By Isabel Hart | The Boston Business Journal | March 24, 2026
The Massachusetts Payer-Provider Partnership is far from the first healthcare affordability group to form in the state, but its leader — a former director of the Center for Health Information Analysis — said it is uniquely situated to test solutions for rising healthcare costs.
The organization, informally called MP3, launched itself publicly this week. It will be led by Lauren Peters, who stepped down as CHIA’s executive director in January. The group is designed to be a coming-together of leaders at local health systems and health insurers looking to collaborate on ways to reduce healthcare spending. For years, healthcare costs have ballooned in Massachusetts, impacting affordability for residents and sending both payers and providers into the red.
Peters said MP3 complements existing groups tackling the same problem, which include the state Health Policy Commission and the governor’s Health Care Affordability Working Group.
Unlike these groups, however, Peters said MP3’s members will be able to implement “on the ground” initiatives to see how changes impact spending. Areas of focus at the beginning will include administrative burdens, new payment models that reward performance, and prior authorization changes, Peters said.
The group has nine inaugural members: Baystate Health, Boston Medical Center Health System, Fallon Health, Health New England, Mass General Brigham, Mass General Brigham Health Plan, UMass Memorial Health, UMass Memorial Health Mass Advantage and WellSense Health Plan.
Peters said the organization intentionally brought on “payviders” — insurers affiliated with a health system — for the first year because, she said, they are able to make changes on both the payer side and the healthcare provider side.
“Because we have the levers on both sides of the equations, we can serve as a sandbox,” Peters said.
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