Health Care
Quality and Cost Council
Recommendations for the Massachusetts Health Care Quality and Cost Council’s Three Year Reporting Plan
July 2, 2009 - The Massachusetts Health Care Quality and Cost Council released the final recommendations for a three-year reporting plan for its consumer friendly website –MyHealthCareOptions – prepared by Massachusetts Health Quality Partners (MHQP). The report details a plan for quality and cost measures to be calculated and displayed on the website for calendar years 2010, 2011, 2012 and beyond. For 2010, highlights of the report include expanding into physician group ambulatory care settings in 2010 as well as including new conditions of interest to consumers such as: hip and knee replacement, lower back pain, chronic diseases, and perinatal care services.
Annual Meeting - June 25, 2009
The HCQCC held its Annual Meeting on June 25, 2009 at the Hoagland-Pincus Conference Center at UMASS Medical School.
The keynote speaker Cathy Schoen, M.S., Senior Vice President at the Commonwealth Fund, and lead researcher on the Commission on a High Performance Health System’s State Scorecard, discussed health care system redesign and aligning payment reform with outcomes and shared new data from the Commission's 2009 State Scorecard.
The meeting also featured a panel of local reactors included Senator Richard Moore, Dr. Charlotte Yeh of AARP Services, Inc., Chief Medical Officer – former CMS regional administrator, Dr. Randy Wertheimer of Cambridge Health Alliance, and Eileen McAnneny of the Associated Industries of Massachusetts (AIM).
Additionally, the Council set its agenda and priorities for FY10 in small workgroups with audience members.
Meeting materials are available below:
- Meeting Agenda (PDF) | Word
- Aligning Payment Reform with Outcomes by Secretary Bigby (PPT) | RTF
- Quality Measures Handout (PDF) | Word
- Cost Measures Handout (PDF) | Word
- Path to a High Value Performance Health System: Improving Value and Achieving Savings by Cathy Shoen (PDF) | PPT | RTF
Analysis of Quality and Cost Measures and Display for the MyHealthCareOptions Website
April 15, 2009 - The Massachusetts Health Care Quality and Cost Council released the analysis of its consumer friendly website – MyHealthCareOptions – prepared by Massachusetts Health Quality Partners. The report identifies specific methodological changes to the website that the Council approved and will adopt.
Executive Summary (PDF) | Word
Full Report (PDF) | Word
Appendices A - D (PDF) | Excel
Appendices E - O (PDF) | Word
State Launches Consumer-Friendly Website Comparing Health Care Quality and Costs
Boston, December 10th, 2008 - Members of the Massachusetts Health Care Quality and Cost Council (HCQCC) gathered with members of the Legislature, health care advocates and consumers today for the launch of an interactive website designed to promote transparency in the health care industry.
The "My Health Care Options" website, mandated as part of Massachusetts' historic health care reform initiative, was developed to help control costs and improve the quality of care available to patients. Read press release
Visit: www.mass.gov/myhealthcareoptions
Annual Report
The Massachusetts Health Care Quality and Cost Council released its first Annual Report, which identifies specific strategies designed to improve health care quality while containing costs.
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