Entries by Editorial Staff

Study Applauds State Decision To Let Healthcare Spending Benchmark Decrease

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Calls on policy makers to continue pursuing efforts to trim healthcare spending BOSTON – A new Pioneer Institute Policy Brief applauds the decision by the Commonwealth’s Health Policy Commission to allow the benchmark for increases in the overall rate of healthcare spending to decrease this year, but urges state policy makers to remain focused on the larger culture changes that will be needed to rein in healthcare costs. “It’s important to keep our cost control expectations high,” said Pioneer Senior Fellow in Healthcare Barbara Anthony, who coauthored “Lowering the Healthcare Cost Growth Benchmark” with Scott Haller.  “But we must stay focused on the larger factors that drive healthcare costs.” Haller and Anthony urge the commonwealth to carefully study the performance […]

2017 Hewitt Healthcare Lecture: Innovations In The Massachusetts Healthcare Market

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BOSTON – While efforts to revise the federal healthcare law continue, Pioneer Institute is focused on real innovations in the healthcare market. “Evolving Healthcare Delivery Models” is the topic of the Institute’s 11th annual Hewitt Lecture in Healthcare, which will be held tonight at Harvard Medical School’s Joseph B. Martin Conference Center, 77 Avenue Louis Pasteur Boulevard in Boston. Former Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center President and CEO Paul F. Levy will moderate a panel discussion on the changing face of the healthcare market and innovations to meet consumer demand. The distinguished panel will include Dr. Tobias Barker, Fay Donohue, Dr. Rushika Fernandopulle, and Rob Graybill. Fay Donohue is an Advanced Leadership Initiative fellow at Harvard University. She also chairs […]

Pioneer is critical because UMass is critical

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The University of Massachusetts system is critical to the future of the commonwealth’s economy, and that is why Pioneer started drawing attention to the finances of the five-campus system in the spring of 2016 through the release of its three-part series. With a deferred maintenance backlog of more than $3 billion, the UMass system is in the midst of an irresponsible capital expansion program that has neglected that backlog. Gov. Baker may have provided the Boston campus with an emergency bailout of $78 million in state funding to demolish its much-discussed parking garage, but this is a BandAid and not a cure.  After all, the infusion of state funds comes in addition to the $74 million state taxpayers have contributed […]

So you want to know something about pensions?

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Now anyone can become a local pension system expert…  A stitch in time saves nine. But how much will the hole unravel before the seamstress gets the call? We all know procrastination is a bad habit, but it’s far worse if the procrastinators are stewards of the public trust. For far too long, policy makers at all levels of government have avoided hard choices in favor of compromising the public’s future. One of the most blatant examples of this decaying stewardship is the failure of governments to adequately fund pension plans at the time employees earn benefits and the expense is incurred. Leaders and legislatures all know that a day of reckoning must come for such irresponsible behavior, but it […]

Study Estimates $27 Million In Savings Annually From Consolidation Of Public Pensions

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Local retirement systems generate heavy costs, larger fiduciary risks BOSTON – Massachusetts’s 102 local pension systems typically report administrative costs that are much higher than those of the Massachusetts State Employees’ Retirement System (MSERS), according to a new study published by Pioneer Institute. In “The Bay State’s Public-Pension Complex: Costly and Unaccountable,” Dr. Iliya Atanasov finds that the 102 local systems (84 municipal, 12 regional, and 6 “special” systems such as the Massachusetts Housing Finance Agency and Massport) have average per-member administrative costs that are at least three times those of the MSERS.  Many are far higher. “Hyper-expensive agency funds like those of Massport and the Massachusetts Housing Finance Agency should be folded into the state system,” said Pioneer Executive Director […]

Op-ed: Why Mass. must not let up on testing students

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By Tom Birmingham   APRIL 13, 2017 Massachusetts’ story is well known in the education world. In the wake of the 1993 Massachusetts Education Reform Act, student achievement shot up, and the Commonwealth’s students became the nation’s best performers. The law worked not only because it was good policy, but because the grand bargain at its core — a massive infusion of new state money in return for high standards and enhanced accountability — was politically viable. Parts of it have come under attack in the intervening decades, but a Massachusetts Teachers Association bill that would place a three-year moratorium on the graduation requirement that public school students pass state tests in English, math, and science represents the first frontal […]

