Sponsored by: Rep. Frank Moran, Sen. Mike Moore

This bill modernizes the reference benchmark that is used to inform the Health Policy Commission’s healthcare cost growth benchmark to base it on historical state economic growth rather than an arbitrary process. A historical growth rate in gross state product would be calculated using the most recent 10-year period and would serve as the default healthcare cost benchmark subject to HPC modification and approval.    

Sponsored by: Rep. Dan Cahill, Sen. John Velis

The commonwealth Health Safety Net program, which funds care for uninsured patients, is in jeopardy. This bill addresses the Health Safety Net program’s financial instability in two ways.  

Sponsored by: Rep. Sean Reid, Sen. Jason Lewis

This legislation would follow the approach enacted in other states, creating protections against pharmacy benefit managers’ (PBMs’) discriminatory practices in the commercial market.  

Sponsored by: Rep. Kate Lipper Garabedian, Sen. Brendan Crighton

This language would prohibit further erosion of this critical component of hospital and health system financing related to 340B drugs provided to MassHealth patients.  

Sponsored by: Rep. John Mahoney, Sen. Bill Driscoll

This bill establishes an EMS task force to ensure the stability of EMS in the commonwealth, and to issue a report and recommendations on ways to ensure that the commonwealth’s emergency medical services capabilities are met. 

Sponsored by: Rep. Adam Scanlon, Sen. Paul Feeney

This legislation would require the Executive Office of Health and Human Services to establish a pilot program to evaluate alternative models of transport for behavioral health patients and would require MassHealth reimburse for these services.

Sponsored by: Rep. John Lawn, Sen. Barry Finegold

This language expands the use of moral obligation bonds in existing statue to include all nonprofit acute care hospitals, broadening the scope of the program. Moral obligation bonds are bonds issued by state governments to raise money for projects that may not have enough capital to completely cover their debts.  

Sponsored by: Rep. Meghan Kilcoyne, Sen. John Keenan

This bill excludes the acquisition of both computerized tomography (CT) equipment, as well as any equipment widely used as standard diagnostic, treatment, or therapeutic technology from the Department of Public Health’s determination of need process.  

Sponsored by: Rep. Michael Day, Sen. Nick Collins

This legislation would add language to both updated CHIA and HPC funding statutes relative to the surcharge payers’ responsibility to these oversight entities’ budgets.  

Sponsored by: Rep. Hannah Kane, Sen. Barry Finegold

This legislation would set a limit on the amount that the agencies can increase their respective operating budgets over the previous year. The limit would be equal to the same year’s cost growth benchmark – the metric used by the HPC and CHIA to control healthcare spending.