By Bob Katzen
The House 152-1, approved and sent to the Senate a 102-page bill that supporters said aims to “restore stability to the health care system, bolster accountability within the industry, and control health care spending to ensure that everyone in Massachusetts has access to quality, affordable health care.”
According to the State House News Service, the measure “combines reforms intended to avert a repeat of the Steward Health Care crisis with changes designed to boost state oversight of facility expansions and closures, refine cost control tools to better account for fluctuations and increase funding for hospitals that typically serve high shares of low-income patients and people of color.”
“This legislation looks to the past, present and future of health care in the commonwealth,” said Rep. John Lawn (D-Watertown), House chair of the Committee on Health Care Financing. “It closes loopholes and shines a light on blind spots that allowed Steward to exploit Massachusetts patients for profit. It protects and preserves underpaid community hospitals that are the lifeblood of medicine in the commonwealth. And it plans for stable and affordable health care growth moving forward.”
“This bill is the most significant health care market oversight and cost containment legislation in more than a decade and is a continuation of the commonwealth’s long-standing effort to ensure that everyone in Massachusetts has access to quality, affordable health care,” said House Speaker Ron Mariano (D-Quincy).
“This legislation will help stabilize our health care system and ensure accountability from all stakeholders, as we continue to recover from the aftereffects of the pandemic,” said Rep. Aaron Michlewitz (D-Boston), chair of the House Ways and Means Committee. “By strengthening oversight and making much needed reforms, this legislation will not only steady the industry, but will also help control costs for consumers.”
(A “Yes” vote is for the bill. A “No” vote is against it.)
Rep. Christine Barber Yes Rep. Mike Connolly Yes Rep. Paul Donato Yes Rep. Erika Uyterhoeven Yes