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Why We’re Optimistic About Payment and Delivery Reform
We’ve been optimistic about the promise of payment and delivery reform, despite all the challenges ahead in implementing chapter 224. Is that justified? This week, the Institute of Medicine issued a...
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Nu B-mark 4U: New State Cost Containment Web Site
The Governor’s office today unveiled a new website that will serve as a central information source on the implementation of the Chapter 224, the Health Care Payment and Delivery System Reform law:...
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Mazel Tov, Stuart
The Patrick administration announced today that Brandeis University health economist Stuart Altman will chair the Health Policy Commission (HPC), the central new policymaker under the Chapter 224, the...
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Happy 0th Birthday, Chapter 224
Today, Chapter 224, the state’s cost containment and health delivery system reform law takes effect. It’s the law’s 0th birthday (except in some east Asian cultures). The Patrick administration sent...
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Big Meeting Day Tomorrow – Health Policy Commission & Connector Both Meet
If you see Administration & Finance Secretary Jay Gonzalez tomorrow (Friday, Nov. 16), have some sympathy for his full day of health care meetings. The same applies to lots of other people who live...
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Commence Cost Control: Health Policy Commission’s Initial Meeting
Members of the Health Policy Commission pose with Governor Patrick at their first meeting All of the state’s diverse health care hangers-on were present at 9:30 am on Friday for the first meeting of...
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Thanks, Secretary Bigby (and Congratulations, Glen)
Tonight news broke that Governor Patrick’s Secretary of Health and Human Service, Dr. JudyAnn Bigby, is leaving the Patrick administration. Dr. Bigby signed up the very first day (here’s our post from...
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LA Times Looks At Global Payments in MA
Outsiders can often see you with better perspective than people close to you. At least smart outsiders who know what they’re talking about. That’s often the feeling I get when I read coverage of...
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HPC Meets: Reality Hits The Fan; and 11 Upvotes for @Seltzy
Yesterday the Health Policy Commission (HPC) held its second meeting. While its initial meeting was all about the promise of health care cost control and quality improvement, at this meeting the...
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HCFA Looks Ahead to 2013
Happy New Year from all of HCFA (see our staff picture above)! The year 2013 will be a critical year for health care in Massachusetts. State government will be making numerous decisions that will...
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Wellness Plan Tax Break Advances
The Public Health Council at the Massachusetts Department of Public Health today voted in favor of an emergency regulation to enact a tax credit incentive for small businesses which create wellness...
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Health Policy Commission Begins to Begin
The Health Policy Commission convened for the third time yesterday (1/16/13), in a packed room atop 1 Ashburton. The Commission is still mainly in the getting-up-and-running-stage, and discussion...
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Budget FY 2014, Round 1: House 1
Governor Patrick released his Fiscal Year 2014 budget proposal today, which continues this administration’s strong commitment to ensuring access to affordable, quality health care for everyone in...
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Health Policy Commission’s Delivery Reform Committee Gets To Work
Today, the Health Policy Commission’s subcommittee on Care Delivery and Payment System Reform met for the first time. Present at the meeting were David Cutler, Marylou Sudders, Jean Yang, Carole Allen...
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“Patient ‘Activation’ Cuts Costs (and Produces Better Outcomes)
Are you an “activated” patient? A new study suggests that involving patients more deeply in their treatment decisions – an approach known as “patient activation” – is correlated with lower costs and...
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Mass Receives Federal Innovation Grant To Advance Payment Reform
The federal CMS announced today that Massachusetts is one of 6 states awarded a State Innovation Models initiative grant (press release, and grant information). The Massachusetts award is for a not...
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DVR Alert: “Escape Fire”– Searing Documentary on Our Failed Health Care System
Must see TV: The award-winning documentary Escape Fire will be broadcast on CNN this Sunday. The movie will air on Sunday night March 10th at 8:00pm on CNN. It will re-air at 11pm ET and again on...
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Health Policy Commission Starts Doing Stuff
The Health Policy Commission met on Tuesday, March 12. The Commission began diving into the substance, approving regulations and guidance documents on several fronts. Meeting materials available here...
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Health Policy Commission Report: April 24 Meeting
The Health Policy Commission met on Wednesday, April 24, addressing a packed agenda. All the materials were just posted, here, so we can present our full report, after the break. The meeting began with...
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Patient Awareness of Overuse Part of Solution
Giving a child with a bad cough or an adult with sinusitis an antibiotic, getting a CT scan or MRI for low back pain, having a Pap test done every year…these are all examples of tests or treatments...
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