Sharing ideas with others in the industry is critical as we move forward with federal and state health care reform, and the issues of unsustainable health care cost increases, disparities in care, and continued uncertain fiscal times.  The GIC’s staff participates in a variety of federal and state organizations that are also leading the way in health care.  The GIC’s Executive Director serves as a board member of the following organizations:

National

  • National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) and its Accountable Care Organization Task Force – as Board President of the U.S. accrediting organization for managed care plans, physicians, and medical homes.
  • National Quality Forum and its Measure Applications Partnership – advises the federal Secretary of Health and Human Services on patient safety and quality measurements.
  • Milbank Foundation Advisory Committee – publishes health care research.
  • Consumer-Purchasers Disclosure Project Leadership Team (Pacific Group on Health) – purchasers and consumers that are pressing for use of and reporting of physician quality and cost measurements.
  • Catalyst for Payment Reform – as a a founding member of this organization led by health care purchasers devoted to improve quality and reduce costs by identifying and coordinating workable solutions to how we pay for health care in the U.S.

State

  • Massachusetts Health Connector Authority – Massachusetts exchange that runs Commonwealth Care and Commonwealth Choice and implemented Chapter 58, the Massachusetts health reform law.
  • Institute for Clinical and Economic Review (ICER) Advisory Committee – appraises the clinical effectiveness and comparative value of new and existing health care interventions.
  • Other Post-Employment Benefits Commission (OPEB) - investigates and studies retiree health care and other non-pension benefits in an effort to reduce the cost of future benefits, preserve public employee benefits, and prevent budget cuts in other areas.
  • State Retiree Benefit Trust Fund – funds and pays for the state share of retiree health insurance premiums.
  • Statewide Quality Advisory Committee - makes recommendations to the Department of Public Health (DPH) for promulgation of quality-related measures.
  • Massachusetts Health Care Quality and Cost Council and its committees on payment reform, performance measurement, cost containment and communications/transparency – provided information to the public about health care quality and cost.  This Council continued its work throughout the fiscal year, and was dissolved at the end of the fiscal year with the advent of new health care reform legislation.

Other GIC staff also collaborate with others to implement national and state health reform legislation (Federal Health Care Reform Implementation Working Group, Small Business/Chapter 288 Implementation Group, ACA Re-Insurance, Risk Adjustment and Risk Corridors Workgroup), consolidating and sharing databases (Inter-Agency Analytic Group and All-Payer Claims Database and its technical and analytic subcommittee), and increasing the number of medical home programs (Primary Care Medical Home Initiative).  The GIC also continues to be active in the New England Employee Benefits Council and the GIC’s Communications Director was appointed to its Board of Directors at the end of the fiscal year.

This information provided by the Group Insurance Commission.