$186 Million Provided in Community Benefits By HMOs According to Reports Filed With AG Healey’s Office
BOSTON – July 2, 2015 – (RealEstateRama) — Six Massachusetts Health Maintenance Organizations (HMOs) provided over $186 million in community benefits for residents of Massachusetts in Fiscal Year 2014 according to reports published by Attorney General Maura Healey’s Office.
“Participation of HMOs in our Community Benefits Program is integral to ensuring that the health needs of our most vulnerable residents are met,” AG Healey said. “These programs illustrate the continued commitment to promoting wellness among communities in Massachusetts.”
In addition to funding a range of community benefits programs, these HMOs contributed over $140 million in assessments to the state’s Health Safety Net, which pays for care for uninsured and underinsured residents who do not have access to adequate, affordable health coverage.
The Community Benefits Program is designed to improve transparency and accountability in community benefit reporting, encourage pre-planning and community involvement, and align HMO and hospital community benefit activities with statewide health priorities. The AG’s Community Benefits Guidelines links to PDF file build upon and enhance the critical mission of HMOs and hospitals to meet the health needs of residents of the state.
Each HMO that filed a report this year addressed one or more of the four statewide health priorities identified in the AG’s Guidelines. Those statewide priorities include supporting health care reform, improving chronic disease management in disadvantaged populations, reducing health disparities, and promoting wellness of vulnerable populations. HMOs were asked to submit their reports by June 1, 2015.
Last month, the AG’s Office announced that Massachusetts hospitals provided more than $631 million in community benefits in Fiscal Year 2014. All annual reports are available at www.mass.gov/ago/communitybenefits.
The Community Benefits Program is managed by Policy Analysts Robert Ciccia and Tara Ruttle, under the supervision of Division Chief Karen Tseng, of AG Healey’s Health Care Division.
Media Contact
Jillian Fennimore
(617) 727-2543
