Massachusetts insurance regulators have approved a number of rate increase proposals from some of the state’s largest health insurance companies. Governor Deval Patrick supports the approval, citing rising health care costs that threaten to make an already ill economy more volatile. Consumer advocacy groups have decried the rate increases, saying that they put undue financial stress on those struggling to make ends meet. Regulators, however, have only approved proposals whose increases were less than 9% in the hopes of lightening the impact of higher rates. Blue Cross Blue Shield has…
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Massachusetts lawmakers look to change the state’s health care system with a global payment plan
Massachusetts lawmakers are struggling to rein in on rising health care costs, but a solution may be on its way as the state reaches the conclusion of a three-year long study. The study concerns the state of Massachusetts’ health care system and how insurance companies, hospitals and doctors interact with one another. The state is not the first to consider sweeping changes to its health care system, but it may be the first in enacting such changes. Legislators are currently working toward a plan they call “global payments.” The basic…
Read MoreSafety-net healthcare used regardless of reform in Massachusetts
A recent study has shown that the new healthcare reforms in Massachusetts have failed to decrease the pressure on providers for those in the lowest income brackets. Between the years of 2005 and 2009, the number of visits to community health centers rose by 31 percent, and public and charity hospitals also experienced a notable increase in their number of patients. Leader of the study, Leighton Ku, who is the head of the George Washington University Center for Health Policy Research, said that there are a number of things that…
Read MoreMassachusetts seeks relief from increasing health insurance costs
Several union organizations in Massachusetts are preparing to make an announcement today regarding a proposal on municipal health insurance. State legislators have been seeking a way to control the costs of insurance before they begin spiraling out of control. Governor Deval Patrick has been pushing for approval to give municipal leaders more authority to make changes to health insurance coverage. A number of municipal and school district leaders call rising insurance costs “budget busters.” They blame the costs associated with health insurance for cut backs in services and employee layoffs.…
Read MoreLight on the horizon for Massachusetts health insurance rate hikes
A year after insurers battled over premium increases with Governor Deval Patrick in Massachusetts, they are now seeking to increase rates by 10% or less. Insurers struggled with the Governor after proposing rate increase between 12% and 25%. This unsettled the community and the ensuing battle lasted for five months. In an effort to avoid another stand-off, the companies are limiting themselves to mostly single digit increases. “The dynamic has been changed for health care in this state,” says Barbara Anthony, undersecretary of consumer affairs and business regulation in Massachusetts.…
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