Managed Care

Bringing together hospitals and insurers to identify, address, and resolve coverage issues.
12.09.2019  | Semi-Annual Health Report: The Plans are Making Money
MHA’s Semi-Annual Health Plan Performance Report is being sent to the association’s members this week.
11.25.2019  | 3 Bills –Kid’s Health, Tobacco, Safe Driving – Await Gov’s Signature
Three bills that MHA and its membership have endorsed throughout their journey in the State House were passed by the legislature last week.
11.04.2019  | If You Created an Expensive Health Plan, You Can Help Pay for It
Does an insurance company bear any responsibility for the expensive, impractical policies they are selling?
10.28.2019  | Creating Paths to Sustainable Operating Margin, Mission, and Market Essentiality
This conference will look at effective current strategies for improved ROI across an enterprise.
10.28.2019  | The HPC’s Cost Trends Hearing
The state’s Health Policy Commission (HPC) held its annual cost trends hearing last Tuesday and Wednesday.
10.21.2019  | AG Says Cost Tools, Payment Models Have Limitations
AG Healey will present a report at this week’s HPC trends hearing showing that policymakers should curb their expectations about online price transparency tools .
09.30.2019  | Quality Corner: Cambridge Health’s Team Culture Reduces Infections
Cambridge Health Alliance undertook an Agency for Healthcare Research & Quality-sponsored 15-month safety improvement program to reduce infections in the ICU at its Cambridge and Everett hospitals.
08.19.2019  | Harvard Pilgrim Health Care and Tufts Health Plan Announce Merger Plan
Harvard Pilgrim Health Care and Tufts Health Plan, the second- and third-largest health insurers in Massachusetts, respectively, on Wednesday announced plans to merge.
08.05.2019  | House Passes Comprehensive Children’s Health Bill
The Massachusetts House last Wednesday passed the Children’s Health & Wellness Act, which identified pain points and recommended solutions for issues, including creation of accurate and easily accessible health plan provider directories.
07.29.2019  | Federal Drug Costs Compromise Legislation Advances in the Senate
The US Senate Finance Committee advanced bi-partisan, compromise drug cost legislation on Thursday, despite opposition from a majority of the committee’s Republican members.
06.24.2019  | Surprise Billing: Protect Patients, Negotiate Payments
Efforts are underway both in Washington and on Beacon Hill to help resolve the problem of “surprise billing.”
06.10.2019  | HPC Recommends Rules on White-bagging, Brown-bagging
Last week, HPC staff presented recommendations for a legislatively mandated report on insurer-compelled “brown-bagging” and “white-bagging” of pharmaceuticals that is forthcoming later this month.
06.10.2019  | Pharmacy Benefit Managers Get a Close Look
Pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs), the companies that administer drug benefits for health insurance companies, came under scrutiny last week from the Health Policy Commission.
05.06.2019  | Legislature in Full Swing with Healthcare Hearings, Bills
A series of committees with jurisdiction over the healthcare sector are holding hearings on Tuesday – and each has a slew of bills of interest to hospitals.
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  | National Program Encourages Age-Friendly Health Systems
National healthcare organizations have announced expansion of a program to assist hospitals in caring for an aging population.
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.
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.
10.08.2018  | Your Health Premiums Will Increase
The group representing health insurers in Massachusetts said that if Question 1 passes consumers will likely pay more in premiums.
05.14.2018  | HPC Hears Concerns Over Insurers’ Pharmacy Mandates
MHA has informed the HPC about patient safety and cost considerations related to insurance companies’ drug policies.

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: