Massachusetts - Health Care for All!

Earlier this week, Massachusetts made a bold move to sign a bill that would provide health care for everyone within the state. There is much being said about the this plan - naysaying, backslapping and feelings of relief. The bill appears very complicated with a mixture of both public and commercial entities coming together to ensure everyone is covered under a health benefit. This mixing has been happening for years and continues with fire frequency. The "big flip" that continues from public health care insurances being managed by commercial insurance carriers. i.e. Medicaid Managed Care programs and Medicare Managed Care programs all being provided by commercial insurance carriers, United Healthcare (Behavioral Health in our field), Mallegan, Humana, Cigna and many many more. While I agree that reform of this system means that not only is everyone covered but that the coverage has some oversight into what a medically necessary service would be for a specific patient. For example, performing an MMPI (personality testing on every client that is seen at a clinic) is would not be necessary yet this has been a practice in the past of some clinics. I am concerned with the complication and fragmentation of the bill. As we have seen with Medicare Part D with 30 + insurance plans per state our providers, elders and disabled population are overwhelmed being lost in the confusion of multiple plans. If you are having difficulty navigating Behavioral Managed Care Systems PESI is providing a seminar to assist clinicians with tips to getting what their patients need.

I tip my hat to Massachusetts for being willing to take a step towards Universal Health Care and try and make it work. The consensus I have heard from others and that I agree with is this feeling of hope right or wrong towards change whether it works or not; It is a opening.