospital Readmissions?
The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) has released a report that identifies primary care-based strategies for reducing hospital readmissions.
04.08.2019  | Benchmark Set; Data Lags Put 2015-16 Costs in Spotlight
The Health Policy Commission (HPC) last week voted to set the statewide healthcare cost growth benchmark for calendar year 2020 at 3.1%.
04.01.2019  | President, Declaring He Now Understands Healthcare, Moves to Gut ACA
The Trump administration last week asked a U.S. Appeals Court to strike down the entire Affordable Care Act.
04.01.2019  | MHA Urges CMS to Fix Flaws in Star Ratings
The star system to rate hospitals is essentially meaningless, gives an inaccurate view of quality, and should just be scrapped, according to a letter MHA sent to CMS last Friday.
04.01.2019  | Don’t Destroy the ACA; Improve It
House Democrats introduced a series of bills to strengthen the ACA and expand its reach.
03.25.2019  | Hospital-Specific Readmissions Reports
The state’s Center for Health Information & Analysis (CHIA) last Tuesday released hospital-specific readmission profiles for each acute care hospital in the state.
03.18.2019  | Hospitals on Board With 3.1% Benchmark – With Caveats
The Health Policy Commission in coming months is scheduled to decide on whether the state’s healthcare cost growth benchmark – currently set at 3.1% – should remain at that level.
03.18.2019  | Trump Budget Puts Medicare/Medicaid in Crosshairs
The Trump Administration released its budget blueprint for federal fiscal year 2020 last week and, by any measure, it does not contain good news for Medicaid, Medicare, hospitals, or coverage expansion.
03.18.2019  | HPC IDs Insulin Costs as Cost Driver
One item that stood out in the HPC’s meeting last week was the ever-increasing price of insulin.
03.11.2019  | That Big-Company-Created Healthcare Entity Has a Name- Haven
The healthcare-influencing entity created by Amazon, Berkshire Hathaway, and JPMorgan Chase has named itself Haven.
03.11.2019  | MHA Submits Budget Priorities to Legislative Leaders
As the Massachusetts House and Senate begin to construct their FY2020 budget proposals, MHA, in consultation with its members, is calling attention to a series of priorities.
03.04.2019  | State to Insurance Company: Not so Fast
The health insurer United Healthcare has been planning a benefit change whereby patients would be required to receive outpatient elective advanced radiologic imaging in non-hospital settings.
03.04.2019  | Drug Prices in the Spotlight
The 2018 Cost Trends Report from the Health Policy Commission released last month showed the persistent growth in prescription drug spending over the state’s healthcare cost growth benchmark.
03.04.2019  | Hospital Developments of Note
New developments involving Baystate Health and South Shore Health.
02.18.2019  | Duals Program Due for Changes (But Concerns Remain)
The state’s bold experiment with its dual eligible programs is getting some revisions, while raising some concerns among hospitals and physicians.
02.18.2019  | HPC IDs Administrative Simplification as a Priority
The Health Policy Commission’s (HPC’s) annual Cost Trend Report is an interesting, dense collection of facts and figures about the Massachusetts healthcare system. Within the 70-plus page 2018 report is a six-page section outlining 11 policy recommen
02.11.2019  | Letting Nurses Care for Their Patients – Wherever They Are
MHA, ONL and others are strongly supporting a bill that would authorize Massachusetts to join 31 other states that have adopted the national Nurse Licensure Compact.

Resources

Click on the links below for easy access to important information related to state healthcare issues and advocacy.
Visit the Commonwealth of Massachusetts websites below to find information on legislative hearings and other meetings of interest to the healthcare community.
To guide your navigation of the legislative process and assist your advocacy efforts, please visit the following state websites:
MHA has also developed the following documents for your information and benefit: