Gov. Patrick has proposed legislation seeking to temper health care costs in the Commonwealth. See what witnesses had to say in their testimony. Watch video
Gov. Deval Patrick provided testimony on Massachusetts' health insurance law Monday, telling members of the Joint Committee on Health Care Financing that rising health insurance premiums have "nothing to do with our 2006 health care reform."
Patrick acknowledged, however, that health care costs remain a major roadblock to the state's economic recovery, saying, "I have yet to meet a small business owner in the state who doesn’t see health care costs as a significant impediment to adding jobs."
Patrick was the major witness at the hearing held to explore legislation he has proposed, which he says would "hasten the move to integrated, high quality care and lower costs to consumers." Read the testimony [PDF] »
Also testifying Monday, as reported by the State House News Service, were:
Attorney General Martha Coakley, who warned that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to controlling health care costs, saying that her office will complete a follow-up review on Massachusetts health reform by June.
Economic Development Secretary Gregory Bialecki, who testified that, "We don’t see any evidence that the kind of changes the governor is advocating for in this bill will have that kind of negative effect on employment."
Sen. Richard Moore, who expressed concern that Patrick's proposal did not address the cost of implementation. "We’ve got a have a financial plan for how to get this implemented, and I don’t see it in the bill,” Moore said.
Finance Secretary Jay Gonzalez, who — addressing Moore's point — said he did not have a cost estimate on the bill, but said its “modest costs to state government” would produce a “huge return on investment.”
Lynn Nicholas, president and CEO of the Massachusetts Hospital Association, who called the proposal a "government-centric, Cabinet-centric approach that is highly regulatory and doesn’t strike the right balance” in giving hospitals a role to play in reform.
Rep. Jason Lewis, and Sen. Jamie Eldridge, who said the proposal didn't go far enough, advocating for a public option. “I’m a proponent of a universal single payer health care system, but should we feel that is further than we are able to go at this time, I do feel including a public insurance option would be appropriate and reasonable,” Lewis said.
Art Lerner, an attorney for the Massachusetts Association of Health Plans, who warned of the dangers of market consolidation. “The danger of ACOs [Accountable Care Organizations] is that physicians may be pressured to join larger groups and they use this clout to negotiate for higher prices,” Lerner said.
Embedded below is Gov. Patrick's full testimony:
Information from The State House News Service was used in this post.