From the Massachusetts Center for Health Information and Analysis: Enrollment Trends monitors health insurance coverage in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, where coverage is defined by unique Massachusetts residents with primary medical membership in the 13 largest commercial payers, MassHealth (Medicaid), or Medicare. The August 2018 edition of Enrollment Trends offers insights into changes in health … Continue reading In 2017, 96.3 percent of #Massachusetts residents had #healthinsurance. Here’s how they got it.
Politics
Will a legislative study put Massachusetts on the path to single-payer? Supporters head to Beacon Hill to push for it.
Tucked inside the health care bill passed by the state Senate is a provision to study the possibility of a single-payer health care system. The bill's cost control measures are getting all the attention. From the Globe: The 100-page bill attempts to help struggling community hospitals by setting a floor for the reimbursements they receive from … Continue reading Will a legislative study put Massachusetts on the path to single-payer? Supporters head to Beacon Hill to push for it.
Mainers choose Medicaid expansion, but will they get it?
Our neighbors to the north have been trying to expand their Medicaid program for years. Lawmakers would endorse it; Republican Gov. Paul LePage would veto it. Apparently that is no longer an option, but he has vowed to find a way. More from The New York Times At least 80,000 additional Maine residents will become eligible … Continue reading Mainers choose Medicaid expansion, but will they get it?
Sen. Elizabeth Warren is backing the single-payer insurance proposal from Sen. Bernie Sanders. Does it have a chance?
From The Boston Globe: “There is something fundamentally wrong when one of the richest and most powerful countries on the planet can’t make sure that a person can afford to see a doctor when they’re sick. This isn’t any way to live,” Warren wrote, asking her backers to sign a petition expressing their support for … Continue reading Sen. Elizabeth Warren is backing the single-payer insurance proposal from Sen. Bernie Sanders. Does it have a chance?
How to keep up with the health reform debate in MA and DC: A Twitter list
A Twitter list of 60+ key feeds to help you keep up with the health care debate here and in DC. The two are linked in that the MA program was a model for the ACA. Also, there's an effort ongoing to track and control the costs of care at hospitals. More on that here. … Continue reading How to keep up with the health reform debate in MA and DC: A Twitter list
Will 21st Century Cures Act benefit hospitals?
First: The Globe is getting some attention for its five-part narrative about a family that helped start a drug company to keep their son on an experimental cancer treatment. Nicely written narrative with illustrations and audio. We won't give away the ending. Also, here's what people were saying a year ago about the "21st Century … Continue reading Will 21st Century Cures Act benefit hospitals?
Two Boston meetings look at the role of patient advocates. They offer two very different perspectives.
Pharmaceutical manufacturers often look to patient advocates for help winning approval for new drugs. Their most recent success in this area was the FDA’s approval of a new drug for Duchenne muscular dystrophy. That decision came despite recommendations against approval from FDA staff. In an editorial, the Boston Globe questioned the FDA’s move while noting … Continue reading Two Boston meetings look at the role of patient advocates. They offer two very different perspectives.
Former NEJM editor Arnold Relman dies at 91
See Storify for updates. Arnold Relman, the former New England Journal of Medicine editor, has died. From Bryan Marquard at the Globe: Eloquent and forceful on the page or the podium, Dr. Arnold Relman led the New England Journal of Medicine for more than 13 years, raising a sometimes lonely voice to warn about the … Continue reading Former NEJM editor Arnold Relman dies at 91
How the Supreme Court same-sex marriage rulings will impact health care #DOMA #SCOTUS
Profoundly, it seems. The decisions to uphold same-sex marriage are just coming out. Since lots of people get health insurance through their spouses, the impact will be huge. Here is New England, where same-sex marriage is legal, HR offices for federal agencies should expect a spurt in family coverage. Kaiser Health News posted a what-if story on … Continue reading How the Supreme Court same-sex marriage rulings will impact health care #DOMA #SCOTUS
Does Berwick have a fix for Massachusetts that he didn’t get to try in DC?
In addition to the rest of the state's problems, would-be Governor Don Berwick would inherit the post-mandate struggle to contain health care costs. Does he have any solutions for Massachusetts that he didn't get a chance to try in DC? Last summer, the former Medicare chief gave a talk before a film about the failures … Continue reading Does Berwick have a fix for Massachusetts that he didn’t get to try in DC?
Boston Health News 