House passes health care cost control bill

Saugus, MA - Representatives Mark Falzone and Kathi-Anne Reinstein announced that the House unanimously passed a new healthcare bill aimed at curbing healthcare costs and improving the overall quality of the Commonwealth’s healthcare system.

This landmark legislation will support steps to achieve effective universal healthcare insurance by managing costs, while still maintaining and enhancing the high quality standards of care in effect today.

Rep. Falzone noted, “I am pleased that the House has unanimously passed this groundbreaking piece of legislation. This bill lays the foundation for controlling healthcare costs and continues to address the challenges facing our Commonwealth’s Universal Healthcare initiative. With this latest legislation, Massachusetts continues to set the standard for states seeking comprehensive healthcare reform.

“This legislation certainly keeps Massachusetts ahead of the curve when it comes to healthcare reform” stated Representative Kathi-Anne Reinstein (D-Revere). “I feel strongly that this bill will pave the way for new innovations in the healthcare industry and increase the quality of care provided by our hospitals while keeping costs low for our residents.”

To increase quality in the health caresystem while reducing costs, this legislation requires uniform coding of medical claims to simplify the billing process. This bill will also create a new commission that overseas health payment reforms to bring together the public and private payers and providers to make recommendations to reform the way payments are made.

Under this bill pharmaceutical companies would be banned from purchasing confidential prescription drug information for marketing purposes. It also directs the Department of Public Health to implement an outreach and education program to provide objective education to physicians to encourage evidence-based and cost-effective prescribing practices.

The legislation also:
· Creates a Health Care Workforce Center to examine critical needs and make changes to expand the health care workforce, with added attention to underserved areas in the Commonwealth.

· Establishes a Medical Home program that rewards primary care physicians for providing patient-centered, coordinated care with a focus on patients with chronic illnesses.

· Creates a statewide electronic health record system by 2015, while creating programs to help physicians obtain and implement e-health systems.

· Establishes new licensure requirements for hospitals and physicians contingent upon adoption of e-health records and computerized prescriptions order entry.

· Requires the Department of Public Health post information on its website concerning each company’s compliance with the requirement.

· Mandates that pharmaceutical companies establish and disclose a marketing code of conduct that responsibly informs the prescribing practices of physicians

· Requires the Division of Health Care Finance and Policy to hold annual public hearings concerning factors contributing to cost growth.

· Creates a loan repayment program for medical school graduates who commit to practicing primary care medicine in underserved areas of the Commonwealth.

· Requires hospitals to report data on hospital-acquired infections and serious reportable events as a condition of licensure and encourages hospitals to establish patient and family advisory councils to improve communications.

Currently this legislation awaits reconciliation of different version passed by the House and the Senate.

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