Proposed legislation to increase investment in primary care and decrease health inequities The Massachusetts House and Senate have referred a new bill on primary care to the Joint Committee on Health Care Financing. This bill, Senate No. 750, is sponsored by Senator Cindy F. Friedman and has three goals: 1) double primary care investment, 2) […]
On May 11, 2023, the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency (PHE) will end. The Families First Coronavirus Response Act was signed into law in March 2020, requiring several policy changes that would persist through the end of the Public Health Emergency. These policy changes included eliminating cost-sharing for COVID-19 related visits and enhanced federal match for […]
By Erin Mooz, Ann Nguyen, Aditi Vaidya, and Signe Flieger There are four questions on the statewide Massachusetts ballot this year, each of which have public health implications. Question 1: Additional Tax on Income Over One Million Dollars Summary: A yes vote would amend the state constitution to add an additional 4% state income tax […]
Action is needed today! You can support the Massachusetts Data Equity Bill by contacting your state legislator today to ensure equitable representation, visibility, and inclusion through data collection and reporting. The bill has won support from the Massachusetts House of Representatives, was reported favorably by the Joint Committee on State Administration and Regulatory Oversight and […]
History of Tufts Children’s Hospital Previously known as the “Floating Hospital for Children,” Tufts Children’s Hospital began as a ship in the Boston Harbor in 1894. Children were treated by volunteer doctors and nurses as well as the fresh ocean air. In 1920, the floating hospital was brought to land alongside Tufts Medical Center, merging in 1965, […]
As the first snowstorm is upon us, and temperatures are dropping we must turn our attention to the homelessness crisis in the City of Boston. Last year, Boston reached a spectacular milestone when the percentage of homeless people able to find shelter during the 39th Annual Homeless Census reached over 98%—the lowest street count in […]
On January 28, 2020, the Joint Committee on Health Care Financing held a hearing on Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker’s health care Bill H.4134, An Act To Improve Health Care By Investing In Value. Governor Baker and Secretary Sudders presented the highlights of the 179-page bill that proposes wide-ranging changes to the Massachusetts health care system, including […]
As sparkling lights spring up on houses, holiday music fills the stores, and a chill is in the air, it is clear it must be that time of year again. That’s right, there are less than two months left before the 2020 health insurance open coverage period is over! Here in the Commonwealth, open enrollment […]
At the Massachusetts Health Policy Commission’s annual Cost Trends Hearing, CHIA Executive Director Ray Campbell spoke about a trend in insurance coverage in the Commonwealth: the continued growth of enrollment in high-deductible health plans (HDHPs). CHIA’s 2019 Annual Report noted 2018 enrollment in HDHPs increased by 3.0 percent, up to 31.5 percent, while enrollment in […]
