According to the latest report from the state’s Center for Health Information and Analysis, spending at BCBS and Partners jumped 3.65 percent and 4 percent, respectively.
This is the first time Massachusetts has calculated spending growth throughout the healthcare system. In 2012, the state enacted cost control measures that established a target for annual spending increases. The cap was 3.6 percent for 2013, meaning Massachusetts finished last year below the bar. But officials still point to the insurance and academic medical center behemoths as drivers behind the 2.3 percent jump.
“You could almost say as goes Partners and Blue Cross Blue Shield, so goes Massachusetts,” CHIA Executive Director Aron Boros told The Boston Globe. The two are the largest payer and health system in the state: BCBS holds about 40 percent of the private health insurance market while Partners controls 28 percent of the provider market.
But BCBS and Partners said CHIA’s calculations are inaccurate. A BCBS spokesperson told The Globe the insurer has figures showing a more moderate 2.1 percent increase in spending, while a Partners spokesperson said costs grew faster than expected last year, but the health system will reduce costs over time by coordinating more care in community settings that have lower costs than academic medical centers.
“Slowing the trend of healthcare cost growth is a long-term effort, and it’s difficult to measure in a simple one-year snapshot,” Partners spokesperson Rich Copp told The Globe.
More articles on Massachusetts healthcare:
15 things to know about the deal between Partners HealthCare, Massachusetts AG Martha Coakley
Massachusetts will not shift to federally run marketplace
Massachusetts provider coalition opposes Partners HealthCare expansion
At the Becker's 11th Annual IT + Revenue Cycle Conference: The Future of AI & Digital Health, taking place September 14–17 in Chicago, healthcare executives and digital leaders from across the country will come together to explore how AI, interoperability, cybersecurity, and revenue cycle innovation are transforming care delivery, strengthening financial performance, and driving the next era of digital health. Apply for complimentary registration now.
