Bill > S782

This bill aims to ensure more affordable care. It does this by: 1. Establishing a health care consumer cost growth benchmark that sets a target for the average annual growth in out-of-pocket and premium costs for the commercial health insurance, MassHealth, and Medicare markets. The benchmark will be set by the Health Policy Commission, initially equal to the overall health care cost growth benchmark, and potentially adjusted in later years. 2. Giving the Health Policy Commission the authority to review entities that exceed the consumer cost growth benchmark and require them to submit performance improvement plans. 3. Requiring the Center for Health Information and Analysis to analyze data on payers, providers, and provider organizations that exceed the consumer cost growth benchmark and share this information with the Health Policy Commission. 4. Establishing new requirements for the review and approval of small group health insurance premium rate changes, including public comment periods and affordability considerations. 5. Creating a state reinsurance program to help stabilize premiums in the individual and small group insurance markets. 6. Eliminating cost-sharing for certain high-value services, treatments, and prescription drugs used to treat chronic conditions, in order to improve access and outcomes. The overall goal is to improve health care affordability for Massachusetts residents by setting cost growth targets, increasing transparency, and reducing financial barriers to key services.

Health and Social Services

https://malegislature.gov/Bills/192/S782