Health Policy Commission

On March 29, 2017, the Massachusetts Health Policy Commission voted to decrease its annual health care cost growth benchmark from 3.6 percent to a 3.1 percent, effective in 2018. The benchmark applies to hospitals, certain physician groups and individual health insurers. The Commission also voted to finalize regulations to require those entities that fail to comply with the benchmark to file and follow performance improvement plans. Non-compliant entities will be subject to oversight by the Commission, during which they will be required to file monthly progress reports and demonstrate that they are taking steps to slow their cost growth. The regulations also authorize the Commission to assess civil penalties against non-compliant entities in certain circumstances, such as when an entity willfully neglects to file a required performance improvement plan.
Continue Reading Massachusetts’ Health Policy Commission Further Limits Health Care Cost Growth