An Act strengthening market oversight of the Commonwealth's Health Care System

This bill strengthens oversight of Massachusetts healthcare providers by restricting those identified with high cost growth or performance issues from making significant operational changes until they meet specific cost benchmarks. It requires the state commission to annually review approved mergers and acquisitions to verify promised benefits like lower costs and improved quality, including collecting testimony and issuing public reports. If a merger fails to deliver these benefits, the commission can impose enhanced reviews, require corrective action plans, or block future changes for a year. Additionally, providers that exceed cost growth benchmarks after a failed merger may face financial adjustments affecting their payments to the state's Health Safety Net program.