HEALTH CARE COST REDUCTION LEGISLATION TO CONFERENCE COMMITTEE

- Tuesday, June 19, 2012

• Article 325 : MASSACHUSETTS LEGISLATURE PASSES FY ’13 BUDGET
• Article 347 : Grocers Coupon Services for MFA Members Only
• Article 348 : The Griffin Report of Food Marketing
• Article 376 : MFA ADDRESSES TOWN OF BROOKLINE, MA PROPOSAL TO BAN POLYSTYRENE AND CERTAIN DISPOSABLE BAGS
• Article 387 : BIG Y TURNS PINK
• Article 397 : 2013 HOLIDAY CALENDAR
• Article 410 : C&S Wholesale Grocers Responds After Hurricane Sandy
• Article 411 : Big Y Launches Customer and Employee Donation Program
• Article 412 : Big Y Re-Opening / Donation to Schools
• Article 414 : BIG Y'S SACK HUNGER / HELP OTHERS
• Article 416 : 2012 MFA ANNUAL MEETING AND HALL OF FAME PICTURES
• Article 417 : 2012 MASSACHUSETTS BEST BAGGER WINNER - DANNY JOHNSON of ROCHE BROS. SUPERMARKETS
• Article 418 : MFA's Hall of Fame & Community Service Awards
• Article 423 : STOP & SHOP GOES PINK IN SUPPORT OF LOCAL BREAST CANCER AWARENESS ORGANIZATIONS
• Article 429 : Big Y Donates $75,000 to Superstorm Sandy and American Red Cross Disaster Relief
• Article 431 : CREDIT CARD LITIGATION UPDATE:
• Article 435 : MASSACHUSETTS FOOD ASSOCIATION NEWS SCAN UPDATE
• Article 436 : MFA Newscan January 21, 2013
• Article 438 : MFA Newscan January 14, 2013
• Article 441 : MFA Newscan January 28, 2013
• Article 442 : BIG Y's "SACK HUNGER" PROGRAM DONATES 162,830 LBS OF FOOD
• Article 445 : Letter to MFA from the Department of Children and Families
• Article 478 : MFA NEWSCAN UPDATE MARCH 11, 2013
• Article 480 : MASSACHUSETTS FOOD ASSOCIATION NEWS SCAN UPDATE 4/1/13
• Article 484 : MFA Legislation filed for 2013 - 2014

On Thursday, June 15 the MA Legislature sent both House and Senate health care cost containment proposals to a Conference Committee to work out the differences between the two proposals.  Appointed from the Senate to the Conference Committee were: Senator Richard Moore (D-Uxbridge), Senator Anthony Petruccelli (D-Boston) and Senator Bruce Tarr (R-Gloucester).  House appointees include: Representative Steven Walsh (D-Lynn), Representative Ron Mariano (D-Quincy) and Representative F. Jay Barrows (R-Mansfield).  Members of the Conference Committee are charged with working out the differences between the proposals from each branch (H4155 and S2270), however each proposal contains similar language that does not penalize businesses that offer health care to their employees but do not meet the required threshold of enrollees to avoid a penalty because those employees are enrolled in another plan, such as those offered by their spouse or parents.  Slight differences exist in each of these approaches to help employees avoid the penalty, such as MFA’s Board member Ronn Garry of Tropical Foods, but language addressing this issue must remain in the final Conference Committee report since it is contained in both the House and Senate bills.