Posted by: David Morales, Commissioner, Division of Health Care Finance and Policy
Coinciding with last week’s hearings, Michael Widmer, President of the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation, submitted an op-ed to The Boston Globe, "Caps hurt health system.” In today’s Globe, you will find a response written by Joseph G. Murphy, Commissioner of the Division of Insurance, and myself. Here’s part of the article, but I urge you to read the full article by following the link. http://bit.ly/cPGj3m
“IN HIS March 17 op-ed “Caps hurt health system,’’ Michael Widmer correctly points out that many small businesses have recently incurred significant double-digit premium rate increases, but suggests that reports issued by the Division of Health Care Finance and Policy imply that such disparities may not be as stark as what many small businesses are reporting. The reports analyzed cost trends from 2006 through 2008; the analysis did not capture trends from the past 18 months, when many of the most troubling premium increases have been reported. Furthermore, the division’s analysis reflected average premiums for small businesses, which means that the data mask spikes in premiums.” (Source: The Boston Globe, March 25, 2010)
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