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          Massachusetts Apprentice Network Anniversary Celebration

          Join the Massachusetts Apprentice Network for the one-year anniversary of its launch.

          03/27/2023

          9:30am - 11:00am

          Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce

          arrow-go
          Read More
        • ...
          BIMA
          BIMA: Gaming’s Present & Future: Creativity, Attention, and Social Connection

          This event will explore why in-game advertising is becoming the next big advertising channel and how companies can tap into the gaming ad space.

          03/28/2023

          5:30pm - 7:30pm

          Mediahub

          arrow-go
          Read More
        • ...
          Events
          2023 Government Affairs Forum: Ronald J. Mariano, Massachusetts Speaker of the House

          Thank you for joining us for our second Government Affairs forum of the year that featured Ronald J. Mariano, Massachusetts Speaker of the House.

          03/30/2023

          9:45am - 11:00am

          Colonnade Hotel

          arrow-go
          Read More
  • Learning & Development
        • Learning & Development

          • Overview
          • Call for Nominations
          • Resources
        • EQ to Elevate Workplace Well-being

          Designed for mid-level managers and supervisors, this new certificate program addresses workplace well-being through unique, innovative, and actionable methods.

          Read More
          Transformational DEI Certificate

          Join our Transformational DEI Certificate! Our comprehensive learning & development offerings are designed to connect and grow strong leaders who lead both inside and out of the office.

          Read More
          Women’s Leadership Program

          Our Women’s Leadership Program enables you to take your leadership to the next level by arming you with the most in-demand leadership toolkit.

          Read More
          How to Be an LGBTQIA+ Ally in the Workplace

          Expand your DEI professional development with a virtual workshop focused specifically on LGBTQIA+ identities and inclusion.

          Read More
  • Economic Inclusion
        • Economic Inclusion

          • Overview
          • Economic Inclusion Committee
          • Fierce Urgency of Now Festival
          • Pacesetters
          • Resources
        • ...
          Economic Inclusion
          Economic Inclusion

          Our Economic Inclusion Committee provides strategic support around research, policies, and programs that are focused on building equal opportunity.

          arrow-go
          Read More
        • ...
          Economic Inclusion
          Pacesetters

          We are developing an ecosystem of corporations and partners with the influence and buying power to transform economic inclusion for minority business enterprises (MBEs).

          arrow-go
          Read More
        • ...
          Fierce Urgency of Now Festival
          2023 Fierce Urgency of Now Festival

          The Fierce Urgency of Now Festival brings Boston’s diverse young professionals together with business leaders, organizations and their peers to build connection, advance careers and ignite positive change.

          09/12/2023 -

          09/15/2023

          Greater Boston

          arrow-go
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          Read More
          BIMA

          BIMA (the Boston Interactive Media Association) serves a vibrant community of like-minded professionals from agencies, brands, publishers, and ad-tech companies with business interests in the New England market.

          Read More
          Women’s Network

          For more than 25 years, the Chamber’s Women’s Network has connected female professionals of all background and career levels. Today, our Women’s Network is the largest in New England, strengthening the professional networks of women each year.

          Read More
          MITX

          Through MITX (the Massachusetts Innovation and Technology Exchange), we’re building valuable connections between the people and ideas behind technology and its impact on the future of customer experiences, all to create a community that’s finding tomorrow’s solutions together.

          Read More
          Pacesetters

          We are developing an ecosystem of corporations and partners with the influence and buying power to transform economic inclusion for minority business enterprises (MBEs).

          Read More
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Chamber Submits Testimony Urging Support of Pharmaceutical Industry Transparency & Health Care Costs

September 22, 2021

September 1, 2021

The Chamber submitted testimony regarding S.771 and S.736, two bills dealing with pharmaceutical industry transparency and health care costs. One of the Chamber’s guiding health care policy principles is that the state must strike a balance between supporting our cornerstone health care industry and ensuring that world-class care is accessible and affordable for residents, businesses, and the state budget.

The Chamber supports the goal of both bills to include pharmaceutical manufacturing companies and pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) in health cost trends analyses and hearings. Including both in Health Policy Commission (HPC) public hearings and Center for Health Information and Analysis (CHIA) reporting will provide useful data and analysis to aid in health care cost reviews. Steps like permitting the HPC to study specific drugs that may be driving costs can narrow in on specific drivers and support qualitative and quantitative analysis about whether the costs are justified. We also understand that conducting this additional analysis may require an assessment on pharmaceutical firms to cover cost related to that analysis.

While the Chamber strongly supports expanding public hearings and data analysis, it is necessary to emphasize the exceptional cooperation that results in regular, voluntary appearances in which private entities (including hospitals and health plans) discuss their products, services, and operations in public settings. With that in mind, the Chamber urges the committee to avoid, at this stage, requiring companies to provide detailed information on their businesses, like marketing expenses, research and development expenses, and capital funding expenses. It is unclear how this additional information would reduce health care costs, whether for specific companies, sectors, or the industry as a whole.

For several years now there is general agreement on bringing pharmaceutical manufacturers and PBMs into hearings and treating them the same as health care entities. Rather than delaying involvement longer, the Chamber urges the committee and the Legislature to adopt provisions that add transparency through HPC and CHIA participation and require similar levels of reporting as hospitals and insurers.

As with any comprehensive legislation, the Legislature should consider the impacts each bill will have on our broader economy. This consideration is particularly relevant because health care plays an integral role in our regional and state economy. In Massachusetts, the health care industry directly accounts for about 18 percent of jobs in the state and indirectly accounts for tens of thousands of additional jobs.1 The industry here includes world class providers, pharmaceutical breakthroughs, and among the largest share of insured residents in the country.

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Brian O’Connor

Government Affairs Manager

[email protected]
617-557-7316

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Boston, MA 02110
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