Legislative Report

provided by Edward J. Brennan, Jr., Esq.

1. Legislative Update: As the state legislature enters its final month of formal session which ends July 31, there are several major health care initiatives in play. 
   • Prescription Drug Costs: Senate has passed and sent to the House a bill (S.2695) providing State oversight of prescription drug costs.
   • Regulatory Barriers to Expansion of Large Health Care Systems: The House has passed and sent to the Senate a bill designed to help struggling community hospitals. 
   • Behavioral Health: Both the House and Senate have passed similar bills addressing behavioral health which are now before a conference committee to reconcile the differences. 
   • Gov. Baker filed health care reform bill. 
2. Cancer related legislation MSCO is monitoring:
   • Step Therapy: It goes to the Senate which is expected to pass it before the July 31 end of the formal legislative session.
   • Prescription Co-Pay Assistance
   • Co-Pay Accumulators
   • Fertility Preservation
3. Telehealth: MSCO continues to monitor the Massachusetts Division of Insurance (DOI) which released draft regulations to implement the telehealth provisions passed by the legislature in early 2021, including parity in reimbursement (equal to face to face services) for chronic disease management through the year 2022.