06.15.2020

Silence, Action, and Equity

Hospitals Across the State Fall Silent for 8 Minutes, 46 Seconds

Last Thursday at noon, hospitals and health systems across the commonwealth joined together in silence for 8 minutes and 46 seconds to commemorate the innocent lives lost to unacceptable acts of racism. MHA helped coordinate the collective event in partnership with the Massachusetts Senior Care Association and 1199SEIU.

Over the past week, MHA members have been united in addressing systemic racism and condemning the acts of hatred that have cost the lives of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and the countless others before them. The symbolic actions must be followed up with true organizational and personal action for the change to be effective.

“Systemic racism is a sickness just as potent as the diseases we treat every day, and Massachusetts is not immune,” said Steve Walsh, President and CEO of the Massachusetts Health and Hospital Association. “As pillars of our communities, we recognize that we must be a part of the solution. We are committed to advocating for chronically underserved communities and acting as conduits for change as we work to shape a future free from prejudice and injustice.”

Hospitals Awarded Funding for Community Equity Programs

Four Massachusetts hospitals involved in addressing social determinants of health in their communities have been awarded funding through the Health Policy Commission. Cooley Dickinson Health Care, Heywood Hospital, Massachusetts General Hospital, and Mercy Medical Center each received between $555,000 and $650,000 for their programs that address food and nutrition, workforce development, or economic stability.

The funding comes through the “Moving Massachusetts Upstream” (MassUP) initiative – a partnership of the HPC, DPH, MassHealth, Office of the Attorney General, Executive Office of Elder Affairs, and the Executive Office of Health and Human Services. The hospitals that received the award are partnered with local agencies, school systems, and/or municipalities to address the social determinants of health and root causes of health inequity.

To read about the four programs that received awards, click here.

In Face of Reduced Claims, National Insurer Offers Rebates

Because of the massive number of people deferring care, health insurance claims plummeted, resulting in stockpiles of insurance industry cash. Last week, the large national insurer Anthem announced it would provide $2.5 billion to customers, healthcare providers, and others in various forms, including premium credits. It joins Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan and Priority Health, UnitedHealth Group, and other insurers around the U.S. in providing rebates or premium discounts to customers.

HELP Committee to Focus on Telemedicine

The U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) is holding a hearing this Wednesday, June 17 entitled “Telehealth: Lessons from the COVID-19 Pandemic.” Telehealth has gained momentum during the pandemic as it has allowed care to continue virtually when face-to-face contact between patient and caregiver was curtailed by social distancing. It has also succeeded because state and federal emergency flexibilities that allowed the expanded use of telemedicine required commercial health insurance companies, MassHealth, and Medicare to reimburse providers at the same rate for telehealth care as for in-person care. Among those testifying Wednesday will be Joseph C. Kvedar, M.D., president of the American Telemedicine Association, professor at Harvard Medical School and senior advisor for virtual care at Mass General Brigham. Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) is a member of the HELP Committee.

Deadline for U.S. Census Extended

U.S. Census activities for 2020 were curtailed due to the COVID-19 pandemic but have restarted in earnest this month in Massachusetts, with a national day of census action planned for this Wednesday, June 17. The Census Bureau has extended the deadline for responses to October 31, 2020. A complete count of every resident living in Massachusetts is critically important for many reasons – especially now during the COVID-19 pandemic. Census data determines the number of representatives that each state is allotted in Congress, but also dictates how more than $675 billion in federal funding is distributed among states, counties, and municipalities, including funding for Medicaid, Medicare, the Children’s Health Insurance Program, reproductive health programs, community health centers, substance use disorder and treatment, and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. MHA is encouraging hospitals – centerpieces of their communities – to become involved in getting staff and patients to complete the census.

Public Health Council Votes to Codify Mandatory Mask Use

Currently in Massachusetts, Executive Order No. 31 is in effect, which requires any person over the age of two who is in a place open to the public in the commonwealth, whether indoor or outdoor, and who is unable to or does not maintain a distance of approximately six feet from every other person to wear a face mask or covering (with some exceptions). To codify that emergency order, the Public Health Council last week voted to issue an emergency regulation that, in effect, imposes the same mandate on mask use. The regulation will take effect upon filing with the Secretary of State’s office for a 90-day period while the regulatory process continues. That process entails public hearings on the proposal.

MHQP Releases Latest Clinical Quality Performance Results

MHQP last week released performance results for primary care practices across Massachusetts. The ratings represent care provided to commercially insured patients in 2018 and are based on the Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set or HEDIS, aggregated across five Massachusetts health plans. Patients can view the HEDIS/clinical quality results by going to MHQP’s consumer website, www.healthcarecompassMA.org.

John LoDico, Editor