Moving the Needle on Healthcare Cost Containment & Reform
Today, Pioneer Institute submitted recommendations to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts’ Special Senate Committee on Health Care Cost Containment and Reform. Pioneer applauds provisions of the proposed legislation that would reduce emergency room use and re-admissions, expand scope of practice, and embrace telemedicine. The Committee should also be commended for looking to other states’ accomplishments in this area.
But the current bill raises some concerns. In some instances, we believe it diminishes the potential for greater cost savings by adding unnecessary regulatory burdens. The projected savings relative to 2020 spending are quite modest, at less than 0.2 percent. The Medicaid buy-in program as it is presented is a radical change from the existing program structure – it will require more elaboration and analysis, as it is unclear what the impact of this proposal will be on MassHealth and providers across the Commonwealth. Pioneer also has concerns that the bill could lead to harmful unintended consequences, such as the collapse of the merged private insurance market. We hope the Legislature addresses these issues, but this bill starts an important healthcare cost conversation in Massachusetts, and we commend the Senate for taking the lead in this effort. Read Pioneer’s full letter to the Committee.
Related Research
https://pioneerinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/WebImage.jpg
823
1200
Editorial Staff
https://pioneerinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/logo_440x96.png
Editorial Staff2019-11-04 13:30:332020-01-16 13:55:22Pioneer Poll: MA Healthcare Consumers Overwhelmingly Want Price Information on Services, but Few Know How to Get It
https://pioneerinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/health-costs-1030x579-1.jpg
579
1030
Editorial Staff
https://pioneerinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/logo_440x96.png
Editorial Staff2019-10-31 11:15:022019-10-31 11:17:43Pioneer Institute to Present Results of New Consumer Poll Monday at State House Healthcare Price Transparency Event
https://pioneerinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/icerwatch.png
400
800
Editorial Staff
https://pioneerinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/logo_440x96.png
Editorial Staff2019-06-26 00:00:252019-07-24 15:03:20Report: Rare Disease Patients Hurt by “One-Size-Fits-All” ICER Framework
https://pioneerinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/questionmark-of-pills.jpg
599
900
Editorial Staff
https://pioneerinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/logo_440x96.png
Editorial Staff2019-06-24 00:01:552019-07-31 15:57:22New Report Addresses Distinct Challenges in Utilizing ICER to Assess Value of Rare Disease Treatments
https://pioneerinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/doctor-crossed-arms-1.jpg
1732
1733
Editorial Staff
https://pioneerinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/logo_440x96.png
Editorial Staff2019-06-12 00:00:392019-07-24 15:14:46Putting a Price on Life: The Coming Fight Over Government Rationing of Medical Care
https://pioneerinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/caretakers-e1557953012328.jpg
534
750
Editorial Staff
https://pioneerinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/logo_440x96.png
Editorial Staff2019-05-16 11:00:442019-05-16 11:00:36Public statement on new federal rule eliminating “skimming” of dues from caregivers’ Medicaid payments
https://pioneerinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/healthcare_costs_scrabble.jpg
800
743
Editorial Staff
https://pioneerinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/logo_440x96.png
Editorial Staff2019-05-14 11:01:152019-05-14 11:09:42Making Healthcare Prices Accessible
https://pioneerinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/puppalo.jpeg
767
1145
Editorial Staff
https://pioneerinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/logo_440x96.png
Editorial Staff2019-04-25 00:00:182019-07-25 10:33:37Here’s why Sarah Palin’s ‘death panels’ are now being debated in Massachusetts
https://pioneerinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/maciver_icer.png
399
850
Editorial Staff
https://pioneerinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/logo_440x96.png
Editorial Staff2019-04-23 00:00:452019-07-25 10:36:55Issue Brief: Problems With The Institute of Clinical and Economic Review (ICER) and the QALY Methodology
https://pioneerinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/pharmacist-and-woman-1.jpg
1526
2290
Editorial Staff
https://pioneerinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/logo_440x96.png
Editorial Staff2019-04-23 00:00:112019-07-25 09:48:14Commentary: Proposed Drug Price Caps Would Stall Advances in Health Care
https://pioneerinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/Female-doctor-talking-to-female-patient-1.jpg
1415
2122
Editorial Staff
https://pioneerinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/logo_440x96.png
Editorial Staff2019-04-18 00:00:302019-07-25 10:40:16HHS Secretary Alex Azar doesn't want drug access to become an equation
https://pioneerinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/press-logo-color-thehill.png
215
658
Jim Stergios
https://pioneerinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/logo_440x96.png
Jim Stergios2019-04-12 16:40:252019-04-12 16:40:25Action on health care pricing transparency needed to stem rising costs
https://pioneerinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/HewittAzar.png
1080
1920
Editorial Staff
https://pioneerinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/logo_440x96.png
Editorial Staff2019-04-12 12:29:112019-04-12 12:29:11ICYMI: U.S. HHS Secretary Alex Azar's Remarks on Healthcare Price Transparency, Opioid Crisis, HIV Epidemic & More
https://pioneerinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/sec-azar-3673x4591.jpg
2560
2048
Editorial Staff
https://pioneerinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/logo_440x96.png
Editorial Staff2019-04-08 09:00:522019-04-06 09:36:35U.S. HHS Secretary Alex Azar to Be Featured Speaker at Pioneer Institute’s 2019 Hewitt Healthcare Lecture
https://pioneerinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/MRI.jpg
1718
2416
Editorial Staff
https://pioneerinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/logo_440x96.png
Editorial Staff2019-02-26 01:00:082019-03-05 11:19:42Study Finds Patient Cost for MRI Largely Unrelated to Overall Price or Insurer Contribution at 14 MA Hospitals
https://pioneerinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/birthday.jpeg
432
768
Editorial Staff
https://pioneerinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/logo_440x96.png
Editorial Staff2019-02-22 00:00:582019-07-25 10:23:21The U.S. shouldn’t use the ‘QALY’ in drug cost-effectiveness reviews
https://pioneerinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/bottle-of-blue-pills-1.jpg
2304
3456
Editorial Staff
https://pioneerinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/logo_440x96.png
Editorial Staff2019-02-03 00:00:132019-07-25 10:45:37Baker’s Orwellian drug pricing policy
https://pioneerinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/GavelSteth.jpg
468
800
Editorial Staff
https://pioneerinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/logo_440x96.png
Editorial Staff2019-01-24 06:00:002019-07-31 15:59:20Study Urges Caution Before Adopting ICER Reviews to Determine Cost Effectiveness of Treatments
