Massachusetts has long been a leader in the provision of quality, affordable and accessible healthcare. At the beginning of this year, Governor Charlie Baker signed off on ‘Laura’s Law’ which addresses a range of healthcare issues highlighted as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.Massachusetts Healthcare Law

  • Telehealth: the law mandates equal coverage for virtual visits, including for behavioral health. It also provides a short-term model for how these services should paid. This should provide Massachusetts residents to expanded access to safe, virtual healthcare.
  • COVID-19: Laura’s Law states that treatment and testing for COVID-19 must be covered by insurance companies, including MassHealth. This applies to all inpatient, emergency and cognitive rehab services as well as necessary outpatient services related to the virus. Testing for the asymptomatic is also covered in this provision.
  • Surprise Billing: the new law states that providers must tell patients in advance of anything out-of-network, and Massachusetts plans to recommend a default rate for out-of-network billing later this year.
  • Expansion of Care for MassHealth Members: Laura’s Law eliminates referral requirements so that MassHealth subscribers can access urgent care facilities more easily.
  • Medicaid: under the new legislation, community hospitals will receive two years of enhanced Medicaid reimbursements, a 5% bump in the average monthly Medicaid payment at a collective cost of up to $35 million per year.
  • Scope of Practice: the pandemic necessitated an increase in scope of service for certain healthcare workers to meet the surging demand for care. Under Laura’s Law, this increase in scope will remain permanent for Advanced Practice Nurses and Optometrists.

Lastly, the state is calling for the undergoing of a study to examine the impact of COVID-19 on the healthcare system, especially in Massachusetts.

Governor Baker referenced a silver lining upon rollout of this law, wherein the pandemic garnered the momentum needed for policymakers to support changes, and the collective healthcare experience of Massachusetts residents in 2020 informed the legislation, so it should be effective in addressing the gaps in healthcare that became obvious. We won’t be surprised if other states being to issue similar policies.

The following two tabs change content below.
Karin Landry
My LinkedIn profile

Karin Landry

Managing Partner at Spring Consulting Group, LLC
Karin Landry, ACI, CLTC, GBA is the Managing Partner for Spring Consulting Group. Karin has over 25 years of experience in the insurance, health care, risk financing, retirement and benefits industries. She is an internationally recognized leader in captive insurance strategy, benefits and financing. She is Past-Chairman of the Board of The Captive Insurance Company Association and a member of the ERISA Industry Committee and was recently appointed to the Board of Directors for Fallon Community Health Plan. She is also a Professor of Employee Benefits and member of the finance committee for the International Center of Captive Insurance Education part of the University of Vermont. Karin’s expertise around benefits allowed her to co-author a white paper for Business Insurance Magazine titled “Captives for Benefits: How to Use a Captive to Save Money and Enhance Benefits Coverage”, which is currently a top seller. Both Vermont and the US Virgin Islands asked Karin for input and guidance with their recent legislative changes. Prior to joining Spring, Karin was President of Watson Wyatt Insurance & Financial Services in the United States and Head of the Health & Welfare division for the eastern region.