Press Release  HPC TO HOST VIRTUAL POLICY COMMITTEE MEETINGS ON WEDNESDAY

BOSTON — Monday, May 4, 2020 – The Massachusetts Health Policy Commission (HPC) will hold back-to-back committee meetings this Wednesday, May 6, 2020, from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM. The Market Oversight and Transparency (MOAT) committee meeting will begin at 10:00 AM, followed by the Care Delivery Transformation (CDT) committee meeting at 11:00 AM. The meetings will be broadcast live via the HPC's YouTube Channel. An agenda for both meetings can be found here. 

At the MOAT meeting, the HPC will discuss the new data collection and reporting timeline for 2020 and 2021, and review national data on the potential impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the health care system by examining key dynamics and effects on spending and utilization, potential impacts on market participants, and potential opportunities for the HPC to support and inform policy efforts during and after the crisis. Staff will also present data from a new chartpack on the extent and implications of out-of-network billing in Massachusetts, featuring the most up-to-date data available (2017). This analysis, available to the public on Wednesday, May 6, builds upon and updates previous HPC work to now include more insurers and settings. The Baker-Polito administration took action recently in an effort to protect patients from potential “surprise bills” related to COVID-19 care by prohibiting balance billing for patients who are treated by providers outside of their insurance network.

At the CDT meeting, commissioners will review results from a new policy brief examining the nurse practitioner (NP) workforce in Massachusetts. In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Baker-Polito administration temporarily waived supervision requirements for NPs, which 28 states have already eliminated. Aiming to help inform the discussion around scope of practice requirements in the Commonwealth and other aspects of care provided by advanced-practice registered nurses, this policy brief provides a first-in-the-nation analysis of the involvement of NPs in the care of commercially-insured residents. The policy brief will be released publicly Wednesday, May 6. Additionally, commissioners will receive updates on the new Moving Massachusetts Upstream (MassUP) investment program, a $2 million funding opportunity for provider organizations and community partners, and the top-line results from the evaluation of the HPC's telemedicine pilot program, a pathway of the Health Care Innovation and Investment (HCII) program.

The HPC is grateful for those working on the front lines to stem the tide of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. We remain open as a remote workplace. All public inquiries can be sent via email to HPC-Info@mass.gov, or phone to (617) 979-1400. The Office of Patient Protection can be reached at HPC-OPP@mass.gov, or phone to (800) 436-7757. Please visit the HPC's website (www.mass.gov/hpc) and Twitter account (@Mass_HPC) for further updates.

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The Massachusetts Health Policy Commission (HPC) is an independent state agency that develops policy to reduce health care cost growth and improve the quality of patient care. The HPC's mission is to advance a more transparent, accountable, and innovative health care system through its independent policy leadership and investment programs. The HPC’s goal is better health and better care – at a lower cost – across the Commonwealth.

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