Mass. weighs ‘global’ health care payment system

BOSTON (AP) — In a bid to rein in escalating health care costs, Massachusetts is weighing a “global” health care payment system designed to reward doctors and hospitals for keeping patients healthy by emphasizing preventative care. A proposal recommended Thursday by a state panel working to find ways to reduce health care spending would replace the existing fee-for-service system with one that compensates providers ahead of time for the care their patients will likely require over the course of a given contract period, such as a month or year. While Massachusetts is home of…

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