May 9, 2012 | Comments Off on NEW EFFORTS UNVEILED TO CONTROL PAYMENTS TO MASSACHUSETTS HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS
Posted by Frank Ciesla
As a follow-up to my blog regarding the Massachusetts approach to payments to healthcare providers, the Massachusetts legislature is now attempting to control increases in reimbursement for medical care which is paid to healthcare providers. As can be seen, while there is a difference in approach between the Massachusetts House and Senate, both are attempting to control costs by reducing payments to providers.
As has been pointed out previously, the issue in healthcare is not just access, but affordability. It appears that the Massachusetts legislature is now attempting to control healthcare costs by controlling the payments to healthcare providers. There is no reason to believe that this approach ultimately will not also be taken at the federal level in regard to any federal healthcare program. As pointed out in our recent blog regarding the Medicare Trustee Report, the laws currently on the books at the federal level for Medicare will, unless changed, require a 30.9% reduction in payments to physicians as of January 1, 2013.