Browse by Topic: Costs

Alternative Payment Models and the Case of Safety-Net Providers in Massachusetts

Megan Burns and Michael Bailit of Bailit Health Purchasing, LLC, provide a comprehensive review of payment reform in Massachusetts and, in particular, how the changing landscape is affecting safety-net providers. For this report, safety-net providers—those providers characterized by serving a high percentage of Medicaid beneficiaries and uninsured individuals—includes both community health centers and hospitals.

Chapter 224 Tracking Tool

This tracking tool provides a detailed description of key components of Chapter 224, highlighting the progress the state has made in its implementation of the law. This tool is designed for policymakers, advocates, and other stakeholders who wish to track when and how state leaders may address policy issues that pertain to Chapter 224. This tracking tool is a living document and will be updated regularly.

Investing in Consumer Health Advocacy through Operating Support, Strengthening the Voice for Access: 2011-2013

This report demonstrates how a general-operating-funds approach to grantmaking can forge stronger and more effective partnerships between the philanthropy and consumer health advocacy communities. It includes examples of the positive impact this approach has had on access to health care in Massachusetts and highlights some of the activities and achievements of 2011-2013 Strengthening the Voice for Access grantee organizations.

Sick in Massachusetts: Views on Health Care Costs and Quality

This poll – conducted in April and May 2012 by researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health – asked “sick” Massachusetts residents a series of questions related their perception of health care costs and quality in Massachusetts, the reasons for cost and quality problems, and their personal experience with cost and quality issues. The results showed that sick residents are very concerned about health care costs in Massachusetts, and some struggle with their own costs of care.

Benefits of Slower Health Care Cost Growth for Massachusetts Employees and Employers

This report by Jonathan Gruber of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology models the potential benefits to the economy if health care costs were to grow more slowly than projected. In the face of rising health insurance costs, studies find, employers tend to reduce or blunt the rise of employee wages as well as offer less generous insurance coverage. But employers cannot pass along all the increased costs of health insurance as decreased wages and benefits. Any additional costs must be offset either by cutting jobs or by accepting lower business profits.

The Interactive Guide to Chapter 288

An online, interactive guide to Chapter 288 of the Acts of 2010, Massachusetts' most recent health care cost containment law. This online tool includes full, up-to-date text, section-by-section summaries and links to relevant reports, commissions, state agencies and final regulations.

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Public Perceptions of Health Care Costs in Massachusetts

This poll, fielded in late September 2011 and led by Robert Blendon at the Harvard Opinion Research Program, probed 1002 Massachusetts adults on various questions surrounding health care costs, including their perceptions of major cost drivers, who they believe should take the lead on addressing costs and how important is it for the state to take major action. The results reveal that the public is greatly concerned over rising costs and ready for the state to take major actions to tackle them.