Highlights of the final budget include good local aid results, strong municipal health reform, limited spending with no new taxes, moderate reforms of the public counsel system and relatively good funding for a number of high priority human services.
Health
costs, coverage, gmos, mental health and substance abuse treatment, policy, public health
Analysis of Attorney General’s Report on Healthcare Cost Trends
Analysis of the Attorney General’s report: Examination of Health Care Cost Trends and Cost Drivers Pursuant to G.L. c. 118G, § 61?2(b) Report for Annual Public Hearing June 22, 2011 Wide disparities in healthcare payments exist that are not due to variations in quality Simply changing to global payments does not reduce costs More …
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Report On Hearing Regarding Governor Patrick’s Healthcare Cost Control Bill
Hearing was the first of several Bill would change healthcare payments and organizations Everyone “pro” cost control, but some details at issue Providers concerned with over-regulation, lack of flexibility Others want public-option, public wellness provisions Committee concerned with cost estimates and funding The joint committee on healthcare finance held its first hearing regarding …
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Blue Cross Blue Shield Severance Payout
The $8.6 Million payout to the ousted Blue Cross CEO ( Cleve Killingsworth) doesn’t give me much confidence in this near-monopoly “Non-Profit” company or its Board of Directors. (Directors are paid over $50,000 per year each, for one meeting a month). That’s a lot of co-pays at $20 each ! Note that Killingsworth will …
Are There Significant Healthcare Savings To Be Found In Reforming The Malpractice System?
Summary Massachusetts already has several levels of limits on malpractice suits and damages Pretrial tribunals Caps on non-economic damages Caps on attorney’s fees Malpractice rates set by the Insurance Commissioner Pretrial tribunals are not a significant barrier to pursuing a suit The amount of bond necessary to move forward is too low and has …
Questioning the Trend Towards Physician Tiering
Hi Will: I wanted to write to you about what I consider a disturbing trend in the medical insurance industry. A number of health plans are placing physicians into tiers based one mostly there cost to treat a particular common diagnosis. The plans are supposed to include quality of care as well but have not …
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