The Foundation hosted a second webinar that featured a review of key facts and data about MassHealth eligibility, benefits and delivery systems, costs, and recent reforms from our October 2024 edition of the MassHealth: The Basics – Facts and Trends chart pack. The goal of this webinar was to provide participants with basic background information about MassHealth, including what benefits MassHealth covers, who it serves, program spending, and a status update on the state’s latest delivery reform efforts. NOTE: This webinar covered the same content as our November 2024 webinar on MassHealth: The Basics. 

The Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts Foundation and Community Catalyst hosted an important discussion about hospital community benefit in Massachusetts. In Fiscal Year 2015, Massachusetts hospitals reported to the Attorney General’s office approximately $570 million in aggregate community benefit expenditures, a significant investment in the health of communities across the Commonwealth. Many hospitals also make contributions through the Massachusetts Department of Health’s Determination of Need program and municipal Payment In Lieu of Tax programs.

A report featuring an analysis of hospital community benefit activities in Massachusetts that examines how hospitals have been fulfilling their community obligations and offers recommendations for ensuring those hospital resources have the desired impact on community health was presented by authors Paul Hattis of Tufts University School of Medicine and community health advocate Enid Eckstein followed by a panel discussion with community and health care leaders who shared their perspective on the report’s data and recommendations.

The Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts Foundation hosted an event to discuss affordability of, access to and satisfaction with health care among seniors in Massachusetts. There are almost one million seniors in MA and while most enjoy broad coverage and protection against the cost of many health care services through Medicare, they may also face significant gaps, finding themselves responsible for substantial deductibles, coinsurance and copayments. This can put incredible strain on seniors, forcing tough choices and leaving them vulnerable.

The event included:

• A presentation of July, 2015 survey results assessing the perspectives of seniors on the issues of affordability of, access to and satisfaction with their health care coverage by Robert Blendon of the Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health.

• A presentation by Nancy Turnbull of the Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health providing an overview of the many private and public coverage programs available to seniors to help fill the gaps in Medicare.

Followed by a panel discussion.

This event discussed the challenges and implications of the counter-cyclical nature of the Medicaid program and options to reduce reactive swings in MassHealth funding and scope of services that come with downturns in the economy.

Please join MassHealth, the Massachusetts Medicaid Policy Institute (MMPI), and the Center for Health Care Strategies (CHCS) for a series of stakeholder meetings to solicit broad public input as MassHealth begins to develop a new ACO program.

Click here to R.S.V.P.

MassHealth, MMPI, and CHCS will host four sessions:

(1) ACO Kick-Off Symposium - See Agenda

Date: June 12, 2014
Time: 1:00 - 5:00 pm
Location: Omni Parker House - Ballroom; 60 School Street, Boston, MA  02108
Audience: All interested stakeholders
Download the PowerPoint Presentations

(2) ACO Input Session – Focused on Provider Experience - See Agenda

Date: June 24, 2014
Time: 9:00 am - 12:00 pm
Location: Omni Parker House Hotel – Kennedy Room, 60 School Street, Boston, MA   02108
Audience: Providers
Download the PowerPoint Presentation

(3) ACO Input Session – Focused on Member Experience - See Agenda

Date: June 24, 2014
Time: 1:00 - 4:00 pm
Location: Omni Parker House Hotel – Kennedy Room, 60 School Street, Boston, MA   02108
Audience: Consumers and consumer advocates
Download the PowerPoint Presentation

(4) ACO Input Session – Focused on Health Plan Experience - See Agenda

Date: June 25, 2014
Time: 1:00 - 4:00 pm
Location: Omni Parker House Hotel – Kennedy Room, 60 School Street, Boston, MA   02108
Audience: Health Plans
Download the PowerPoint Presentation

This information is also available on the state's procurement website here.

As Massachusetts continues the debate on health care costs and the next wave of health reform it grows increasingly important to understand public's opinion on these topics. This event presented the findings of a poll led by researchers at the Harvard Opinion Research Program. The poll touched on a number of different questions including the public's perception of major cost drivers, who they believe should take the lead on addressing costs and how important is it for the state to take major action. The presentation was followed by a panel discussion about the polling results.

This event, co-hosted with the Access Project, Health Law Advocates and the Massachusetts Hospital Association, discussed the lingering burden of medical debt in Massachusetts even as health insurance coverage in the state expands.

Of the more than 1.8 million people enrolled in MassHealth, Massachusetts’ Medicaid program, one in five are dually eligible and receive health care coverage through two distinct payers – Medicare and MassHealth. In the coming weeks, the Foundation will be releasing a comprehensive set of materials that aims to help policymakers and other interested stakeholders better understand the characteristics and needs of the dual eligible population in Massachusetts, the programs that serve them, and proposed reforms to improve care integration and quality for dual eligible MassHealth members.

This webinar featured a presentation by the authors from Manatt Health and highlighted key takeaways from the educational primer on the dual eligible population in Massachusetts. Participants learned about:

• The diversity of dual eligible members, and how they vary by age, gender, race/ethnicity, clinical need, and functional status, among other characteristics.
• Their especially complex care needs, and how they translate to more costly care relative to other MassHealth or Medicare-only populations.
• The integrated care programs that coordinate Medicare and MassHealth benefits, simplify administrative processes, and align financing through a single program.
• The Duals Demonstration 2.0 – reforms proposed by MassHealth to standardize and grow enrollment in its two largest integrated care programs while ensuring transparency, choice, and quality of care.
   

