In the final days of the 18-month effort to pass health care cost containment legislation, state lawmakers have been making an intense 11th-hour attempt to address the market power of big, influential hospitals and hospital networks. Yet the House and Senate haven’t found common ground there — and their inability to do so shows just how complex the issue is.
Hospitals like Mass. General and Brigham and Women’s are landmark institutions vital to the Massachusetts economy. Yet these same institutions have led the upward march of health care prices. Every hospital must be part of the effort to rein in health care costs, and every hospital should be responsive to market pressures.
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The rational approach would be a budget for each hospital. Each month they would receive a check to run their institutions. Hospital costs are relatively fixed but have been acting that is not so. This comes about because hospitals are unsure of their payment source and it drives them to make poor decisions to gain revenue. The other benefit would be a reduction in billing costs and insurer by insurer negotiation costs.
The bottom line is that Massachusetts does not ++++ get that ++++ does not need another government department for political appointments to receive larger than life pensions and a life-long place at the trough. The Health Care Reform Act had a responsibility to curtail health care spending: but, didn't happen.*** NO Sirreee - the corporations, including hospital CEOs CONSTRUCTED the plan. Did anyone expect there would be checks & balances to curtail health service costs?