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The Boston Globe (2/11, Lazar, Levenson, Weisman) reports that Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick (D) filed a bill "[that] proposes to give the insurance commissioner the power to essentially cap healthcare price increases." Under the bill, the rates "hospitals and other health providers charge insurers would be 'presumptively disapproved as excessive' if they increased faster than the level of medical inflation," and for "health insurance plans sold to employers with 50 or fewer workers, premium increases that exceed one and a half times the level of medical inflation would be considered excessive and could be turned down."
American Academy of Actuaries issues an excellent letter/analysis of all of the issues in the Senate bill. This is a very objective, non-biased source as the Academy is made up of actuaries who are working in all backgrounds including insurance companies, regulators, organizations advising Congress in other capacities. When the Academy takes a policy position, it is the "voice of the profession on public policy and professionalism issues.
The Division has scheduled Health Plan Hearings and has distributed a schedule of topics and dates health plans will be presenting tesitmony. Here is the state's dedicated e-mail address : Smallgrouprates@state.ma.us for interested persons to use to send specific questions to the Division.
A Mercer study that concludes that the majority of American employers would reduce their benefits to avoid an excise tax, and that 20% of current plans would be subject to the proposed 40% excise tax on “Cadillac plans.”
The Oliver Wyman/Blue Cross Blue Shield Association’s updated analysis on the impact H.R. 3590 would have on private health insurance premiums.
Towers Perrin’s 2010 Retiree Health Care Survey, which shows ongoing access and cost concerns.
The Joint Committee on Taxation report on the Estimated Revenue Effects of the Revenue Provisions Contained in the “Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act”—Fiscal Years 2010–2019 [Senate bill introduced Nov. 18].
Also, the CBO issued two new reports of interest this week: a revised cost estimate for the House-passed bill, H.R. 3962, and an analysis entitled Information on Medicare’s Payments to Physicians and the Budgetary Effects of H.R. 3961, the Medicare Physicians Payment Reform Act of 2009.
MassAHU's White Paper in Support of Promoting Cost Containment, Transparency & Efficiency in the Delivery of Qualilty Health Care
Carrier Links
U.S. Department of Health & Human Services - Medicare
Schedule HC. Health Care Information
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts Foundation
Massachusetts Medicaid Policy Institute
NAHU's Healthy Access Plan
Highlights of the law
Consumer Understanding of State Insurance Health Plans
Health Care for All
Massachusetts
State Legislature
National
Conference of State Legislatures
Further Massachusetts Contacts:
Public Agenda
C-SPAN
Benefest 2009:
| MassAHU President Mark Gaunya: Introduction of the Day's Events and Recognition of Sponsors |
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| Bryan Dodge - Keynote Speaker |
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| MassAHU President Mark Gaunya: Intro of the Carrier Panel for Benefest 2009 |
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| Harvard Pilgrim Health Care, Interim CEO Bruce Bullen, speaks on the "villification of health plans". |
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| Tufts Health Plan, CEO Jim Roosevelt, speaks on the issues of sustainable levels of costs based on "shared responsibilities" |
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| Fallon Community Health Plan President & CEO, Eric Schultz, strategies to tackling costs as it relates to Payment Reform in MA |
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| Blue Cross Blue Shield MA Senior Vice President of Sales & Marketing, Tim O'Brien, ends the Carrier Panel discussion of National Health Care Reform..."it really is about cost". |
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