Budget Amendment ID: FY2018-S3-268-R1

Redraft GOV 268

GIC Out of Pocket Gap

Messrs. Brady, Cyr and Eldridge, Ms. L'Italien, Messrs. McGee and Pacheco, Ms. Gobi, Ms. Flanagan, Messrs. Keenan, O'Connor, Timilty, Moore and Humason, Ms. O'Connor Ives and Mr. Lesser moved that the proposed new text be amended by inserting, after Section 100, the following new Section:-

“SECTION 100A. Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, there shall be a senate cost containment working group to address the rising cost of health care. The working group shall include, but not be limited to, the senate chair of health care financing who shall serve as chair, the senate president, the chair of the senate committee on ways and means, the senate chair of the joint committee on public health and not less than 3 additional members of the senate, of whom 1 shall be appointed by the minority leader. The senate president may invite additional members to join the working group. The working group shall identify priority areas to address cost containment.

In addition to any identified priorities, the working group shall consider the cost of health insurance for public employees, including both active and retired state employees and active and retired municipal employees and any other public employees or retired public employees who access health insurance through the group insurance commission.

To assist in this consideration, there shall be a public employee coalition to advise the working group on the underlying cost drivers related to the growth in public employee health insurance including, but not limited to: (i) cost sharing; (ii) deductibles; (iii) out-of-pocket costs; (iv) general affordability of premiums and cost-sharing requirements; (v) impacts of cost increases related to cost-sharing adjustments on state employees; and (vi) opportunities to realize cost savings resulting in decreased premiums or cost-sharing responsibilities. The coalition may provide cost estimates related to cost-savings proposals and the working group may request information from state agencies and other stakeholders to receive additional information relative to cost estimates related to any cost-savings proposals being considered by the working group and coalition.

The chair of the working group shall invite members to join the coalition; provided, however, that the coalition shall provide representation of public employees including, but not limited to: (i) labor organizations; (ii) retired public employees; and (iii) any additional stakeholders as the chair of the working group may invite.

The working group shall receive testimony and feedback from the coalition and hold not less than 3 public hearings on the matter of public employee health care costs. The working group shall provide its findings in a report to be filed with the clerk of the senate and made publicly available on the legislative website not later than February 1, 2018.”