Gov. Baker revamps health insurance business fee proposal
The new plan is part of a package of legislative changes Baker filed today with the legislature's budget committees that could, in total, generate
It comes months after he first floated in his budget proposal a plan to hit employers who don't offer health coverage with a
But the proposal was met with harsh backlash from the business community and several business groups, many of whom Baker aides say they have huddled with in recent months to craft their new proposal.
The new proposal calls for a temporary, two-year increase to what's called the Employer Medical Assistance Contribution, or EMAC, which companies with six or more employees currently pay. All of companies in that class would pay up to
Together, the changes could generate
The proposal mirrors, in part, one the
Health insurance reform has become a focus in this year's budget wrangling, even as State House leaders keep an eye on potential changes
In rolling out the beefed-up EMAC fees, the Baker administration said it had the backing of a number of business groups, including the
"A 24-month temporary employer assessment will allow time for vital reforms to be implemented to deal with both the cost of healthcare, and the unintended consequences of the ACA on the Commonwealth," said
Baker aides emphasized that the administration's proposal is being made as part of a package of reforms. Other changes, the administration says, would require federal approval but could generate another
Those proposals would bar non-disabled adults who have access to employer health care from joining the MassHealth rolls, as well as aligning MassHealth more closely with commercial plans.
Baker is also proposing moving hundreds of thousands of non-disabled adults and caretakers from MassHealth to other insurance programs, which could mean another
The feds likely won't decide until late fall whether those changes are officially approved. Baker's office said most of the changes are slated to go in effect on
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