Follow-Up Survey Finds Hospitals Still Fall Short On Price Transparency

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Estimated price of routine procedure at 21 Massachusetts hospitals shows price variations of up to 1,000 percent Read media coverage of this report in The Boston Globe, the Boston Herald, the Springfield Republican, Beckers Healthcare, State House News Service. Healthcare Finance, and The Lowell Sun. BOSTON – Eighteen months after an initial survey found little price transparency at Massachusetts hospitals, a follow-up study from Pioneer Institute reveals that it remains highly unlikely that ordinary consumers can get a hospital price estimate within two business days of requesting it, as required by state law. For “Massachusetts Hospitals Score Poorly on Price Transparency… Again,” researchers called 21 hospitals that had been part of the earlier survey to again request a self-pay estimate for an MRI of the left knee without contrast.  Only nine of the hospitals […]

Commemorating The 100th Anniversary Of U.S. Entry Into World War I

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On Tuesday, April 4th, at the Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the U.S. Senate in Boston, Pioneer Institute held a forum (see press release) with award-winning historians and history teachers marking the 100th anniversary of U.S. entry into the First World War. The event was co-sponsored by the United States World War I Centennial Commission, the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, the Massachusetts Historical Society, the International Museum of World War II, The Concord Review, the National Association of Scholars, and the Program on Education Policy & Governance at the Harvard University John F. Kennedy School of Government. Pioneer Institute was proud to hold this forum in conjunction with the Northeast Regional Conference on the Social Studies. Pioneer believes […]

Study: Evidence Suggests MBTA Pension Low-Balled Costs And Liabilities

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Quarter-century of data shows costs at up to six times valuation assumptions, suggests MBTARF financial picture was made to appear artificially rosy BOSTON – Data from valuation reports and other financial documents suggest that suspect actuarial practices may have helped misstate the real costs of MBTA Retirement Fund (MBTARF) pensions, compounding to an estimated $200 million of underfunding over a period of 25 years from administrative expenses alone, according to a new study by Pioneer Institute. An actuarial valuation is intended to provide a reasonable approximation of the normal cost of pension benefits being earned, size up the long-term liabilities associated with the plan and determine the annual required contribution (ARC), the money going into the fund to ensure pensions […]

Teaching The First World War In Schools Is Topic For Pioneer History Forum

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Event to feature Pulitzer Prize winner, celebrated Pres. Wilson biographer, noted historians, and high school teachers BOSTON – A Pulitzer Prize winner and a finalist will each deliver keynote addresses at “The War to End All Wars: Teaching the First World War in Schools,” a Pioneer Institute forum to be held as part of the 47th Northeast Regional Conference on the Social Studies on Tuesday, April 4th, from 10:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the U.S. Senate in Boston. The forum commemorates the 100th anniversary of U.S. entry into World War I.  In April 1917, Congress declared war on Germany. David Kennedy, the Donald J. McLachlan Professor of History Emeritus at Stanford University, will […]

Finance Committee & Town Meeting Members: Benchmarking Tools for the FY2018 Budget Season

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Understanding how your community performs relative to its peers is critical in effectively scrutinizing municipal budgets. Pioneer Institute has reintroduced its FREE online tool, MassAnalysis, with the most up-to-date information available from the Department of Revenue and FBI to help you do just that. With a couple of clicks, you can develop a dashboard for your community based on its revenues, expenditures, demographics, employment, crime, debt, education, financial strength, taxes, and transportation. For example, the image below is a graph of the Town of Natick’s expenditures. On MassAnalysis, you can generate a peer group based on the metrics you choose to enter. The program will then display the most closely matched peer communities based on your selection. In this example, we picked peers […]

“The War to End All Wars”: Teaching the First World War in Schools

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Please join Pioneer Institute, the United States World War One Centennial Commission, the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, the Northeast Regional Conference on the Social Studies, and other co-sponsors, at a forum with award-winning historians and history teachers marking the 100th anniversary of U.S. entry into the First World War. America’s first engagement as a major global actor, the rise of German militarism and the Soviet Union, and the geographic boundaries of the Middle East, are only some of the reasons why World War I is often considered the most influential event of the 20th century. Learn why we have a duty to ensure students know about our shared past. Featured Speakers: Cost: Free When: Tuesday April 4, 2017 from 10:00 AM to […]

