Affordability

Massachusetts leads the nation in health care coverage rates, but that does not guarantee access to affordable care.

New Polling on Health Care Affordability in Massachusetts

Survey shows that Massachusetts residents are struggling to afford high health care costs, worry about affording care and support government actions to improve health care affordability

Health Care Cost

Massachusetts leads the nation in health care coverage rates, but that does not guarantee access to affordable care. While the state has seen success in curbing overall health care spending, the same cannot be said for the cost consumers face. Health care costs for Massachusetts residents have been going up year after year. Premiums, deductibles, and co-pays keep getting more expensive and are rising faster than people’s income and twice as fast as overall health care spending. This is straining family budgets, asking consumers to shoulder more than their fair share of costs and putting care out of reach for many across the state.

What is HCFA doing to address this problem?

HCFA is working with legislators, the Health Policy Commission, and the Division of Insurance to ensure health insurance is affordable, accessible, and meets consumers’ needs. This means HCFA needs to advocate for policies that address rising premiums and out of pocket costs by building on our state’s unique cost control structures like the Commonwealth’s cost trends benchmark. The benchmark has played an important role in controlling health care costs. However, these structures must also focus on protecting consumers from rising costs and better address the driving forces behind cost increases.

HCFA is also currently working to protect consumers from surprise out-of-network medical bills and to reduce out-of-pocket costs for certain high-value treatments and medications.

What has been accomplished already to address this problem?

HCFA is working to build a coalition of health care consumers, advocates for children’s health and mental health, community leaders, faith-based groups, and health care stakeholders.

Recent legislative accomplishments include:

  • Passage of a law to increase the accuracy of health plan provider directories to improve access to timely and appropriate care
  • Passage of a law to improve confidentiality when accessing sensitive health care services using private health insurance

How can I get involved?

Email Health Care For All’s Co-Director of Policy & Government Relations, Alex Sheff.

Email Alex to learn more

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Care Defender

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