Massachusetts spending growth higher than reported

A newly identified reporting error from Harvard Pilgrim Health Care revealed the Commonwealth of Massachusetts is not holding down healthcare costs as well as officials believed, reports Boston Business Journal.

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A reporting error from Harvard Pilgrim Health Care caused Massachusetts health officials to underestimate healthcare spending growth from 2014. Officials have determined spending actually grew 4.1 percent in 2014, revised from 3.9 percent.

Massachusetts aims to maintain healthcare spending growth at no more than 3.6 percent.

Harvard Pilgrim Health Care discovered it failed to submit $117 million in claims within its preferred provider policy holders.

“It’s more troubling, no question about it,” said Stuart Altman, PhD, chair of the Health Policy Commission. “It’s not at the level we were seeing five years ago or longer, but we’re beginning to see this uptick, and it’s happening all over the country.”

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