Massachusetts 2023-2024 Regular Session

Massachusetts Senate Bill S737 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

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1	1	1 of 1
2	2	SENATE DOCKET, NO. 388 FILED ON: 1/13/2023
3	3	SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 737
4	4	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
5	5	_________________
6	6	PRESENTED BY:
7	7	Julian Cyr
8	8	_________________
9	9	To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
10	10	Court assembled:
11	11	The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:
12	12	An Act to ensure effective health care as a right.
13	13	_______________
14	14	PETITION OF:
15	15	NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :Julian CyrCape and Islands 1 of 3
16	16	SENATE DOCKET, NO. 388 FILED ON: 1/13/2023
17	17	SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 737
18	18	By Mr. Cyr, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 737) of Julian Cyr for legislation to
19	19	ensure effective health care cost control. Health Care Financing.
20	20	[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
21	21	SEE SENATE, NO. 758 OF 2021-2022.]
22	22	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
23	23	_______________
24	24	In the One Hundred and Ninety-Third General Court
25	25	(2023-2024)
26	26	_______________
27	27	An Act to ensure effective health care as a right.
28	28	Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority
29	29	of the same, as follows:
30	30	1 SECTION 1. (a) Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, the
31	31	2following terms shall have the following meanings unless the context clearly requires otherwise:-
32	32	3 “Single payer benchmark”, the estimated total costs of providing health care to all
33	33	4residents of the commonwealth under a single payer health care system in a given year.
34	34	5 “Single payer health care”, a system that provides publicly financed, universal access to
35	35	6health care for the population through a unified public health care plan.
36	36	7 (b) The center for health information and analysis shall recommend a methodology to
37	37	8develop a single payer benchmark. The single payer health care system considered under the
38	38	9single payer benchmark shall offer continuous, comprehensive and affordable coverage for all
39	39	10residents of the commonwealth regardless of income, assets, health status or availability of other 2 of 3
40	40	11health coverage. The benchmark may consider the costs of a single-payer health care system at
41	41	12different actuarial values, levels of cost-sharing and levels of provider reimbursement; provided
42	42	13however that the benchmark shall include all actuarial values, levels of cost-sharing and levels of
43	43	14provider reimbursement considered by the center. In developing the methodology, the center
44	44	15shall monitor, review and evaluate reports related to single payer health care and the
45	45	16performance of single payer health care systems in other states and countries.
46	46	17 (c) The center for health information and analysis, in conjunction with the health policy
47	47	18commission and the division of insurance, shall provide an annual report detailing a comparison
48	48	19of the actual health care expenditures in the commonwealth for 2024, 2025 and 2026 with the
49	49	20single payer benchmark for 2024, 2025 and 2026, respectively, indicating whether the
50	50	21commonwealth would have saved money while expanding access to care under a single payer
51	51	22health care system. The first report shall be filed by not later than July 1, 2026 to the clerks of the
52	52	23senate and house of representatives, the joint committee on health care financing and the senate
53	53	24and house committees on ways and means.
54	54	25 (d) If a report under subsection (c) determines that the single payer benchmark
55	55	26outperformed the actual total health care expenditures in the commonwealth in 2024, 2025 and
56	56	272026 the health policy commission shall submit a proposed single payer health care
57	57	28implementation plan to the clerks of the senate and house of representatives, the joint committee
58	58	29on health care financing and the senate and house committees on ways and means within 1 year
59	59	30of the date that the report is filed. The plan may include proposed legislation to implement a
60	60	31single payer health care system that offers continuous, comprehensive and affordable coverage
61	61	32for all residents regardless of income, assets, health status or availability of other health 3 of 3
62	62	33coverage. When developing the implementation plan, the commission shall hold not less than 3
63	63	34public hearings and seek stakeholder input from across the commonwealth.”.