OVERVIEW -
This report proposes a vision and plan for action—collectively a statewide Health Equity Action Plan—for achieving a racially and ethnically equitable health care delivery system in Massachusetts. The report is...more
1/2/2024
/ Blue Cross ,
Blue Shield ,
Disparate Impact ,
Disparate Treatment ,
Diversity and Inclusion Standards (D&I) ,
Equity Claims ,
Health Care Providers ,
Health Insurance ,
Healthcare ,
Healthcare Reform ,
Patient Access ,
Race Discrimination ,
Racial Bias ,
Regulatory Agenda
In the United States, individuals are eligible for Medicare because they are aged 65 or older or because of their long-term disability status, and they are typically eligible for Medicaid because they have low income and few...more
Editor’s Note: Over the course of the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE), a series of Medicare and Medicaid regulatory flexibilities were implemented to help ensure access to care for older adults and people with chronic...more
3/29/2022
/ Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Health Care Providers ,
Health Insurance ,
Healthcare ,
Healthcare Reform ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Medicaid ,
Medicare ,
Medicare Advantage ,
Patient Access ,
Relief Measures ,
Telehealth
Editor’s Note: Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, federal and state policymakers have acted to preserve access to services for populations that use Medicaid-covered long-term services and supports (LTSS). These...more
3/8/2022
/ Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Health Insurance ,
Healthcare ,
Healthcare Reform ,
Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Long-Term Care ,
Medicaid ,
Patient Access ,
Public Health Emergency
Background -
Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, federal and state policymakers have acted to preserve access to services for populations that use Medicaid-covered long-term services and supports (LTSS). These...more
3/1/2022
/ Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Elder Care ,
Federal Funding ,
Health Care Providers ,
Health Insurance ,
Healthcare ,
Healthcare Reform ,
Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Long Term Care Facilities ,
Long-Term Care ,
Medicaid
Editor’s Note: In a new primer developed for the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts Foundation, Manatt Health creates a foundational resource to broaden the collective understanding of racial and ethnic health inequities...more
1/12/2022
/ Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Disparate Impact ,
Disparate Treatment ,
Equal Access ,
Health Care Providers ,
Health Insurance ,
Healthcare ,
Healthcare Facilities ,
Healthcare Reform ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Patient Access ,
Policies and Procedures ,
Public Health Emergency ,
Race Discrimination ,
Racial Bias
The COVID-19 pandemic laid bare long-standing racial and ethnic health inequities and disparities across America, including in Massachusetts. Black and Hispanic people in Massachusetts have been disproportionately impacted by...more
Long-term services and supports (LTSS) enable hundreds of thousands of people of all ages in Massachusetts to live with independence and dignity, participate in their communities and increase their overall quality of life....more
Lessons From the Frontlines: Strategies for Supporting Informed Consumer Decision-Making in the Health Insurance Marketplace -
Editor's Note: As marketplaces prepare for the third open enrollment period, consumers are...more
7/23/2015
/ Admissions ,
Affordable Care Act ,
Anticompetitive Agreements ,
Attorney General ,
Biologics ,
Biosimilars ,
Caregivers ,
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Decision-Making Process ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
DSRIP ,
FDA Approval ,
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ,
Health Care Providers ,
Health Information Technologies ,
Health Insurance ,
Healthcare ,
Healthcare Reform ,
Healthcare.gov ,
Home Health Care ,
Home Healthcare Workers ,
Hospitals ,
Long-Term Care ,
Medicaid ,
Medical Malpractice ,
Medicare ,
Medicare Part B ,
Nurses ,
Patient Rights ,
Physicians ,
Prescription Drug Coverage ,
Prescription Drugs ,
Public Health Insurance Marketplace ,
Qualified Health Plans ,
Settlement ,
Sherman Act ,
State Health Insurance Exchanges
Cyber Risk Insurance Policies: What You Need to Know -
Editor’s Note: As data breach incidents and related cyber risks continue to increase and gain publicity—and government agencies become more actively involved in...more
2/25/2015
/ Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Cyber Insurance ,
Cybersecurity ,
Data Breach ,
Data Protection ,
Data-Sharing ,
EHR ,
Electronic Medical Records ,
Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) ,
Healthcare ,
Hospital Mergers ,
Hospitals ,
Long-Term Care ,
Managed Care Contracts ,
Medical Records ,
The Clayton Act
Sharing Clinical Trial Data: Maximizing Benefits, Minimizing Risk -
Editor’s note: At the request of 23 public and private sector sponsors—including major life sciences companies, as well as U.S. and international...more
Executive Summary -
The past decade marked an era of seismic change in the Massachusetts health care market and one in which the Commonwealth led the nation in coverage and delivery system reform. In 2006,...more
“Healthcare-Related” Calls: Ambiguity at the Intersection of HIPAA and TCPA -
Editor’s Note: The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has established exemptions from certain requirements of the Telephone Consumer...more
11/21/2014
/ Business Associates ,
Covered Entities ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Draft Guidance ,
Electronic Medical Records ,
FCC ,
Health Care Providers ,
Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) ,
Healthcare ,
Hospitals ,
PHI ,
Physicians ,
Standard of Care ,
TCPA ,
Text Messages ,
Voicemail
Medicaid plays a central role in financing mental health and substance use disorder (SUD) services, accounting for 26 percent of all spending on behavioral health services in this country. Medicaid beneficiaries with...more
Engaging Consumers to Improve Integrated Care Models -
Integrated care is a growing trend in health reform, as states seek to improve care quality, health outcomes and patient satisfaction while containing healthcare...more
9/27/2013
/ ACOs ,
Affordable Care Act ,
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Health Insurance Exchanges ,
Healthcare ,
Integrated Care Program ,
Medicaid ,
Premiums ,
Qualified Health Plans ,
Subsidies ,
Tax Credits