Putting The T On A Clear Path To High Performance

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Pioneer Institute recently submitted public testimony to the Fiscal and Management Control Board weighing in on the MBTA’s draft Strategic Plan. The Institute commends the Board for its work to date and recognizes that there is still much more work to be done to set the MBTA on a sustainable course to accomplish its mission and attain a far greater degree of financial independence. Pioneer will continue to prod the MBTA toward improvement, but we recognize that an extension of the control board structure and the exemption from the anti-competitive Pacheco Law are critical if progress in the T’s performance is to be advanced with urgency. Our top priorities for the MBTA’s long-term strategy include the following: The MBTA’s over-arching principle for […]

Study Finds MBTA Had Nation’s Highest Bus Maintenance Costs In 2015

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Reducing costs to average of the most similar U.S. transit systems would have saved nearly $44 million For inquiries contact Micaela Dawson at mdawson@pioneerinstitute.org. View coverage of this report in the Boston Herald and on Fox 25. BOSTON – The most recent data available from the National Transit Database show that the MBTA had the highest vehicle maintenance costs per hour of bus operations among the 25 largest U.S. public transit agencies in 2015, and that reducing those costs to the average of the five agencies most like the T would have saved $43.7 million that year, according to a new study published by Pioneer Institute. MBTA vehicle maintenance costs per hour of bus operations in 2015 were 70.6 percent […]

2017 Hewitt Healthcare Lecture: “Evolving Healthcare Delivery Models”

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Paul F. Levy, former President & CEO, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, will moderate a panel discussion on the changing face of the healthcare market and innovations to meet consumer demand. Additional speakers: Fay Donohue, Advanced Leadership Initiative Fellow at Harvard University Dr. Rushika Fernandopulle, CEO of Iora Health Rob Graybill, Vice President of Product and Sales Strategy for Vitals Dr. Andrew Sussman, President of MinuteClinic and Executive Vice President and Associate Chief Medical Officer of CVS Health Tickets: $50. To register click the Register Now! button below. For faster check-in please print and bring your ticket to the event. Ticket price for students: $25. Admission is free for Pioneer’s annual contributors of $1,000 or more. Become a member today! Sponsorship […]

Press Release: Pulitzer Prize Winner, Shuttlesworth Widow, & Biographer Among Participants In Forum On Civil Rights, School Choice

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Update: Watch the full video clip of this event: BOSTON – The author of a Pulitzer Prize-winning history of the Civil Rights Movement, the Rev. Fred Shuttlesworth’s widow, and his biographer will be among the speakers at “A Fire You Can’t Put Out: Rev. Fred Shuttlesworth, Civil Rights, and School Choices,” a Pioneer Institute forum to be held Monday, March 20th from 8-10:30 a.m. at the Omni Parker House hotel in Boston. Participants in a roundtable discussion will be Sephira Shuttlesworth, Regional Support Director with SABIS® Educational Systems, and authors Andrew Manis and Diane McWhorter. McWhorter is a Birmingham native and the author of Carry Me Home: Birmingham, Alabama – The Climactic Battle of the Civil Rights Revolution, which was […]

Pioneer Urges Gov. Baker to Take Bolder Action on Public Records Reform

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Governor’s Office in Massachusetts is one of only a handful to claim full blanket exemption from public records laws Pioneer Institute has sent a letter to Governor Charlie Baker’s office asking that he extend his administration’s public records reform initiative to the Governor’s Office through formal means such as an executive order or a gubernatorial memorandum.  Such a bold act would be a win-win for the Baker administration and for the residents of Massachusetts. Pioneer recognizes that the public records reform law Governor Baker signed in June – the first revision to that law since 1973 – was a significant step forward. Nonetheless, both the Center for Public Integrity and The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press in recent […]

With Federal Health Law Facing Repeal, New Book Offers Alternative

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U-Turn: America’s Return to State Healthcare Solutions (114 pp, Pioneer Institute, Boston, $9.95) BOSTON — With Congress and the Trump administration debating the Affordable Care Act (ACA), a new book proposes that states take the lead in healthcare reform and Washington facilitate the transition rather than dictate every move. “The federal ACA was designed in the image of a 2006 state law that was crafted to address challenges that were unique to Massachusetts,” said Jim Stergios, executive director of Pioneer Institute in Boston, which published U-Turn: America’s Return to State Healthcare Solutions.  “After an ill-advised attempt to redesign one-sixth of the U.S. economy, the country should encourage states to design reforms that meet their specific needs, and enable a real […]

