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Mass. Speaker Outlines Plan On Health Care Costs

Massachusetts House Speaker Robert DeLeo has offered a preview of a proposed health care bill that lawmakers will debate this spring.

In a speech to the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce on Tuesday, DeLeo said the measure would tie health care cost increases to the state's economic growth.

"Costs in the health care industry have been growing at an average rate of 6.7 to 8 percent," DeLeo said. "Our goal will be for medical expenses to grow more in line with gross state product, which is 3.7 percent."

DeLeo won't say yet if the goal should be exactly in line with GSP or a little higher or lower. The difference is billions of dollars and the topic of heated behind-the-scenes debates.

The speaker told the gathering of business leaders the House proposal will make "aggressive" changes to make the state's $70 billion health care industry more transparent and give consumers and businesses more ability to make informed choices.

With reporting by The Associated Press and the WBUR Newsroom

This article was originally published on March 06, 2012.

This program aired on March 6, 2012. The audio for this program is not available.

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