Monthly Archives: January 2011

United Voices Fight for Healthy Mouths:

Posted on January 18, 2011 by

Advocates from Across the State Gather to Protest Dental Cuts Braving icy sidewalks and waist-high mountains of snow, supporters turned out in force to the Rally to Restore MassHealth Adult Dental last Thursday. Co-hosted by the Legislative Oral Health Caucus … Continue reading →

Posted in Oral Health | Leave a comment

Connector Board Report – CommChoice Changes Coming

Posted on January 18, 2011 by

The Connector Board met last week to discuss their upcoming Seal of Approval RFR for Commonwealth Choice plans, Young Adult Plans (YAPs), and approval of a contract extension for their communications firm, Weber Shandwick (see the materials here). The bulk … Continue reading →

Posted in MA Health Reform | Leave a comment

Congratulations, Sheriff Koutoujian

Posted on January 16, 2011 by

On Friday, Governor Patrick named State Representative Peter Koutoujian to serve as Middlesex County Sheriff. Koutoujian has been a consistent voice for health care, particularly public health. He is a recognized leader in the state on reducing health disparities. Health … Continue reading →

Posted in Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities | 1 Comment

New Legislators Learn the Importance of Oral Health: “Without adequate dental coverage, I am trapped”

Posted on January 14, 2011 by

On Monday, January 10th, state legislators joined representatives of the Oral Health Advocacy Taskforce (OHAT) and the Massachusetts Legislative Oral Health Caucus (chaired by Senator Harriette Chandler and Representative John Scibak) to learn more about the importance of oral health … Continue reading →

Posted in Oral Health | 2 Comments

You Called, She Answered: Secretary Sebelius Honors HCFA HelpLine

Posted on January 11, 2011 by

This month, as the nation was abuzz about the possible repeal of the nation’s first ever universal health care bill – the Affordable Care Act – eyes turned away from the Capitol and toward Massachusetts – more specifically, Health Care … Continue reading →

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OPP Looks At Open Enrollment Waivers

Posted on January 10, 2011 by

The Office of Patient Protection held a public hearing today to discuss their draft regulations of the open enrollment waiver process (see the regulations). With just a handful presenting oral comments, the hearing lasted less than an hour. Kathy Bitetti … Continue reading →

Posted in Private Market | Leave a comment

Oral Health State House Lobby Day and Rally Thursday

Posted on January 9, 2011 by

Your Voice is Needed to Protect the Health of the Commonwealth. Join us to share your stories with legislators and press conference in the Great Hall, Thursday, January 13. From 11:00 – 12:00 we will visit legislative offices at the … Continue reading →

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Better Care Works

Posted on January 7, 2011 by

For many, our current care delivery system is broken. Care is not coordinated, and the system rewards acute and specialty care, not wellness and prevention. This broken system fails worse for those with chronic and mental illnesses. A recent New … Continue reading →

Posted in Health Care Quality | 1 Comment

UPDATED: Governor Patrick Talks Payment Reform: “The next big frontier is payment reform”

Posted on January 6, 2011 by

UPDATE: In his inaugural speech, the Governor was clear about his vision of health care cost control and payment reform: We can’t be satisfied until health care is as affordable as it is accessible. That means creating incentives for all … Continue reading →

Posted in Health Care Market | Leave a comment

Atul Gawande Talks Payment Reform: “A field that rewards people for doing 15 image scans, or doing an extra operation, but does not reward for helping people avoid the need for those is doomed to failure.”

Posted on January 5, 2011 by

HCFA friend Dr. Atul Gawande was interviewed on WBUR’s On Point show this morning. He spoke eloquently about health care costs being the greatest threat to our economy, telling about the Newton school superintendent being more worried about health care … Continue reading →

Posted in Health Care Quality, Healthcare Cost Control | Leave a comment