BOSTON – The Massachusetts Senate wrapped up three days of fiscal 2017 budget deliberations around 11 p.m. Thursday, voting unanimously to pass an annual spending bill after adding a total of $61.3 million on the floor. The measure calls for spending $50 million more than the plan passed earlier by the state House of Representatives.
"Thanks to all your advocacy this week we made additional investments in our shared priorities for an even stronger budget," Senate Ways and Means Chairwoman Karen Spilka said ahead of the vote. According to her office, the new bottom line on the bill is $39.558 billion.
BOSTON – The outgoing head of the health care agency whose funding will be drawn down to pay for an accord over health care provider pricing is questioning the impact the deal would have on struggling community hospitals.
Aron Boros, executive director of the Center for Health and Information Analysis, also said Thursday that the redirection of a portion of funding from his agency to boost the bottom lines of hospitals around the state will limit the agency's ability to deliver on a consumer website he has been working to create with Gov. Charlie Baker's administration for the past year.
