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2025 Massachusetts Snapshot
The Healthcare Affordability Snapshot provides legislators, consumer advocates, regulators and other stakeholders a tool to compare their state’s health policies across other states. The categories examined in this resource explore a variety of policy options that have previously appeared in the Scorecard, as well as additional policies that impact health care affordability. Policies were selected […]
Read MoreSurvey: Many insured Massachusetts residents still avoid doctor visits due to cost concerns
Thousands of Massachusetts residents with health insurance are avoiding or delaying doctor visits because of high out‑of‑pocket costs according to the biennial Massachusetts Health Insurance Survey released in December, reports The Inquirer and Mirror. Survey data indicates that even insured individuals cite premiums, co‑pays, and deductibles as barriers to seeking care, with many saying financial […]
Read MoreExperts warn Medicaid & ACA cuts could deepen health care struggles in Massachusetts
Experts say cuts to Medicaid and Affordable Care Act programs could significantly harm health care access and affordability in Massachusetts, reports The Heights. Panelists highlighted that reductions in federal funding and eligibility changes threaten to increase uninsurance, push up premiums, and strain providers. Stakeholders noted that these shifts may worsen existing disparities in care access […]
Read MorePoll: Massachusetts Residents Report Health Care Access and Affordability Challenges
A recent statewide poll in Massachusetts found that one-third of respondents said they had delayed or skipped care due to cost in the past year, and 25% said cost caused them to delay or skip care for a dependent, reports the CommonWealth Beacon. Significant access challenges were also reported: about 20 % waited more than two […]
Read MoreReport: Red Lights on the Way to Health Care
In Massachusetts, geographic obstacles such as long travel times and limited local hospital availability can create hidden affordability burdens, especially in rural or underserved regions, reports the CommonWealth Beacon. Hospital consolidation and funding pressures (including possible cuts to Medicaid) are raising concerns that cost-burdens and access-gaps will widen for vulnerable populations. As a part of the Critical Condition project, […]
Read MoreMassachusetts Orders Insurers to Cover Vaccines based on Health Department Guidance
The state of Massachusetts has mandated that health insurers must cover any vaccines recommended by its Department of Public Health, even if those vaccines are not endorsed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), reports Becker’s Payer Issues. The policy is billed as a way to ensure vaccines remain affordable and accessible, by preventing cost […]
Read MoreMassachusetts Consumers to Receive Health Insurance Rebates
More than 350,000 Massachusetts residents will receive $75.6 million in rebates from health insurers, reports WBUR. State insurance regulators announced Tuesday that the rebates will total $75.6 million and benefit people covered by individual or small employer plans issued by five insurance carriers. In 2024, a similar round of rebates totaled $51.6 million. Under Massachusetts law, the […]
Read MoreReport: Massachusetts Ranks No. 1 in Health Care Affordability and Access
Massachusetts continues to lead the nation in health care affordability and access, reports WWLP 22. The Commonwealth Fund’s 2025 Scorecard ranks the state first overall, following similar results in past years. The state was also recently recognized for having the top health system for women’s health and reproductive care.
Read MoreMassachusetts Reviews Long-Term Effects of Major Hospital Merger
The Massachusetts Health Policy Commission voted Thursday to conduct a comprehensive review of the impacts of the 2019 merger that formed Beth Israel Lahey Health, reports the Boston Globe. The review will evaluate how the merger has impacted health care costs, access, quality, and market competition. This follows a request from the Department of Public Health […]
Read MoreMassachusetts Expands Authority to Decrease Out-of-Pocket Costs
Massachusetts has enacted new rules limiting how much health insurers can increase deductibles and copays, reports the Worcester Business Journal. Starting in 2026, cost-sharing increases must be capped at the rate of medical inflation, which is currently about 4.8%. The law also strengthens the insurance division’s authority to review proposed premium increases. Regulators must now […]
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