Contact: Richard P. Gulla
Tel: 781-434-7101
E-mail: rgulla@mms.org
Waltham, Mass. -- December 2, 2011 -- Saying that "consolidation
and integration is happening everywhere in health care in the
state," Massachusetts Medical Society President Lynda Young, M.D.
told Society members today that the Society will continue to have
an active and robust voice in state health care reform, as public
officials, business and health industry leaders, and providers move
into the critical arena of health care payment reform.
Dr. Young's delivered her remarks as part of her President's
Report to the House of Delegates, made at the Society's 2011
Interim Meeting of the House of Delegates.
"By any measure," said Dr. Young, "the health care reform law is
a tremendous success. More than 400,000 people have insurance
today who didn't have it five years ago. But we left one important
issue unaddressed - the cost of care." And that, she said,
continues to be the great debate.
Noting that the conversation on health care cost control has
been heavily influenced by the state's Chapter 305, which recommend
a system of global payments, the Attorney General's report that
discovered widely disparate payments to hospital systems, and the
state's Chapter 288, designed to help small businesses cope with
soaring costs, Dr. Young was adamant about physician participation
in the process.
"Costs are coming out of health care, one way or another," Dr.
Young said, "the only question is how, and by how much. And
that's a conversation that we must be part of."
She told the delegates that the MMS voice on health reform
remains strong, as evidenced by the fact that the Society's
four major points on payment reform - proceed slowly, one size
doesn't fit all, include malpractice reform, and simplify
administration - were included in the Governor's payment reform
bill. She also expressed the probability that they will also be
included in the Legislature's version of the bill, likely to be
released in 2012.
With respect to rate control, Dr. Young also delivered a clear
message to the delegates. While the government has a role to
play in health reform, it should not be rate setting. "The better
role for government," she said, "is to set the goal and hold
everyone accountable for reaching that goal. Let the people on the
front lines decide how to reach that goal."
"We must stay at the table in all of these discussions," Dr.
Young told the delegates. "Everyone wants us there, and we're
making a difference."
