MBTAAnalysis: A look inside the MBTA

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The MBTA shuttles over a million passengers a day around Greater…

The Clock is Ticking…….

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The clock is ticking towards December 30, 2017.  As part of…

The State Legislature Should Steer Clear of New Occupational Licensing Laws

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The reach of occupational licensing laws has expanded greatly…

Study Finds Patient Cost for MRI Largely Unrelated to Overall Price or Insurer Contribution at 14 MA Hospitals

Read coverage of this report in WCVB-TV, Boston Herald, the Boston…

Drop in MBTA Commuter Rail Ridership Continues

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A recent Boston Globe column by Northeastern University Professor…

The U.S. shouldn’t use the ‘QALY’ in drug cost-effectiveness reviews

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This op-ed by William Smith appeared in STAT News on February…

Study Says State Unfunded Pension Liability Rising Despite Recent Reforms, Overall Strong Economy

More responsible assumptions about pension fund investment performance…

Guess What Massachusetts Public Employee Earns Over $1 Million

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The State Comptroller’s Office makes available annual salary…

Charter School Funding in Massachusetts: A Primer

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A new Pioneer Institute study finds that foundation districts are largely unaffected by students who choose to transfer to charter schools.

Study: Financial Impact of Charter Schools Depends on Percentage of Funding Districts Receive from State

“Foundation” districts unaffected, but charter tuition may…

After Win Number Six, Transit is Still a Loss

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How was your commute yesterday? Odds are, it wasn’t good.…

Baker’s Orwellian drug pricing policy

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This op-ed by William Smith appeared in Commonwealth Magazine…

After Janus, Public Employers Must Obtain Informed Consent Before Collecting Union Dues or Agency Fees

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This reports explains that in most cases a written waiver is sufficient for employees to have union dues or agency fees deducted from their paychecks.  The employee must be made aware of his or her right not to pay, and must not feel coerced or pressured to sign the waiver.

Massachusetts’ Skyrocketing Unfunded Pension Liability

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Despite several reform bills targeted at the Commonwealth of Massachusetts’s public pension system in recent years, the unfunded actuarial accrued liability (UAAL) has continued to rise and is drawing closer to a crisis level.

Where Do Teacher Union Dues Go? Public Higher Education in Massachusetts

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Only a small share of annual union dues paid by faculty at the University of Massachusetts, state colleges and universities and community college campuses that make dues data publicly available remain with local union affiliates to cover the costs of collective bargaining and grievance procedures.

Wildly Varying MRI Prices at Massachusetts Hospitals: Why We Need Access to Healthcare Prices at All Levels

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New study finds there is little correlation between a patient’s out-of-pocket cost and either the amount insurers pay or the overall price of a procedure at 14 representative Massachusetts hospitals.