Senate President Therese Murray has tackled health care cost containment in a new bill filed yesterday. She has also sent out an electronic newsletter highlighting some key aspects of this important legislation. From the Murray Mail special edition:
Yesterday, along with my colleagues in the Senate, I introduced the second phase of health care reform for the Commonwealth. This legislation will make Massachusetts a national leader in the statewide adoption of electronic medical records and the first in the country to impose an outright ban on pharmaceutical marketing gifts of any value.
The Senate bill, An Act to Promote Cost Containment, Transparency and Efficiency in the Delivery of Quality Health Care, also addresses the critical areas of primary care access, transparency and efficient use of resources and technology to drive down escalating costs in our health care system.
The bill requires statewide adoption and compatibility of electronic medical records by 2015, backed by a public commitment of $25 million a year to accelerate the program. Physicians would have to show competency in the technology for medical board registration. It also sets a deadline of 2012 for statewide adoption of Computerized Physician Order Entry systems (CPOE). After this date, the use of CPOE would be required for hospital licensure.
These initiatives will modernize the health care system, reduce waste and inefficiencies, and most importantly, save lives.
The gift-ban measure prohibits pharmaceutical agents from offering gifts and physicians from accepting gifts of any kind. The ban extends to physicians’ staff and family members. The legislation allows distribution of drug samples to doctors for the exclusive use of their patients.
This legislation represents a defining moment for the Commonwealth. These efforts are crucial to the future vitality of our health care system and our economy. This bill makes good on the promise I made in October to propose bold measures to ensure the success of health care reform in Massachusetts.
Other highlights of the bill include:
An increase in the workforce capacity of nurses and primary care physicians through loan forgiveness programs and expanded enrollment at the state medical school. The bill also allows patients to choose nurse practitioners as their primary care providers.
A public-hearing requirement for hospitals and insurance companies to justify consumer costs and make cost-reduction recommendations. The legislation also authorizes public review of any insurance company submitting rate increases above 7 percent.
A statewide standard for uniform billing and coding among health care providers and insurance companies to reduce operational expenses of claims processing.
An enhanced “determination of need” process to help maintain standards of quality and ensure the efficient and equitable deployment of health care resources across the Commonwealth, avoiding the costly duplication of services.
A Purchasing Reform initiative to coordinate public and private “pay-for-performance” efforts to drive quality and efficiency in the market.
Authorization of the Department of Insurance to investigate the costs of medical malpractice coverage for health care providers.
A comprehensive summary of the legislation can be found at www.ThereseMurray.com. The legislation can be found on www.mass.gov/legis.
Bill Manzi.com 
Your Honor,
When a legislative entity works on a “Reform Bill” chills invade my spine, the hair on the back of my head stand out straight and I run to bury more cash in the back yard.
I read the list of “reforms” being presented by the senate president. It means little to me as it is a list.
Does anyone you know have any concept of the parameters of health care costs. With this information one could judge the effectiveness of the proposed legislation.
Are you yourself familiar with the components of healcare costs?
Jules
Jules
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I am not sure what you mean by component costs? Are you talking about drugs vs direct care vs ER care or are you referring to the mandates that might go into health care policies (forced coverage of certain items by law).
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Your Honor,
I am sorry for not being clear. Let me try again.
There is a reason for health care cost to increase.
Do you understand those elements that cause the prices to rise and the contribution of each of the elements to the rising costs?
Then it is possible to judge the cost control effects from the “reforms”.
I hope this makes it clearer.
Your turn.
Jules
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I do believe I have some idea about some of the elements that are causing health care “hyper-inflation”, if that is your question. I do believe that there is tremendous disagreement amongst health care folks about some of the “elements” we are discussing. I assume that you believe that the health care price market has been distorted by government intervention?
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Actually, your honor, I don’t worry the Government is distorting the health care market. I am worried about the government becoming the sole provider.
In the matter at hand, I ask one question; how can the State legislate health cost reforms when, as you even point out, the causes are not fully understood?
I await you answer.
I terms of the Government being the sole provider of health care, remember my warning: If Enron were a government entity it would still be with us.
By the way, have you developed a strategy to loose the weight necessary to beat Mayor Sullivan?
Jules
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