© 2024
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

MA House to Take Up Health Care Bill

The Massachusetts House of Representatives will be taking up their version of a bill that aims to lower unnecessary health care costs in the coming years.

State representatives will begin debate Tuesday on their health care cost containment bill and its multiple amendments.

The House's bill is designed to even out disparities in the costs of hospital services by requiring hospitals that charge more than 20 percent above the state median price for a service to pay a 10 percent surcharge into a fund to help support hospitals serving the poor and most vulnerable.

Last month the Senate passed their version of the bill, which requires health care providers to disclose service costs upon a patient's request and makes changes to the current medical malpractice system.

Copyright 2012 The Associated Press.  All Rights Reserved.