Monthly Archives: December 2007

The Individual Mandate Gets Real II

Posted on December 31, 2007 by

This is the Department of Revenue press release just issued (click here for more, including draft regulations; a public hearing on the regulations will be held on February 4): DEPARTMENT OF REVENUE ISSUES DRAFT PENALTY GUIDELINES FOR THOSE WITHOUT HEALTH … Continue reading →

Posted in MA Health Reform | 2 Comments

The Individual Mandate Gets Real Today: I

Posted on December 31, 2007 by

Today, 12/31/07, is the day by which all MA residents, 18 and older, must have health insurance or be subject to tax penalties — provided there is an available plan that is creditable and affordable. For more info, see the … Continue reading →

Posted in MA Health Reform | 4 Comments

Must-Read Turnbull — Insurer Transparency in Practice

Posted on December 31, 2007 by

Don’t miss Nancy Turnbull’s column today on WBUR’s Commonhealth Blog. Most people know Nancy as a faculty member at the Harvard School of Public Health and as the former head of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Foundation. Some of us … Continue reading →

Posted in Health Care Market | 5 Comments

Checklist Redux: NIH Blocks Improvement

Posted on December 30, 2007 by

You may recall our 12/9/07 post on the “Stupid Little Checklist” described in a New Yorker article by Brigham & Women’s Dr. Atul Gawande. Briefly, Dr. Peter Pronovost at Johns Hopkins has pioneered use of a simple “checklist” to attain … Continue reading →

Posted in Health Care Quality | 1 Comment

“Rosie D” Gets a Blog

Posted on December 29, 2007 by

Rosie D fans, you know who you are, should know there’s a blog now devoted to discussion of the federal lawsuit against the Commonwealth of Massachusetts on mental health treatment for MassHealth kids: Rosie D and Me. Blog is written … Continue reading →

Posted in Health Care Quality | 2 Comments

Quality & Cost Subcommittee Gets Its Hands Dirty

Posted on December 28, 2007 by

Earlier this month, the Quality and Cost Council established an ad hoc committee to discuss steps to achieve a key Council goal: “Reduce the cost of health care. Reduce the annual rise in health care costs to no more than … Continue reading →

Posted in Health Care Market, MA Health Reform | 5 Comments

Fed Court Overturns Key Part of “Healthy San Francisco” Coverage Plan — ERISA

Posted on December 27, 2007 by

Click here for San Francisco Chronicle article. Yesterday, US District Court Judge Jeffrey White overturned a key portion of the Healthy San Francisco program which is designed to provide access to health services for at least 80,000 uninsured city residents. … Continue reading →

Posted in MA Health Reform, States | 4 Comments

MA to Begin MH Screening for MassHealth Kids — Good First Step

Posted on December 27, 2007 by

Next week, pediatricians across Massachusetts will begin offering mental health screenings for MassHealth children, mandated by the federal Rosie D v. Romney lawsuit. Early screenings for potential mental health problems, while important, will not address the full scope of the … Continue reading →

Posted in Health Care Quality | 1 Comment

Patience Helps in Comprehensive Health Reform Efforts

Posted on December 26, 2007 by

NYTimes — click here – surveys the slow pace of comprehensive health reform efforts across the nation, with special focus on California, Illinois, and Pennsylvania: Though the governors of three big states — California, Illinois and Pennsylvania — proposed sweeping … Continue reading →

Posted in States | Leave a comment

Individual Mandate Is Not a Winner in NH

Posted on December 25, 2007 by

Honestly, it was with some surprise that we saw Hillary Clinton and John Edwards robustly embrace an individual health insurance mandate before it even had been road-tested in Massachusetts, on both the policy and political fronts. Obama was more cautious, … Continue reading →

Posted in Health Care Politics, US health policy | 2 Comments