Monthly Archives: March 2012

Ringside II: Wednesday from the Supreme Court

Posted on March 31, 2012 by

HCFA Executive Director Amy Whitcomb Slemmer was at Wednesday’s Supreme Court arguments on the constitutionality of the Medicaid expansion. Here’s her report:) Greetings from SCOTUS (as the cool kids are calling it). This was another incredible day from the Supreme … Continue reading →

Posted in National Health Reform | 1 Comment

Linking Our Drug Marketing Reforms With Higher Generic Use = Savings

Posted on March 28, 2012 by

Massachusetts ranks as one of the top states for medication adherence, while residents with chronic conditions are more likely than residents of all other states to take generic medication. These findings come from CVS Caremark’s new report, which examined medication … Continue reading →

Posted in Prescription Drug Reform | 2 Comments

Ringside Report From The Supreme Court

Posted on March 27, 2012 by

HCFA Executive Director Amy Slemmer is in Washington this week, and sent this report from the oral arguments on the Affordable Care Act. Hello from the US Supreme Court. I’ve been out front with the crowd joyfully calling for health … Continue reading →

Posted in National Health Reform | 1 Comment

Meet Mary Flynn from Brewster

Posted on March 27, 2012 by

I want you all to meet Mary Flynn from Brewster, Massachusetts. Awhile back, she called our HelpLine because she was having problems with COBRA and needed health insurance. As the Supreme Court takes a closer look at Massachusetts’s health reform, … Continue reading →

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

National Health Reform Is Good For Massachusetts: Senator Kerry Puts It All Together

Posted on March 24, 2012 by

A bit over two years ago, we linked to a blog post by Senator Kerry, listing the numerous benefits from the national health reform law, then pending in the House. Now, on the second anniversary of the law’s enactment, Senator … Continue reading →

Posted in HCFA | Leave a comment

NPR: Massachusetts (cf. Texas)

Posted on March 21, 2012 by

With the second anniversary of the ACA and the Supreme Court challenge coming up, the media are focused on every angle of national health reform. We know that real life stories are often the best way to communicate reality, and … Continue reading →

Posted in MA Health Reform, National Health Reform | Leave a comment

Quality and Cost Council Meets Wednesday

Posted on March 20, 2012 by

The Massachusetts Health Care Quality and Cost Council will hold its monthly meeting this Wednesday, March 21, 1:30-3:00pm, at the Division of Health Care Finance and Policy, 2 Boylston Street, 5th floor, Daley Room. Meetings are open to the public. … Continue reading →

Posted in Health Care Quality | Leave a comment

National Health Reform is Good For Massachusetts – An Update

Posted on March 16, 2012 by

The federal health reform website, HealthCare.gov, has a wealth of information about the ACA and implementation. They just posted a comprehensive state-by-state summary of who has been helped by the implementation of the ACA so far. The Massachusetts page has … Continue reading →

Posted in National Health Reform | 2 Comments

EHB Is The New MCC

Posted on March 15, 2012 by

State officials have begun the process of determining which health plan will serve as the essential health benefits (EHB) benchmark plan for Massachusetts. The EHB refers to the set of services that many health plans will be required to cover … Continue reading →

Posted in National Health Reform, Private Market | Leave a comment

Romney’s Rock and Hard Place

Posted on March 15, 2012 by

MSNBC guest host Ezra Klein had a good story last night on Romney’s political dilemma, featuring economist and Connector Board member Jonathan Gruber. As evidence spreads of the success of Massachusetts health reform, Romney can’t acknowledge or take credit for … Continue reading →

Posted in Health Care Politics, MA Health Reform, National Health Reform | Leave a comment