Health Care Cost Trends Hearing - Tuesday, March 16th

Posted by: David Morales, Commissioner, Division of Health Care Finance and Policy

Today the Division of Health Care Finance and Policy will begin its series of hearings that will bring together key health care stakeholders – health care providers, insurers, employers, consumers, and experts – in order to surface the factors driving health care costs and to identify solutions that will mitigate growth in health care spending in Massachusetts.  

The focus for today’s hearing will be on understanding the depth and urgency of escalating health care costs and what that means for consumers and employers.  The hearings will begin at 9:00 a.m. with introductory remarks and statements by various state officials.  Findings from the Division’s health care cost trends reports and the Attorney General’s investigation into cost drivers will be presented.  Len Nichols, Director of the Center for Health Policy Research and Ethics at George Mason University will provide testimony on the implications to the state if no action is taken.

In the afternoon testimony from employer and consumer stakeholders will be given in the form of moderated panel discussions.  Panelists will outline the challenges that employers and consumers face today and will cover topics such as consumer cost sharing, access and coordination of care, the small versus large business experience, and the role of employers and consumers in purchasing health care.  

The hearing begins at 9 a.m. at the Joseph P. Healey Library University Club, 11th floor, University of Massachusetts Boston.  These hearings are open to the public and residents are encouraged to participate in this critical conversation about how the health care community can work together and develop concrete solutions to lower rising health care costs.

A detailed agenda for today’s hearing as well as the names and affiliations of panel participants, moderators and expert witnesses can be found at:
http://www.mass.gov/Eeohhs2/docs/dhcfp/cost_trend_docs/cost_trends_hearings_agenda.pdf

Comments

[hearing healthcare practices]

Whatever the issues are going to be, concern for safety should be foremost.
Cost of health care is never sub-equate to cost of human life.

[Howard]

Though I am not able to attend any of these hearings a member of the public, I would like to say this: There is no "crisis" in U.S. Health care, nor is there a "crisis" in the rise of insurance rates. This whole national health care drama is nothing more than a political football. I hope Americans soon come to realize that the cost of health care is no different than the cost of any other commodity, that is, the basic laws of economics apply. There is nothing special, nor especially nefarious about health care cost inflation. In my opinion, many of the recent cost increases are the results of unfunded government mandates forcibly inserted into coverage plans, mandated cost shifting to subsidize special interests, government entitlement creep and uncoordinated free market interference by a bevy of government authorities at both the state and federal levels. If these practices alone were eliminated from the economic reality of our health care system, vast cost reductions would quickly materialize. Additionally, although health care dollars spent in the U.S. represent about one sixth of all dollars spent in our economy, it should be pointed out (because it seldom is) that with very little exception, all of those dollars are spent right here in the U.S. and flow right back into our nation's economy. I would consider this a very healthy and self-sustaining way for us to spend our money. The same cannot be said for nearly every other major sector of the U.S. economy, except perhaps for education and defense spending. Healthcare and Health Insurance costs are indeed rising and should be reigned in wherever possible. But the constraints should come from natural market forces, not from political grandstanding and governmental tinkering. I hope these hearings are productive.