Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf Seeks Commission To Rein In Health Care Spending

[Greenbeard]

Good for Pennsylvania. It's unclear if this model can work everywhere but it's good to see more states at least considering giving it a shot. We'll see if the legislature is interested.

Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf Seeks Commission To Rein In Health Care Spending

HARRISBURG (AP) — Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf on Friday proposed a new government commission that would aim to slow the growth in health care spending and improve affordability by establishing an annual cost benchmark and holding large health providers and insurers accountable to it.

Patterned on a similar commission in Massachusetts, the Health Value Commission would set a statewide target for the rate of growth in health spending, and require health care organizations that exceed the target to come up with a plan to bring costs under control. The commission would have the power to monitor compliance and levy fines, officials said.

Wolf’s proposed commission requires legislative approval, and it was unclear Friday whether the Republican-controlled General Assembly would go along with it.

The commission, whose members would be appointed by the governor and state lawmakers, would also have the power to review proposed hospital and health system mergers and acquisitions to ensure they’re in the public interest.

He said it would not establish price controls.

“This is absolutely not a cap. It’s really an attempt to persuade health care systems to be more transparent in terms of the decisions they’re making as to their health care costs,” Wolf said.