Gov.fs health overhaul includes employer charge, payment cap
AP, January 17, 2017
BOSTON (AP) — Gov. Charlie Baker is proposing to reinstate fees on private
companies that do not provide health insurance to their workers as part of a
plan to rein in surging costs in the statefs Medicaid program.
If approved by the Legislature, companies with 11 or more employees would be
required to pay the state $2,000 annually for each worker who is not covered by
an employer health care benefit. The employer mandate was included in the
statefs 2006 universal health care law but was repealed in 2013 after the
federal Affordable Care Act took effect.
Administration officials say the result has been more workers moving into
publicly-subsidized plans.
The Republican governor is also hoping to lower Medicaid costs by imposing
payment caps on some providers and a moratorium on new insurance mandates.