Primary Cheat Sheet On Mass. Governor Candidates' Health Care Positions

Judging by your presence at this url, you are, perhaps, not entirely indifferent to health care? And you may, in fact, live in the lovely Bay State, according to the results of an unscientific reader survey we did once. So, in case you plan to vote in the 2014 state gubernatorial primaries, we've compiled a health care cheat sheet. We requested brief position statements from the five candidates facing a primary contest. In alphabetical order, and with a link to the full campaign site on each name:

Charlie Baker:
Massachusetts had a health care system that worked, with nearly every citizen having access to the high quality care they preferred, but the disastrous Health Connector website launch and the burdensome federal health overhaul disrupted that for far too many Massachusetts families. As Governor, I will fight for a waiver from the federal health law to protect Massachusetts' exemplary health care system. I have also proposed a plan to improve the quality of health care, increase transparency and reduce costs for families. My proposals will allow patients to act as informed consumers, prioritize primary care - giving patients with multiple illnesses better treatment - and protect Massachusetts’ health system from federal burdens.

Don Berwick:
Massachusetts needs a Governor who understands how good care could be, what better payment systems look like, and how to reorganize care with patients at the center. Don is a pediatrician and an executive who has spent 30 years working to make health care work better, at a lower cost. He is the only candidate for governor supporting single payer health care - Medicare for all. Health care is now 42% of our state budget, up 59% in the last decade alone. Every other major line item in our budget is down. Single payer health care would be simpler, more affordable, more focused on the patient, and it would be a huge jobs creator.

Martha Coakley:
As Governor, Martha will have three goals for our healthcare system: expanding access, maintaining quality, and driving down cost. She has already taken the lead on controlling costs, publishing a series of groundbreaking reports that shed light on the cost-drivers in our system, and going forward she will focus on investing in proven prevention, promoting the role of community health centers, and increasing transparency. She is especially committed to improving care for those struggling with mental and behavioral illness and substance abuse; she has called for higher reimbursements for community-based services, more coverage from private insurance, and incentives for greater coordination of care. She believes we must end the stigma associated with mental and behavioral health.

Mark Fisher:
Did not respond but his campaign's Web page on health care is here.

Steve Grossman:
We need to revolutionize the delivery of health care services to reduce or eliminate health disparities, primarily by significantly increasing our commitment to and investment in community hospitals and health centers. We must also use every appropriate tool to rein in excessive price increases at our largest medical institutions that could severely undermine achieving the goals of Chapter 224. That’s why I oppose the Partners HealthCare deal Martha Coakley has negotiated, which according to the Health Policy Commission, would raise costs by tens of millions of dollars and harm Massachusetts families and businesses. As governor, I plan to lead a serious conversation with the people of Massachusetts concerning single payer as a vehicle for reforming our health payment system, a conversation that the Boston Globe described in its editorial endorsement of me as "precisely what's in order."

Note: We don't include the independents because we focused on the candidates running in the primary.