By Representative Williams of Springfield, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 1418) of Bud L. Williams for legislation to provide funding for the African Diaspora Mental Health Association's State-of-the-Art Clinic. Health Care Financing.
By Representative Cusack of Braintree, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 1120) of Mark J. Cusack relative to patient access to primary care services. Financial Services.
By Representative Haggerty of Woburn, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 1370) of Richard M. Haggerty and Mike Connolly relative to primary care and for the creation of a primary care council (including members of the General Court). Health Care Financing.
HD 963 requires all health insurance plans in Massachusetts to cover "prenatal pediatric visits" - defined as appointments between a pregnant person and a pediatrician to establish a family-pediatric partnership - as recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics. The bill directly affects state employees, Medicaid members, and individuals with private health insurance, group hospital plans, and health maintenance contracts. Key provisions mandate coverage for these visits in state employee plans (Ch. 32A), Medicaid managed care (Ch. 118E), private health insurance (Ch. 175), and other covered plans (Chs. 176A, 176B, 176G). Insurers must also provide written notice to members about this coverage, prominently included in annual communications. The policy change standardizes this specific preventive care coverage across multiple insurance categories without altering eligibility or funding.
This bill amends Massachusetts law (Chapter 201D) to update terminology related to healthcare decision-making. It replaces "attending physician" with "attending health care provider" throughout the law, explicitly including nurse practitioners and psychiatric nurse mental health clinical specialists as qualified decision-makers. This change directly affects patients who have designated a health care proxy, clarifying that their primary care provider (not limited to physicians) can legally act under the proxy. The key mechanism is a consistent terminology update across multiple sections of the law to reflect modern healthcare team structures.
This bill amends Massachusetts law to strengthen family medicine residency programs and improve access to family physicians. It requires residency programs to last 3-4 years (up from 9-12 months), mandates that residents see patients for 40 weeks annually, and adds "family medicine" and "family physicians" to key definitions. The Health Care Workforce Center must prioritize programs that place graduates in underserved areas, attract underrepresented groups, or operate in high-need locations. Funding must cover at least 85% of CMS reimbursement rates for all residency years. The changes directly affect family medicine residency programs, the Workforce Center, and patients in underserved communities.
This bill establishes a legal framework for direct primary care (DPC) in Massachusetts, allowing patients to enter into membership agreements with primary care providers for a fixed fee. The agreements must cover specific primary care services at a set periodic rate, prohibit providers from billing insurance for those services, and clearly state the arrangement is not health insurance. Both patients and providers can terminate the agreement without penalty after up to 60 days' notice. The bill directly affects patients seeking alternative primary care options and providers offering DPC services in Massachusetts.
This bill prohibits health insurance carriers from denying payment for covered services solely because a patient was referred by a provider outside the carrier's network. It directly affects insurance companies (carriers) and their enrollees (patients), ensuring referrals from out-of-network doctors don't lead to denied claims. The key provision appears repeatedly across multiple chapters of health insurance law, mandating that payment decisions cannot be based on the referral source alone. The bill does not change coverage for specific treatments or alter prescription rules, focusing solely on referral-based payment denials. It applies to all health plans governed by the referenced statutes.
This bill requires Massachusetts health insurance plans to cover colorectal cancer screenings starting at age 30 with no out-of-pocket costs. It applies to Commonwealth employees (active/retired), Medicaid recipients, and private insurance policies (both individual and group plans). Covered screenings include colonoscopy, FIT tests, and other medically necessary methods, with all related services (like lab work, facility fees, or biopsies) fully covered without co-pays, deductibles, or additional charges. The law mandates this coverage for all specified screening options as determined by a patient’s primary care physician.
By Mr. Oliveira, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 900) of Jacob R. Oliveira for legislation to promote primary care through Medicaid graduate medical education funding. Health Care Financing.
