Press Release  HMOs Provided $193 Million in Community Benefits for Massachusetts Residents in Fiscal Year 2016

Boston — Six Massachusetts Health Maintenance Organizations (HMOs) provided more than $193 million in community benefits for Massachusetts residents in Fiscal Year 2016 according to reports published today by Attorney General Maura Healey’s Office. 

In addition to funding a range of community benefits programs, these HMOs contributed more than $139 million to the state’s Health Safety Net, which pays for care for uninsured and underinsured residents who do not have access to affordable health coverage.

“The millions of dollars in community benefits provided by HMOs help address the health needs of our most vulnerable residents,” AG Healey said. “We are pleased that these organizations have demonstrated their continued commitment to the principles of the Community Benefits Program.”

AG Healey’s Community Benefits Program supports a key component of the mission of hospitals and HMOs. The office’s Community Benefits Guidelines  encourage hospitals and HMOs to build upon their commitment to address unmet community health needs and social determinants of health each year by formalizing their approach to planning for annual benefits, collaborating with community representatives in developing programs, and filing annual reports with the Attorney General’s Office on their efforts. 

In April 2017, AG Healey convened health care experts for the first meeting of the office’s Advisory Task Force on Community Benefits, which is examining potential updates to the AG’s Community Benefits Program. Task Force members are discussing strategies for advancing statewide health priorities and exploring recommendations to better align resources and standards across common programs to build the long-term capacity of communities to improve health outcomes and reduce disparities.

Last month, the AG’s Office announced that Massachusetts hospitals provided $644 million in community benefits in Fiscal Year 2016. All annual reports are available at www.mass.gov/ago/communitybenefits.

The Community Benefits Program is managed by Project Manager Elana Brochin, Legal Analyst Perusi Namulwa, and Assistant Attorney General Sandra Wolitzky, under the guidance of Senior Counsel Karen Tseng, of AG Healey’s Health Care and Fair Competition Bureau.

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