Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to adopt an amendment to 2260 that requires establishing a single payer health care system benchmark.

Highlights:

• Requires the state Institute of Health Care Finance and Policy to establish a single payer health care benchmark which will be the total cost of health care expenditures for providing health coverage to all Massachusetts residents.

• Defines “single payer health care” as a system of continuous, high-quality, publicly-financed health coverage for all state residents in a manner regardless of income, assets, health status, or availability of other health coverage and is guided by the following principles:
• Health care coverage must be universal;
• Health care coverage must be continuous;
• Health care coverage must be affordable;
• Health care costs must be affordable and sustainable for the Commonwealth as a whole; and
• Health care coverage must support patient-centered care, protecting the relationship between patients and their health care practitioners.

• Requires the Executive Office of Health and Human Services to submit a Single Payer Health Care Implementation Plan by June 30, 2016 if the Institute of Health Care Finance and Policy determines the single payer benchmark has outperformed the health care cost growth benchmark by the beginning of fiscal year 2014-2015.

• Requires the Institute of Health Care Finance and Policy to evaluate reports on single payer health care and monitor the performance of single payer health care systems in other states and countries.

Full Bill Text