On May 25, 2016, Governor Charlie Baker, Senate President Stanley Rosenberg and House Speaker Robert DeLeo announced a deal addressing our state’s unfair hospital payment system and ensuring a path forward to protect community hospitals.

The legislative agreement reforms the Special Commission to Review Variation in Prices among Providers, adjusts MassHealth rates and provides financial relief for community hospitals.

This agreement is a first substantive step toward leveling the Massachusetts healthcare playing field and tackling the issue of inequity in healthcare reimbursement.

Most important, it reflects the framework we have proposed all along – clear timelines and deliverables for comprehensive policy solutions to be developed by a broad range of stakeholders and immediate relief for community hospitals.

Thanks to your tireless advocacy, we elevated the long-overdue discussion about pricing disparities to the forefront of statewide public policy debate. We have more work to do with leadership and stakeholders, and we will keep pushing to move the conversation forward.