Monthly Archives: May 2008

More on the 50 Plus Report: The State Is This Year’s Poster Child

Posted on May 31, 2008 by

Jeff Krasner covers the release of the State report on employers with 50 or more workers/dependents on MassHealth, the Health Safety Net Trust, and Commonwealth Care on the top of the business section in today’s Globe. Perhaps the biggest suprise: … Continue reading →

Posted in MA Health Reform | 1 Comment

Numbers of the Moment: 474,134 people, $636.8 million

Posted on May 30, 2008 by

The Division of Health Care Finance and Policy released their long-awaited report on Massachusetts firms with 50 or more workers using MassHealth, Commonwealth Care or the Uncompensated Care Pool (the report and all the supporting data is here) The bottom … Continue reading →

Posted in MA Health Reform, MassHealth/Medicaid | 9 Comments

Consumer Reports Tackles “Overtreatment”

Posted on May 28, 2008 by

Check out this f-a-n-t-a-s-t-i-c piece in the new Consumer Reports on why consumers should care about medical overtreatment: The chronically ill are not the only ones vulnerable to overly aggressive care. Consider the case of a middle-aged IBM executive from … Continue reading →

Posted in Health Care Quality | 5 Comments

Connector Hearing Reviews CommCare Regulations

Posted on May 28, 2008 by

The Connector Authority held a regulatory hearing yesterday on regulations governing Commonwealth Care. The draft regulations incorporated recommendations by Connector staff on the premium hardship waiver process, and updated plan type changes that resulted from FY 2009 managed care contract … Continue reading →

Posted in MA Health Reform | Leave a comment

Mass Scores High On Kid’s Health

Posted on May 28, 2008 by

Today, The Commonwealth Fund released its national rankings of child health performance (report here, and way cool interactive map here). Each state was evaluated on dimensions such as access, quality, costs, and “potential to lead health lives.” Massachusetts ranks as … Continue reading →

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HW&M Chairman DeLeo on the Gift Ban

Posted on May 28, 2008 by

From State House News yesterday: “… A Senate effort to ban all gifts from pharmaceutical firms to health care workers is the most contentious piece of Senate President Therese Murray’s health care cost control proposal, House Ways and Means chair … Continue reading →

Posted in Health Care Market | Leave a comment

DVR Alert: Chronicle on Hospital-Acquired Infections

Posted on May 27, 2008 by

Assuming you will be at tonight’s GBIO celebration, you may want to tape tonight’s Chronicle (channel 5 at 7 pm), which focuses on hospital-acquired infections and features our very own Consumer Health Quality Council members Lucilia Prates and Ginny Harvey. … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | 3 Comments

What’s Next? Designer Stents?

Posted on May 26, 2008 by

Check out the compelling commentary in this past week’s New England Journal of Medicine on the first-ever Direct To Consumer Advertising (DTCA) campaign for a medical device: “DTCA for PTCA — Crossing the Line in Consumer Health Education?” written by … Continue reading →

Posted in Health Care Quality | Leave a comment

Kaiser Family Foundation Offers Two Year C.58 Assessment

Posted on May 26, 2008 by

Kaiser Family Foundation has released a “key facts” update on “Massachusetts Health Reform: Two Years Later.” Two years following passage of comprehensive health care reform, Massachusetts has been largely successful in expanding coverage to the uninsured. Over time, from Massachusetts … Continue reading →

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MGH Adds “Community Health” to Its Mission Statement

Posted on May 25, 2008 by

Here’s a good news story from Mass. General Hospital worthy of note: MGH is sponsoring an event on Tuesday, June 3rd from 12 to 1:30 under the Bulfinch Tent at its downtown campus to celebrate a change in its mission … Continue reading →

Posted in Health Care Quality, Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities | Leave a comment