Thomaston spent $150K fighting FOIAs from single resident, and keeps losing

The town of Thomaston has nearly $150,000 on legal fees related to Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests and complaints filed by resident Nancy Griswold. Griswold has won most of those complaints. Invoices shared with Inside Investigator show monthly charges stretching back to 2021 related to FOIA requests filed by Griswold, complaints filed with the […] The post Thomaston spent $150K fighting FOIAs from single resident, and keeps losing appeared first on Inside Investigator .

Mass. nursing home owner leaves behind trail of declining care

RegalCare CEO Eli Mirlis has bought a dozen nursing homes across Massachusetts in recent years, leaving behind a trail of declining care in his wake.

States look beyond their borders to keep problematic nursing home operators out

Another state is moving forward with plans to weigh more heavily out-of-state issues surrounding potential skilled nursing buyers looking to acquire in-state licenses. Massachusetts’ governor announced recently that the state will soon implement regulations needed to finalize a 2-year-old long-term care oversight law. It directs the state’s Department of Public Health to consider an operator’s in-state and out-of-state quality history, criminal history, civil litigation record, financial capacity, ownership and management-company history, and private equity involvement when weighing a transaction.

Brigham nurses union sets date for potential open-ended strike

The nurses union at Brigham & Women's Hospital in Boston has set a date for the "largest open-ended nurse strike in Massachusetts history."

More than 100,000 CT residents could lose health coverage next year

Connecticut forecasts that about 108,000 residents could be at risk of losing Medicaid as new HUSKY D eligibility requirements take effect.

Berkshire Health Systems Implements Color-coded System for Respiratory Illness Measures

PITTSFIELD — In anticipation of the expected rise in respiratory illness during the fall and winter seasons, Berkshire Health Systems will implement its three-tiered virus alert level system, which will determine how the organization manages masking, visitor access, and testing and whether staff, patients, and visitors will require masking.

12 payers exiting Medicare Advantage in 2027

Twelve payers are exiting the Medicare Advantage market for 2027, according to CMS data. Eight of the twelve are owned entirely or in part by health systems. Several other payers will stay in MA next year only through special needs plans, including Molina Healthcare, Horizon BCBS New Jersey, New York City-based MJHS Health System’s Elderplan, and Albuquerque-based Presbyterian Health Plan.

Baystate Health appoints chief of emergency medicine for future Mercy Hospital

Baystate Health has appointed Dr. Daniel Shaw as chief of emergency medicine at the future Baystate Mercy Hospital, the health system announced Wednesday.

Massachusetts Nursing Home Crackdown Targets Owners Like RegalCare's Mirlis

Massachusetts regulators are preparing to bring long-awaited nursing home oversight rules before the state Public Health Council next month, a move that would force the Department of Public Health to weigh an operator's litigation history, financial capacity, and private equity ties before approving a license. The regulations stem from a 2024 law that Governor Maura Healey signed in September of that year, and they arrive after a Boston Globe Spotlight investigation exposed how one New Jersey-based chain expanded across Massachusetts while resident care quality collapsed at several of its homes.

CT autism therapy group owner, employee accused of $600K Medicaid fraud

Officials said the fraudulent claims were submitted over the course of two years, starting in 2021.

‘With the Cost of Electricity Here, This Is Wild’: Connecticut Locals Sound Alarm Over Massive Data Center Near Middle School

Connecticut residents are sounding the alarm over the prospect of a massive new data center being built near a middle school, with locals worried about everything from electricity costs to noise, water use, and potential health impacts. While no formal application for the project has been submitted, concerns have intensified after Cromwell officials rejected a proposal that would have temporarily stopped the town from accepting new data center applications for one year.

Southampton Senior Center temporarily closed to the public

SOUTHAMPTON, Mass. (WWLP) – The Southampton Senior Center is temporarily closed to the public for the week. The Council on Aging made the announcement on social media Sunday, stating that the closure was in effect through October 2. Some of the programs have moved to alternate locations and the Volunteer Appreciation Luncheon has been postponed.

Former Holy Family Hospitals Show Improved Profitability in Report

Hospitals Financials Improved Ahead of ‘Most Disruptive Wave’. The former Holy Family Hospital and its new parent, Merrimack Health, showed improved profitability during the last fiscal year. It was among a majority of Massachusetts hospitals that boosted their profitability, but a trade group offered a cautionary note this week...

Editorial: Significant cutbacks ahead cast pall over hospitals’ rebound

The newly released report from the Center for Health Information and Analysis (CHIA) offers a collective – and likely temporary — sigh of relief for Massachusetts hospitals, revealing a relative improvement in their financial health in fiscal year 2025. After navigating consecutive years of deep deficits, a majority...

Mass General Brigham targets heat, air quality risks to patients

Somerville, Mass.-based Mass General Brigham has formally launched The Cooperative, an initiative building healthcarewide models to protect patients from extreme heat and poor air quality. The health system unveiled the initiative Sept. 22 at The Cooperative’s first Innovation Forum. The event was held at Climate Week NYC as part of...

Lamont, Fazio detail healthcare plans in Connecticut governor race

Mass. moves to overhaul nursing home oversight. Here's what could change

The Healey administration plans next month to bring regulations to the Massachusetts Public Health Council to implement a two-year-old law that directed the state to consider out-of-state issues when weighing a nursing home license, an announcement that came on the heels of a media report that faulted the state's oversight of nursing home transactions.

15 payers with Medicare Advantage enrollment caps for 2027

CMS released initial insights on the 2027 Medicare Advantage landscape Sept. 28, along with data breaking down plans. One wrinkle gaining attention: enrollment capacity limits. In April, CMS said insurers could include enrollment caps for specific plans in their 2027 MA bids, relying on existing regulatory authority. With these caps, plans cannot disenroll current members. Once a plan hits its cap, it must stay closed to new enrollees until space opens up through natural attrition, according to the April memo. The agency baked enrollment caps into its August guidance for MA payers.

'The internet is a strange place': The story of how a small-town 'COVID-conscious lesbian bar' went viral

Mask policies at a lesbian bar in a small western Massachusetts town don't sound like the kind of topic that would become a viral sensation. But that's exactly what happened when the Boston Globe published a look last week into the uproar that ensued when Last Ditch, a bar in the small LGBTQ-friendly town of Greenfield, Mass., decided to transition to a mask-optional policy for its Saturday night happy hours.

7 healthcare laws taking effect Oct. 1

Changes to Medicaid eligibility and financing, Connecticut’s certificate-of-need overhaul and Maryland’s new hospital staffing framework are among the healthcare-related laws set to take effect Oct. 1. Here are seven federal and state-specific laws to know:. Federal. 1. Medicaid eligibility narrows for many lawfully present noncitizens. Starting Oct. 1,...