Health Care

House bill plays Robin Hood on health care

Opinion

House bill plays Robin Hood on health care

Introduces concept of ‘unwarranted factors’ of price variation

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THE HOUSE HEALTH CARE BILL breathes new life into an approach taken in the 2012 cost containment bill—using some Robin Hood-like assessments as a means to improve the financial plight facing some of our have-not health care providers. Essentially, the House bill attempts to raise some $450 million in assessments over three years to finance(...)

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Trump finally pulls plug on Obamacare

Trump finally pulls plug on Obamacare

One of former President Barack Obama's most important legacies comes to a close

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President Trump is giving people more reasons to stay or move to Massachusetts. Late Thursday, the Justice Department announced it will no longer defend the provisions of the Affordable Care Act in a suit by 20 GOP-controlled states challenging the constitutionality of the individual mandate. It’s a decision that will likely end the most important legacy of(...)

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Trump finally pulls plug on Obamacare

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President Trump is giving people more reasons to stay or move to Massachusetts. Late Thursday, the Justice Department announced it will no longer defend the provisions of the Affordable Care Act in a suit by 20 GOP-controlled states challenging the constitutionality of the individual mandate. It’s a decision that will likely end the most important legacy of(...)

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Withholding methadone from inmates is wrong

Withholding methadone from inmates is wrong

Addiction treatment is effective and inexpensive

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I WILL NEVER forget the pained look on my patient Jorge’s face when I asked him why he stopped taking methadone to treat his opioid dependency. He was in my office, answering detailed intake questions to resume treatment for his addiction. Jorge came to me after a stint in county jail. He could not post(...)

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The right prescription for biomed innovation

Opinion

The right prescription for biomed innovation

Stronger intellectual property protections needed to safeguard research and development

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JUST AS ATLANTA has a booming film industry and Silicon Valley has become synonymous with technology, Boston has earned its place as America’s hometown for biomedical innovation. With a hyper-educated workforce, a cutting-edge biopharma and medical device sector, and massive investments in research and development, it’s no wonder Beantown has seen such a surge in(...)

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Recovery coaches could be game changers on opioid addiction

Recovery coaches could be game changers on opioid addiction

Legislature should move to adopt new credentialing for those working most closely with patients

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IN 2017, five people died each day from opioid-related overdoses in Massachusetts. That’s nearly 2,000 families who lost a loved one. The opioid epidemic is one of the most serious public health crises of our time, and even though it causes such sadness, there are also glimmers of hope that can be seen in the(...)

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Cost barriers rise for patients

Opinion

Cost barriers rise for patients

Insurance deductible policies for drugs hurt those most in need

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THERE SEEMS TO be a new story each day about how patients across the country are being treated unfairly by their health insurance company. Chances are, you or someone you love has been through something like this. These are patients who have done the right thing, worked hard, paid their premiums, and expected that when(...)

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Business groups seek to pare back ER visits

Business groups seek to pare back ER visits

Through diversions, organizations aim for $100m in savings

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STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE WITH THEIR SIGHTS SET on about $100 million in savings, 20 business organizations on Wednesday formally announced the creation of a coalition that aims to reduce the number of avoidable emergency room visits by 20 percent over two years. The Massachusetts Employer-Led Coalition to Reduce Health Care Costs plans to work(...)

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With junk insurance, you get what you pay for

Opinion

With junk insurance, you get what you pay for

How the Trump administration is undermining women’s health and what to do

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INSPIRED BY MARCHES, movements (#MeToo, #TimesUp), and momentum (the unprecedented surge of females running for office), women are standing up for the issues that matter most to them. Let’s make sure that healthcare continues to be on that list. Under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), American women have made dramatic gains. The number of uninsured(...)

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Health Policy Commission should do more

Opinion

Health Policy Commission should do more

Agency should listen more and weigh ballot question evidence

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THE 2012 LAW CREATING the Massachusetts Health Policy Commission (HPC) includes a provision setting up an advisory council to the executive director of the commission.  The charge to the advisory council is to “advise on the overall operation and policy of the commission.”  There are about 30 or so people drawn from various health care(...)

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