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H1373 • 2025

An Act relative to establishing a health safety net task force

An Act relative to establishing a health safety net task force

Healthcare
Active

The official status still shows this bill as active or still awaiting another formal step.

Sponsor
Steven S. Howitt
Last action
2026-03-19
Official status
Reporting date extended to Monday, June 15, 2026
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

An Act relative to establishing a health safety net task force

An Act relative to establishing a health safety net task force By Representative Howitt of Seekonk, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No.

What This Bill Does

  • An Act relative to establishing a health safety net task force By Representative Howitt of Seekonk, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No.
  • 1373) of Steven S.
  • Howitt for legislation to establish a health safety net task force (including members of the General Court) to study reimbursement for dental care and healthcare provided by hospitals and accredited teaching institutions to MassHealth members.
  • Health Care Financing.

Limits and Unknowns

  • This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Bill History

  1. 2026-03-19 House

    Reporting date extended to Monday, June 15, 2026

  2. 2025-10-08 House

    Reporting date extended until Wednesday, March 18, 2026

  3. 2025-07-03 Joint

    Hearing scheduled for 07/15/2025 from 10:00 AM-04:00 PM in Gardner Auditorium

  4. 2025-02-27 House

    Referred to the committee on Health Care Financing

  5. 2025-02-27 Senate

    Senate concurred

Official Summary Text

An Act relative to establishing a health safety net task force
By Representative Howitt of Seekonk, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 1373) of Steven S. Howitt for legislation to establish a health safety net task force (including members of the General Court) to study reimbursement for dental care and healthcare provided by hospitals and accredited teaching institutions to MassHealth members. Health Care Financing.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text
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Bill H.1373

Section 66 of Chapter 118E of the Massachusetts General Laws, as appearing in the 2022 Official Edition, is here by amended by inserting in place the following new section:

“Section XX. Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, there shall be a special task force to review and report on the Health Safety Net and the financial impact of the reimbursement for basic and restorative dental care and general healthcare provided by Massachusetts hospitals and accredited teaching institutions, including dental schools, to MassHealth members. The task force shall consist of 14 members: the house and senate chairs of the joint committees on health care financing or their designees, who shall serve as the co-chairs of the task force; a member of the general court appointed by the senate minority leader; a member of the general court appointed by the house minority leader; the Commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, or a designee; the president of the Massachusetts Health and Hospital Association, the deans of Boston University School of Medicine and Boston University Dental School; the deans of Tufts Medical School and Tufts Dental School; the deans of Harvard Medical School and Harvard Dental School and 2 persons to be appointed by the secretary of the Executive Office of Health and Human Services.

This task force shall: (i) identify and review all current state laws, regulations, and administrative directives that relate to health care reimbursement; (ii) identify financial and procedural steps that would best allow payment to Boston’s teaching facilities through MassHealth; (iii) submit recommendations to establish legislative procedures that provide funding, regulate, and grant reimbursement power to MassHealth for care from accredited Massachusetts hospitals and teaching facilities.

The task force shall submit a report, including any draft legislation and regulations, to the clerks of the house and representatives and the senate within 12 months of the passage of this act.

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