Despite the fact that the 340B Drug Pricing Program has expanded immensely in recent years, the amount of charity care that hospitals are providing has decreased. This points to several problems with the 340B program across the country and in Massachusetts, such as a lack of transparency and inaccessible care.

The new Massachusetts estate tax may be correlated to lower estate tax revenues. However, the inclusion of out-of-state property in the estate tax calculation has brought about important legal questions.

The MBTA's efficiency plummeted during Covid; as people chose either personal transportation or personal work, the MBTA lost significant ridership. However, it maintained its vehicle fleet and the depth of its services even as its operating cost per passenger mile increased dramatically.

Learn about what makes these five Massachusetts "W" towns so desirable to live in, but also the costs associated with them.

Some people may assume that there is a correlation between how much a town spends on their police and the crime rates in that town. But for certain towns in Middlesex County, there does not seem to be a clear connection between police expenses and crime rates. When stacked up against other towns in the county, there is a mismatch between how much money these towns spend on their police and their crime rates.

Revenue collections, predicted revenue, and expenditures are among the most important data points states report. Without accurate predictions and regular reporting, the legislature and governor's office may go over or under budget, potentially leaving citizens and policymakers in the dark about the fiscal health of the state. For this reason, all states regularly report those numbers and update estimates based on trends, overall economic conditions, and expected changes as a result of new state policies. However, even among the New England states, the transparency and accessibility of such reporting varies greatly and, as a result, limits analysts’ ability to meaningfully compare state revenues and judge performance in real time.

Stabilization funds are a key component of a municipality's financial strength, yet many towns (including Boston!) report no stabilization funds. Why is this?

With a rising cost of living, higher inflation, and an economy that generates fierce debates about inequality and poverty, many have called for systemic reforms and even more radical changes, including a universal basic income. What is UBI? How does it work? What do researchers think?

Dubbed the city of squares, Cambridge, a leading innovation center,…

Massachusetts has more debt than any New England state. Can we afford to pay it off or will we hand it down to future generations?