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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 of four that earn less than $66,000 and have no access to insurance through an employer or through Medicaid – obtain fully or partially subsidized health care at a projected cost of $822 million to taxpayers this fiscal year. (adapted from SHNS, 2/10/11) For some, myself included, a chuckle escapes whenever the word competition is raised as a novel cost saving method, and we shrug our shoulders wondering why this is new concept to the Connector. Simultaneously, we […]

Report shows reforms to state’s costly Unemployment Insurance system would create 10,000 new jobs, $7.5B in economic growth

High Tech Council, Pioneer Institute push reforms to nation’s most expensive safety net

WBUR RadioBoston: State Bets On The Future Of Industry

WBUR interviews Pioneer Executive Director Jim Stergios on whether the state should be targeting particular industries for tax incentives and other benefits.

The Changing Face of Boston Schools

Jamie Vaznis reports today on the possibility that there will be 12 new charter public schools in Boston, even as the superintendent of Boston’s district public schools is seeking to shutter a number of underperforming schools under her purview. Of the 20 proposals for new charter schools, 12 seek to locate in Boston. The Boston applications aim to create more than 6,000 seats over the next five years, but the state law caps new seats in the city at about 4,500 — meaning state education officials will have to reject some applications even if the proposals have merit. Of course, the Board could also simply reduce the number of seats made available in the charter school proposals. And my guess […]

Man versus Superman

Movies like Waiting for Superman have done a great public service by focusing the country’s attention on the now-or-never challenge of making sure all kids have access to a decent school. A broad swath of the public and, importantly, the philanthropic community, has made education a priority. That is fantastic news. But where there is Superman, there is kryptonite. And the Achilles Heel of the WFS set is that the superhero commissioners and superintendents’ records of success are not as stellar or sustainable as you might think. I have written skeptically (here and here, for example) on the view that a heroic reformer armed with foundation dollars can cure what ails our schools. That there has been improvement in NYC, […]