Click here to access the webinar recording. 

MassHealth Matters: Priorities for the New Administration

Responsible for the health care coverage of nearly 1.7 million individuals and $13.7 billion in related expenditures, the future of MassHealth matters to all of us in the Commonwealth. On the morning of December 9th, the Massachusetts Medicaid Policy Institute (MMPI), a program of the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts Foundation held an event featuring a presentation of the findings from a report by Manatt Health Solutions. With a new governor-elect and new members of the MA Legislature, this report, based on over 40 interviews with a range of stakeholders and policy experts, can serve as a catalyst for an on-going dialogue around the key issues, opportunities and policy options for MassHealth in the next four years. The event featured a panel of key stakeholders who are invested in MassHealth and the people it serves.

Click here to watch the video featured at this event.

The Foundation’s Massachusetts Medicaid Policy Institute (MMPI) hosted a webinar with chart pack authors Carol Gyurina and Lissette Victoriano from the Commonwealth Medicine Division at the University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School. The goal of the webinar was to provide participants with basic background information about MassHealth, including what benefits MassHealth covers, who it serves, program spending, and a status update on the state’s delivery reform efforts.

The Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts Foundation held an event on Thursday, January 31st on the topic of creating a model behavioral health system in Massachusetts. The event featured a presentation by Manatt Health on the findings from a new report that analyzes the current state of the Massachusetts behavioral health care delivery system, identifies gaps and challenges in the system, and proposes a series of recommendations to help move Massachusetts toward a model behavioral health system. The proposed model system is inclusive of all payers and intends to deliver coordinated, whole-person, and recovery-focused care to individuals with mental health and substance use disorder care needs across the state; the model is based on programs, policies, and practices that have demonstrated success.

Following the presentation of findings, there was a moderated discussion among national experts. They spoke to existing programs or models in other states that have accomplished aspects of what Massachusetts is striving for and key considerations for Massachusetts as it envisions moving toward this model system. Confirmed panelists include:

• Stuart Buttlaire, PhD, Regional Director of Behavioral Health Inpatient, Continuing Care, and Addiction Medicine, Kaiser Permanente
• John O'Brien, Senior Consultant, Technical Assistance Collaborative, Incc
• Kimá Taylor, MD, MPH, Managing Principal, Anka Consulting LLC

Please join us on Wednesday, December 13th for an event featuring key findings from a forthcoming report focused on developing a vision and action plan for achieving a racially and ethnically equitable health care delivery system in Massachusetts. Accompanying the report we will release a “Health Equity Action Plan Toolkit,” which identifies a comprehensive set of interventions, policies, and programs from around the country that can be deployed by health system leaders and other stakeholders to achieve health equity goals.

This in person event will include a presentation by our partners at Manatt Health who will describe the vision and plan for action—collectively the “Health Equity Action Plan”—for achieving a racially and ethnically equitable health care delivery system in Massachusetts. The agenda will also feature a panel of reactors that will speak to the proposed approach to launch this action plan in Massachusetts. A formal agenda and list of speakers will be shared prior to the event.

Registration is closed.

On December 7, 2017, the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts Foundation, The Boston Foundation, Citizens’ Housing and Planning Association, and the Massachusetts Association of Community Development Corporations hosted an event featuring hospital institutions and their approaches to investing in housing. The event highlighted the diverse models of seven institutions across the country and state, key successes, and lessons learned, as represented by the following speakers:

National Panel

• Penrose Jackson, Director, Community Health Improvement, The University of Vermont Medical Center
• George Kleb, Executive Director, Housing & Community Development, Bon Secours Baltimore Health System
• Monica J. Mitchell, PhD, Senior Director, Community Relations, and Professor, Division of Behavioral Medicine and Clinical Psychology, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital

Massachusetts Panel

• Shari Nethersole, MD, Executive Director for Community Health, Boston Children’s Hospital
• Joan Quinlan, MPA, Vice President for Community Health, Massachusetts General Hospital
• Frank Robinson, PhD, Vice President, Public Health, Baystate Health
• Megan Sandel, MD, MPH, Principal Investigator, Children’s HealthWatch, Boston Medical Center

This webinar featured a review of key facts and data about MassHealth eligibility, benefits and delivery systems, costs, and recent reforms from our October 2024 edition of the MassHealth: The Basics – Facts and Trends chart pack. The goal of the webinar was to provide participants with basic background information about MassHealth, including what benefits MassHealth covers, who it serves, program spending, and a status update on the state’s latest delivery reform efforts.

The Foundation hosted a webinar on Thursday, March 20th on the topic of potential threats to subsidized health insurance coverage and financing in Massachusetts under the new federal administration. The goals of the webinar were to:

• Provide a high-level overview of MassHealth, the Health Connector, and publicly subsidized health insurance programs in Massachusetts.
• Describe the changes in federal health care financing and policy related to subsidized coverage that are likely being considered by the new federal administration.
• Provide estimates, based on existing data, on the impact of these potential changes (in terms of dollars or lives) in Massachusetts.

The webinar featured a presentation by our colleagues at Manatt Health, as well as time for audience Q&A.