Improving Access To Health Systems Available To Older Patients

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Guest post by Alex Carlin As more Americans age in place, policymakers face a number of challenges in ensuring adequate healthcare access for older adults. A central concern is the growing divide between the services available to elders living in urban settings and those in rural communities. In less densely populated areas, which often have a higher concentration of seniors, limited access to medical resources and care professionals is increasing the risks of untreated disease, leading to higher costs and earlier death. For this growing segment of the population, there are significant barriers to care, including lack of transportation, difficulty leaving home, and cost concerns. A study by Pew concluded that roughly 20 percent of elderly Americans, due to a […]

A Safe Bet For Massachusetts

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As talk heats up around town about a possible deal to sell and redevelop the 161 acres at Suffolk Downs, it is worth sharing the view of Pioneer’s founder Lovett C. Peters, expressed way back in 2005, when slots were being proposed for the racetrack. Over a decade ago, Pete wrote in an op-ed for The Boston Globe that: “THE OWNERS of racetracks have a failing business. They report losing money and want the Legislature to enhance their profits by authorizing slot machines. Proponents argue that slots are a win-win for Massachusetts, because they will increase state revenues and boost our already thriving tourism industry. The evidence tells quite a different story.” Instead, underscoring the difficulty that high housing prices create […]

The Power of Competition at the T

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In 2015, right after record-setting snowfall shut down the region’s transit system, Pioneer developed governance and reform proposals to put the MBTA on a stronger fiscal footing. One of our reports concerned The Ride, the regional paratransit system for customers with disabilities, showing that: The Ride’s budget was out of control and procured through contracts that needed to be revisited, as the T was locked into an outdated, expensive, and unsatisfactory system. For the majority of The Ride’s customers, the services could be provided by taxicab and ridesharing companies at a fraction of the cost and at a higher quality of service. Since then, the MBTA has launched an on-demand pilot program that uses these new vendors to provide paratransit […]

Meeting the Housing Needs of an Aging Population

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Guest post by Mariella Rutigliano Many Americans struggle to pay for housing — and the reality today is that a significant number of those who will retire over the next decade will struggle financially to stay in their own homes. According to a 2014 report released by the Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University called “Housing America’s Older Adults,” the single largest budget item for most people is housing costs. The limited supply of housing in many communities nationwide exacerbates the problem of meeting the growing demand of our aging population and their families. As America’s population ages, the majority of retirees increasingly prefer to age in place. A study conducted by AARP revealed that 85 percent of […]

Getting the T Back on Track

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The reforms that the Massachusetts Legislature advanced at the MBTA just two short years ago are having a tangible impact on the T’s financial viability and operations. In the near term, more remains to be done to close the T’s annual budget gap, including three big items: competitively bidding the T’s bus maintenance and in-person customer services, further expanding the use of ridesharing and taxicabs in providing The Ride paratransit services, and reforming the T’s troubled pension system. Just as importantly, the T continues to leave millions of capital dollars – including dollars targeted at critical maintenance projects – unspent.  Below are some recent news items and research from Pioneer that is all aimed at transforming the quality of service […]

Study: Inefficient Public Pension Investment Costs Taxpayers About $100 Million A Year

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Local systems forfeited some $2.9 billion over 30 years by not investing with PRIM, probably billions more if fees and compounding are included Read coverage of this report in the Boston Herald, The Bond Buyer, and Associated Press. BOSTON – The commonwealth should set a five-year deadline for 102 public pension systems to transfer their assets to the Pension Reserves Investment Management (PRIM) Board, the management authority for the Massachusetts State Employee Retirement System (MSERS) and the Massachusetts Teachers Retirement System (MTRS), according to a new Policy Brief published by Pioneer Institute. From 1986 to 2015, the difference in gross returns between non-state public pensions (i.e., excluding the MTRS and MSERS) and PRIM implies a taxpayer loss of more than $2.9 […]

