Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill that amends various healthcare laws.

Highlights:

• Requires the Center for Health Information and Analysis to recommend a methodology for developing a single payer benchmark, which will be utilized to determine the potential costs of a single payer healthcare system in Massachusetts (Sec. 145A).

• Requires the Center for Health Information and Analysis, the Health Policy Commission, and the Division of Insurance to provide an annual report comparing actual health care expenditures and expenditures estimated under the benchmark for the years 2016, 2017, and 2018 (Sec. 145A).

• Requires the Health Policy Commission, should such a report indicate a lower cost for a single payer system for any year studied, to develop and submit a single payer health care implementation plan within one year (Sec. 145A).

• Prohibits insurers from declining to provide coverage for services solely because such services were delivered through telemedicine (Sec. 96).

• Requires insurers to cover services delivered through telemedicine to the same extent as if such services were delivered in-person (Sec. 96).

• Specifies that health care providers shall not be required to document a barrier to in-person services when providing telemedicine services (Sec. 99).

• Specifies that telemedicine services shall conform to all applicable standards of care (Sec. 99).

• Establishes a task force to study the impact to state agencies of joining a non-Medicaid multistate prescription drug bulk purchasing consortium (Sec. 139).

• Requires the Office of Medicaid to report on potential cost savings through joining a Medicaid multistate prescription drug bulk purchasing consortium (Sec. 140).

• Authorizes nurse practitioners, nurse anesthetists, and psychiatric nurses to prescribe medication (Sec. 51).

• Authorizes dental therapists to administer analgesics, anti-inflammatories, and antibiotics under the supervision of a licensed practitioner (Sec. 59).

• Authorizes dental therapists to be licensed and practice under the supervision of a dental practitioner and regulates such practice (Sec. 80).

• Authorizes optometrists to prescribe certain medications (Sec. 83).

• Establishes the Mobile Integrated Health Care Trust Fund (Sec. 41).

• Establishes the Hospital Alignment and Review Trust Fund (Sec. 41).

• Establishes the Prevention and Wellness Trust Fund (Sec. 69).

Full Bill Text