The Massachusetts health care system faces significant challenges, including escalating costs, and a shortage of primary care doctors. And that's all led to longer waits and reduced access to essential care. At a hearing of the Financial Services Committee, one western Mass. family doctor expressed frustration over the lack of reform as she testified for the seventh time. Reporter Colin Young with the State House News Service unpacks the impact that this ongoing health care struggle has had on this doctor's practice and how lawmakers are addressing these concerns.
Colin Young, SHNS: Dr. Kate Atkinson, who has a handful of offices in western Massachusetts, told the Financial Services Committee that things are so difficult right now for medical practices, that she has had to lay off almost a dozen employees and is ending her Saturday hours — leaving her patients to find time in their busy weeks to get the health care that they need. And she said, “look, things have gotten only harder over the last decade plus.” And she has been coming back to Beacon Hill time and time again and there has been no action.
Health care and health care costs have been one of the most challenging issues for Beacon Hill lawmakers to try to solve. And really, their progress has been incremental while advocates keep coming back saying we need much more meaningful change in the system.
Carrie Healy, NEPM: I'm wondering, could the system get a little bit of relief next year when the Israeli startup accelerator Sheba Medical Center launches? What is the actual expected impact of this on health care in the state?
So, the idea is that this this group is going to come in starting next year and really try to get six to eight companies up and running fast, dealing with things like advanced imaging, advanced diagnostic tools, healthcare, workforce support. They're trying to pull in artificial intelligence into healthcare and other digital tools to make things more efficient. They're going to start with six to eight companies and eventually hope to grow that up to about a dozen companies. The idea being if they can get a couple of focal points where innovation, funding and people can really put their energy, then maybe they can launch a handful of really meaningful, impactful companies that could help the healthcare system in Massachusetts.
So, pivoting here to the budget itself, some key differences between lawmakers priorities are becoming clear now that the Senate Democrats $61.3 billion budget proposal has been released. Now, the proposals from the governor, the House and the Senate all send significant funding to the MBTA now with some variance between how much significant actually means or amounts to. Are we talking about amounts that would push the MBTA closer to long term financial stability? And I mean, does this even approach the amount that the agency says that it needs?
That's a great question, and it really depends on who you ask. The House went big on the MBTA in its budget. And the argument there was that the MBTA is the engine that drives the economy. And the House said, now is the time to go big, put a lot of money into it. They think they have the right people running it and they can make a huge impact.
Now the Senate hasn't gone as big, but it says that its investment would be enough for the MBTA to meet its workforce needs and really keep going in the right direction. I think this is largely a sort of negotiating tactic, where the House comes in pretty high, and the Senate comes in much lower. Both sides knowing they're most likely going to meet somewhere in the middle later this summer when the budget gets done.
What are some of the other budgetary differences that you see among the three proposals?
One that jumped out to us last week was that the Senate looks to be okay, going along with Governor Healey's plan to overhaul the admissions process for vocational and technical schools. The House did not go along with the governor's plan. So, if the Senate is going to, that creates another thing that the two branches are going to have to iron out in conference committee.
And the Massachusetts Senate will begin debate on their budget next Tuesday.
