Murray, DiMasi discuss health care cost bill alone
BOSTON—Differences in a major bill aimed at controlling spiraling health care costs in Massachusetts are being negotiated in private by the leaders of the House and Senate, bypassing a traditional legislative conference committee and excluding any input from Republicans in either chamber.
Instead, Senate President Therese Murray and House Speaker Salvatore DiMasi -- a pair of Democrats -- are negotiating the bill themselves. They are being assisted by health care staffers and receiving advice from their two hand-picked chairs of a joint health care financing committee, Sen. Richard Moore, D-Uxbridge, and Rep. Patricia Walrath, D-Stow.
Although a tight legislative calendar was cited as a reason for not using a broader conference committee to work on the bill, Moore is currently in New Orleans, attending a meeting of state lawmakers. Joining him on the trip is Chris Hager, DiMasi's top health care aide.
The conference continues until Sunday, while formal legislative sessions for the year end next Thursday. That deadline has triggered a wave of Statehouse activity in recent weeks.
"It's very unusual for a bill of this importance not to have a conference, or to involve the Republican caucus," said Sen. Bruce Tarr, R-Gloucester.
"We're very supportive, and we've been arguing we need (cost control) now more than ever. The increasing cost of the universal health care bill threatens the financial stability of every other state program," Tarr added.
In March, Murray proposed a bill that aimed to control costs by developing an electronic record-keeping program, requiring major health plans to publicly disclose the reasons for their annual cost increases, as well as ensuring hospitals and clinics don't charge for mistakes such as surgery on the wrong body part.
The subject is especially pertinent in Massachusetts, which is aiming to become the first state to provide universal health care coverage to its residents. Then-Gov. Mitt Romney signed a law in April 2006 aimed at shifting the state and federal governments from providing free hospital care for the uninsured to subsidizing privately obtained health insurance coverage for workers or expanding government programs for the poorest residents.
So far over 340,000 formerly uninsured residents have enrolled in insurance programs, more than half of the estimated uninsured. Nonetheless, rising costs are threatening to undermine the law.
Gov. Deval Patrick, a Democrat, budgeted $869 million for the subsidized Commonwealth Care program for the fiscal year that began July 1, yet some critics question whether the cost may exceed $1 billion.
The Senate approved Murray's bill, which included a provision banning gifts from pharmaceutical companies to health care workers. Among them are pens commonly seen in doctor offices emblazoned with the logos of popular prescription drugs.
The Senate president backtracked on that provision in June while attending a major biotechnology conference in San Diego. Companies complained such a ban could inhibit the free flow of information between them and doctors they often bring to industry conference, a concern Murray pledged to address.
The House approved a similar bill, but with reporting and other technical differences that must be resolved.
"The bills are practically identical and everyone felt the small differences could be worked out without going into conference," said Murray spokesman David Falcone.
David Guarino, DiMasi's spokesman, said the differences were being dealt with by the office staffs, as well as Moore and Walrath.
"We are obviously hopeful not to need a conference committee given the limited number of days left of formal sessions," said Guarino. "If a conference committee proves necessary, we will certainly appoint one."
