Cost-control is a major priority for Massachusetts’ job creators.
Will MassHealth Revamp Help Small Biz Taxpayers?
Gov. Charlie Baker recently received federal approval to overhaul Massachusetts’ Medicaid program, MassHealth. The program, funded by taxpayers, provides care to 1.9 million low-income people, reported the Boston Globe, and the overhaul aims to control costs while providing better care.
MassHealth currently operates on a fee-for-service basis but will transition to accountable care, in which doctors and hospitals get a set amount of budgeted funding rather than payment for each individual service.
Since Massachusetts was scheduled to lose $1 billion in annual federal funding for MassHealth in July 2017, per agreement with federal officials, Baker’s administration took the chance to revamp the program. Given the fact that spending on MassHealth makes up nearly 40 percent of state spending, significant changes must be made to control costs and reduce the burden on taxpayers, particularly small businesses.
