AN ACT TO ENSURE EFFECTIVE HEALTH COST CONTROL: would require the Center for Health Information and Analysis to monitor, review, and evaluate reports related to single payer health care; provided, however, that the center shall also monitor the performance of single payer health care systems in other states and countries. It would establish a “single payer benchmark” that is an estimate of the total cost of providing health care to all residents of Massachusetts under a single payer health care system during the previous year, provided that the single payer health care system offers continuous, comprehensive, affordable coverage for all Massachusetts residents regardless of income, assets, health status, or availability of other health coverage. The center, in conjunction with the Health Policy Commission, would include in its annual report, a comparison of the “single payer benchmark” with the actual health care spending in the state for the previous year, indicating whether the state would have saved money while expanding access to care under a single payer health care system.
If at the outset of fiscal year 2018, the board determines that the single payer benchmark, as calculated by the Center, has outperformed the actual total health care spending and spending growth in the state, the Health Policy commission would (no later than June 30, 2019) submit a “Single Payer Health Care Implementation Plan” to the legislature for consideration. The Implementation Plan will be developed after holding public hearings and meetings across the state, and will consist of legislation to implement a single payer health care system for Massachusetts, and that offers continuous, comprehensive, affordable coverage for all Massachusetts residents regardless of income, assets, health status, or availability of other health coverage.