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Healthcare, Opportunity
February 14, 2011

"For small businesses, a hesitancy to hire"

An illustrative piece in the Boston Globe today by Megan Woolhouse about the high cost of running a small business in Massachusetts. This is an issue that Pioneer has been researching for years. Pioneer has released numerous papers discussing possible reforms to...
Healthcare
February 11, 2011

Real Competition at the Health Connector?

The Connector Board yesterday moved forward with plans to introduce “competition” into the bidding process for insurers selling to those buying coverage within Commonwealth Care (CommCare). CommCare: more than 160,000 residents – individuals who earn less than $31,000 a year or families...
Healthcare, Opportunity
January 28, 2011

Governor's Budget & Plan for Cities

When it comes to the aspects of the Governor’s agenda that impact cities, the press has focused on two elements: 1) Cuts in local aid in the budget and, 2) The push to lower the union threshold in order to allow, or...
Healthcare
January 28, 2011

Governor Patrick's Budget on Health Care: Playing Around the Edges

Medicaid (MassHealth) The Administration is feeling the heat with the increase in Medicaid (MassHealth) spending. Without a doubt something needs to be done—as spending now accounts for almost 40% of the overall budget. That’s less money for schools, for cops, and for...
Healthcare
January 24, 2011

Feds plug the Money Hole in Massachusetts Health Reform?

To close the loop from an earlier post on federal money being sent to safety-net hospitals in Massachusetts to balance their budget sheets, the State House News Service had this piece recently. FEDS OKAY $157 MILLION FOR MASS. HOSPITALS Massachusetts is due...
Healthcare
January 3, 2011

Troubling Cost Trends in Massachusetts Health Care

Two trends that might determine the long term success of health reform here in Massachusetts: 1) The Boston Globe ran an article about the immense upward cost pressure on the state’s Medicaid program. I blogged about the enrollment and cost increases in...
Healthcare, Opportunity
December 22, 2010

GLOBE OP-ED: Mass. cities need new deal with public employees

The Mayor of New Bedford– one of Pioneer’s Middle Cities– wrote an interesting op-ed that ran in the Boston Globe. He calls for a statewide task force to develop a new framework for public union contracts in the future. He outlines the...
American Citizenship, Healthcare, Opportunity
December 20, 2010

VIDEO: Is Beacon Hill Rigged?

On a quiet Friday afternoon during the holidays, Beacon Hill gave members not returning next session a chance to give farewell speeches. The one that stood out was most was Rep. Matthew Patrick calling out the status quo for doing business in...
Education, Healthcare
December 16, 2010

Health $ Elbow Out Kids, Cops and Trees

Just wanted to share a dramatic graph from a recent Boston Foundation report. While the report focused on the money that is being sucked away from education, the graph above should raise big red flags on Beacon Hill about the stark increase...
Healthcare
December 13, 2010

Payment Reform: No Government Mandate Needed

The move in the health sector towards payment reform took a big leap forward as 1,800 doctors at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center signed a global budget contract with Blue Cross for HMO patients. In other words, doctors are given a fixed budget for...