BOSTON — The Massachusetts Health Policy Commission (HPC) has released the full agenda for the upcoming 2026 Annual Health Care Cost Trends Hearing, The Affordability Imperative: Securing a Sustainable Health Care Future to be held on Tuesday, November 10, 2026.
The 2026 Health Care Cost Trends Hearing will bring together industry leaders, policymakers, clinicians, and community members to reflect on the policy reforms necessary to advance the Commonwealth’s health care affordability, access, and equity goals, including the recommendations put forth by the Healey-Driscoll Administration’s Health Care Affordability Working Group (HCAWG).
This year’s presentations and discussions will focus on the critical importance of advancing bold, comprehensive health care policy reform in the Commonwealth in the face of rising health care costs and threats to access and coverage.
Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell will provide opening remarks and HPC Executive Director David Seltz will present research from the HPC highlighting recent cost trends and dynamics. Ashley Blackburn, Deputy Executive Director of Health Care For All, will also be joining the HPC Board of Commissioners.
What: 2026 Health Care Cost Trends Hearing
When: Tuesday, November 10, 2026, 8:30 am
Where: Suffolk University Law School, 120 Tremont Street, Boston
Press: Open to a limited number of pre-registered members of the press. Please RSVP directly to Mickey O’Neill: [email protected]
Health Care Cost Trends Hearing Panels
Beyond the Numbers: Real World Perspectives on Health Care Challenges
Leslie Diaz, HelpLine Director, Health Care For All
Mimi Gardner, MPH, MA, Vice President and Chief of Community Partnerships and Health Impact, NeighborHealth
Victoria Selser, Epidemiologist, City of Fitchburg Health Department
Joseph Szczechowicz, President, SLS Outdoor Living & Landscaping
Michael Wilson, PharmD, Pharmacist and Owner of Crawford Drug, President of the Board, Massachusetts Independent Pharmacists Association
A Sustainable Safety Net: Focus on Access, Coverage, and Equity
Peter D. Banko, President and CEO, Baystate Health
Alastair Bell, MD, MBA, President and CEO, Boston Medical Center Health System
Brenda Rodriguez, MBA, CEO, Lynn Community Health Center
Ryan Schwarz, MD, MBA, Massachusetts’ Medicaid Director and Assistant Secretary for MassHealth
The Right Care in the Right Place: Innovative Partnerships for Better Outcomes and Lower Costs
Susan Coakley, President and CEO, Aspire Health and Community Services
William W. Tollefsen, MD, MSc, MBA, FAEMS, Chair Department of Emergency Medicine; EMS and MIH Medical Director, South Shore Health
Lisa Felci Jimenez, MSN, RN, LSW, Director of Clinical Services, Mystic Valley Aging Services
Chris Mauro, LICSW, CCM, Director of Social Work and Case Management, MelroseWakefield Hospital
Responding to Health Care Cost Growth: Trends, Tradeoffs, and Policy Solutions
Niyum Gandhi, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer, Mass General Brigham
Patrick Gilligan, President and CEO, Point32Health
Joseph Shields, Esq., CEO, Transparency Rising
Michael Valenta, Chief Strategic Customer Officer, Johnson & Johnson
Matthew Veno, Executive Director, Massachusetts Group Insurance Commission
A Call to Action: A Leadership Agenda for Health Care Affordability
Sarah Iselin, President and CEO, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts
Lisa Murray, President, Citizens Massachusetts
Diana Richardson, President and CEO, Merrimack Health
Christina Severin, President and CEO, Community Care Cooperative (C3)
Registration is required to attend in-person, as seating is limited. More information can be found on the HPC’s website.