Join Us Mar. 20: “A Fire You Can’t Put Out”: Rev. Fred Shuttlesworth, Civil Rights, & School Choices

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In the aftermath of a contentious electoral season, highlighted by debates about the nature of our democracy and equality of educational opportunity, Pioneer Institute is hosting a forum that celebrates the birthday and legacy of the late Birmingham, Alabama civil rights leader Rev. Fred Shuttlesworth. The event will feature his widow, award-winning historians, and civil rights and school leaders discussing how best to make the promise of civil rights a reality through school choice options for underserved families. Please RSVP by Monday, March 13th to Lauren Corvese at 617-723-2277 ext. 202. Featured Speakers: Sephira Shuttlesworth is Regional Support Director, SABIS® Educational Systems. Previously, she was Director of the Mid-Michigan Leadership Academy, a SABIS® Network school located in Lansing, Michigan. Dr. […]

Celebrating Presidents’ Day & K-12 U.S. History Instruction

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As we celebrate Presidents’ Day, Pioneer Institute is pleased to share video highlights, research, and op-eds that we have produced in recent years marking the importance of key presidents in American history – and the vital importance of their inclusion in K-12 instruction. In recent years, Pioneer has actively promoted rigorous, content-based academic standards that include U.S. History and civics instruction. The Institute has published research and polling on the lack of understanding of U.S. History, which has largely been neglected in public schooling; sponsored a U.S. History essay contest for Massachusetts high school students; and hosted numerous events and papers featuring Pulitzer Prize-winning U.S. historians and internationally-recognized figures. Watch video clips of our many public forums, below. Watch our […]

Family Caregiving & the Promise of Technology

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Guest post by Ben Margolin When older Americans require around-the-clock care, yet want to remain in their homes, their families often end up as caregivers. There are significant financial barriers to ensuring that older adults adhere to their medication schedule and have access to the right doctors and specialists, all while feeling safe in their homes. This often presents a considerable burden to households. Consider, for instance, that the average caregiver in the U.S. will dedicate almost 20 hours a week in unpaid care to an elderly parent for a period of five years while holding some form of employment. Fortunately, recent advances in technology are bringing new hope to those facing this issue. Innovations in telemedicine, for example, are […]

Study Debunks False Claims Against Charter Public School Funding and Demographics

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Charter schools in Massachusetts educating more special needs students with equal or lower attrition rates and better outcomes BOSTON – Massachusetts charter public schools do not drain resources from district schools, they outperform the school districts from which their students come, and have attrition rates that are lower than or equal to those districts, according to a new study published by Pioneer Institute. The study refutes false claims that charter public schools educate dramatically fewer special needs students and that those students leave charters at a higher rate. “Charters are now educating nearly the same percentage of English language learners (ELLs) and special education students as the sending districts,” said Dr. Cara Stillings Candal, author of “Best Practices in Massachusetts […]

Op-ed: Voc-tech schools are a Mass. success story

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Read this entire op-ed online at CommonWealth Magazine, the New Bedford Standard Times, The Berkshire Eagle, and The Salem News. Written by Tom Birmingham MASSACHUSETTS VOCATIONAL-TECHNICAL high schools are like the person who toils for years, only to be termed an “overnight sensation” when he or she finally achieves recognition. For over a decade the schools have quietly compiled an impressive record, and the time has come to expand them. Voc-tech schools were once among the staunchest opponents of MCAS and of holding their students to the same standards as those at other public high schools. School leaders sincerely doubted that voc-tech students, many of whom entered the schools with reading skills that were at least two years below grade level, could match the […]

Celebrating School Choice Week: Removing Know-Nothing/Blaine Barriers to School Choice

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On Day 5, the final day of National School Choice Week, we’re focusing on the need to overcome the Know-Nothing/Blaine legal obstacles that prevent largely poor and minority students from accessing equal educational opportunities. In nearly 40 states (see yellow states on map), the most severe barriers to school choice are antiquated, nativist constitutional amendments that block children from educational options that wealthy families can pursue through parochial and private schooling. Pioneer has held numerous forums and published research, op-eds, public opinion poll results, and videos showing the opportunities for greater school choice, which you can review below. Stay tuned! Pioneer Institute is busy filming an exciting new documentary that features the stories of families in states across America that […]