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Bill

S 828

An Act relative to health purchasing cooperatives

194th Legislature (2025-2026) Introduced by Peter Durant and 1 co-sponsor

Massachusetts bill creates health purchasing cooperatives allowing small businesses and individuals to collectively negotiate lower insurance rates and expand coverage options.

Hearing scheduled for 10/27/2025 from 10:30 AM-04:00 PM in Gardner Auditorium
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Bill Summary · S 828

Legislative bill overview

S 828 establishes a framework for health purchasing cooperatives in Massachusetts, allowing groups of individuals and small businesses to pool resources and collectively negotiate health insurance rates. The bill aims to increase purchasing power for entities that typically pay higher per-capita premiums due to their smaller size.

Why is this important

Health insurance costs represent a significant burden for small businesses and self-employed individuals in Massachusetts. By enabling cooperative purchasing arrangements, this legislation could reduce premiums and expand coverage options for populations that currently face limited negotiating leverage with insurers. The outcome could affect healthcare affordability for thousands of small employers and entrepreneurs.

Potential points of contention

  • Insurance regulation questions: Critics may argue the cooperatives could circumvent existing insurance regulations or require substantial new regulatory oversight, raising questions about consumer protections and solvency safeguards
  • Market fragmentation concerns: Insurers might worry that cooperatives fragment the insurance market, making it harder to spread risk effectively and potentially destabilizing the individual and small-group markets
  • Implementation complexity: Establishing cooperative governance structures, operational standards, and ensuring equitable access across different industries and regions presents practical challenges that the bill may or may not adequately address

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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