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What Is the Actual State Cost of MassHealth in 2018?

archive, Health / By

Since Medicaid is a partnership between state and federal governments, much of this essential health care coverage is actually paid for by the federal government. The Governor’s proposed Fiscal Year 2018 budget includes approximately $16.6 billion for MassHealth. This total (or gross amount) is approximately 37 percent of total state budget appropriations. The federal government then reimburses Massachusetts for more than half of this spending. After receiving these reimbursements, the state’s net cost for MassHealth is $8.0 billion, 24 percent of the total net budget.

New Study Finds High Quality Career and Technical Education Can Significantly Improve Student Outcomes

archive, Education / By

It is no longer news that students who attend high-quality career and technical education programs in Massachusetts also perform well academically and are more likely to graduate from high school. This policy brief summarizes new academic research suggesting that these impressive outcomes are due to what takes place inside these schools, not merely differences in the backgrounds and motivations of students who enter the programs.

Analyzing the House Budget for FY 2018

archive, Budget Resources / By

The House largely followed the recommendations of its Ways and Means Committee in crafting its budget proposal, adopting amendments to the Fiscal Year 2018 budget that increased funding by just under two tenths of one percent from the levels its budget committee proposed last month. This Budget Monitor describes the changes adopted by the House in each major section of the budget.

Analyzing the Massachusetts House Ways and Means Committee Budget for FY 2018

archive, Budget Resources / By

This Budget Monitor examines the House Ways and Means Committee’s state budget proposal for Fiscal Year 2017. The proposal would generally maintain existing service levels while making small targeted new investments in several areas including housing, education, and substance abuse prevention and treatment.These relatively small investments to important programs will have significant benefits, but like the Governor's proposal and the budgets of recent years, it does not propose significant new funding to make progress on some of the big challenges our Commonwealth faces.

Partnership in Peril: Federal Funding at Risk for State Programs Relied on by Massachusetts Residents

archive, Kids / By

This paper examines the major federal funding sources that the state uses to provide access to affordable health care, help children thrive, assist low-income families, and care for veterans. In addition to describing the sources of federal funding, we examine the policy changes Congress is likely to consider that could threaten this funding and the services the funding supports. This fiscal year, one of every four dollars that supports the state’s budget comes from the federal government 2–close to $11 billion in federal funds.

Analyzing the Governor’s Budget for FY 2018

archive, Budget Resources / By

The Governor’s Fiscal Year (FY) 2018 budget includes proposals that strengthen the capacity of the MassHealth program to meet the healthcare needs of people in Massachusetts and address fiscal challenges caused by a decline in employer-provided health insurance coverage for private sector employees. As with past budget proposals, the Governor’s FY 2018 budget does not propose significant new funding to make progress on some of the big challenges our Commonwealth faces. But as this detailed examination of the Governor’s budget proposals for major state programs shows, the health care strategies are the major reasons the Governor is able to propose a budget that significantly reduces reliance on temporary revenue and savings to achieve balance.

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