Gov. Charlie Baker unveiled a invoice Tuesday that he stated would assist increase entry to main care and psychological well being companies and assist management rising well being care and prescription drug prices.
The Republican detailed the laws throughout a cease at a well being care middle within the Dorchester neighborhood of Boston.
Baker stated the state has some unfinished enterprise relating to increasing well being care entry within the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
He stated the invoice goals to extend investments in behavioral well being care companies, management elements that drive up well being care prices and enhance entry to top quality coordinated look after folks coping with a number of well being care challenges.
“The pandemic demonstrated that whereas our well being care system does many factor very effectively _ and fortunately all of us noticed that first hand each single day _ we nonetheless have quite a few important points and issues we have to clear up,” he stated.
One of many high remaining challenges is ensuring that these in want of behavioral well being care companies are handled on par with these with bodily well being care wants.
The invoice would require well being care suppliers and payers to extend expenditures on main care and behavioral well being by 30% over three years, with the preliminary efficiency interval ending in 2024.
“I don’t assume I’ve discovered anyone in Massachusetts who thinks we have now sufficient folks taking part in within the behavioral well being area to care for the people who find themselves attempting to entry companies,” Baker stated, including that the state “had points with respect to entry to these companies earlier than the pandemic.”
Amy Rosenthal, government director of the nonprofit Well being Care For All, welcomed the invoice, saying it might assist improve entry to medication by reducing prices.
“We have to rein in rising prescription drug costs in order that people and households can afford their remedies and will not be pressured to decide on between placing meals on the desk or paying for his or her medicines,” Rosenthal stated in a written assertion.
The Massachusetts Senate in November unanimously accredited their very own invoice that might assure Massachusetts residents are eligible for annual psychological well being wellness exams for free of charge _ akin to annual bodily exams.
The sweeping invoice, which handed on a 39-0 vote, would create a web-based portal to assist easy the transition from emergency to longer-term care and dedicate $122 million to help almost 2,000 behavioral professionals. It could additionally implement current psychological well being parity legal guidelines, that are meant to make sure that insurance coverage protection for psychological well being care is the same as insurance coverage protection for different medical situations.
The invoice has been despatched to the Massachusetts Home.
The legislature’s formal session ends July 31.
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