The Pioneer Institute Public Policy Research is a right-of-center organization that studies the economic impact of various public policy choices within the state of Massachusetts and seeks to promote fiscally sound positions that reduce and eliminate deficit spending. The Pioneer Institute Public Policy Research does not accept government grants and is not affiliated with any university. ¹

Mass Watch

Mass Watch is a free resource provided by Pioneer Institute Public Policy Research that tracks public policy issues in Massachusetts. Mass Watch tracks education data, employment data, municipality financial health data, government spending, information on private holdings of Massachusetts public officials, public transit policy, and pension policy in Massachusetts. ²

Health Care

In 2020 the Pioneer Institute Public Policy Research conducted a survey to determine Massachusetts residents’ knowledge of health care expenses to improve transparency in healthcare pricing. ³

The survey found that many people seek more transparency with out-of-pocket pricing, that much of the information they seek is online, and that people do not know how to access this information despite much of it being online. ³ The Pioneer Institute recommended that insurance companies make information on out-of-pocket fees more accessible on their websites and cooperate with doctors so that doctors are better equipped to explain out-of-pocket medical expense fees with their patients. ³

Adopting these recommendations would reduce medical debt stemming from an absence of information on the cost of health care and make the healthcare market more efficient. ³

Pensions

Pioneer Institute for Public Policy Research identified the main risks to the Massachusetts pension system and proposed solutions to improve the solvency of the state’s pension system. ⁴ The three main risks identified are insufficient contributions to the system, poor management of assets and stagnancy in asset values, and lack of stress testing to determine the system’s actual level of resiliency to an economic recession or contraction. ⁴

Pioneer Institute for Public Policy Research’s key policy recommendation has been the consolidation of regulatory bodies over the public system, transparency in regulations, and better management of municipality resources. ⁴ Currently, Massachusetts municipalities follow a patchwork of different regulations making coordinated efforts to balance the pension system. The institute predicts that adopting its recommendations would save the system an estimated $25-30 million dollars in expenses. ⁵

Transportation

Pioneer Institute Public Policy Research provides a system that allows individuals to compare the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority’s quality of service and annual expenditures with those of other large public transit systems across the country. ⁶

Finances

In 2018 Pioneer Institute Public Policy Research received $2,286,411 in contributions and $2,482,678 in total revenue. ⁷ The same year, the organization possessed $3,641,99 in net assets after accounting for all liabilities. ⁸

Leadership

Jim Stergios is the executive director of Pioneer Institute Public Policy Research. ⁹ Before joining the organization, Stergios was chief of staff and undersecretary for Policy in the Commonwealth’s Executive Office of Environmental Affairs. ⁹

1. “About” Pioneer Institute Public Policy Research. https://pioneerinstitute.org/what-sets-pioneer-apart/
2. “Masswatch” Pioneer Institute Public Policy Research. https://pioneerinstitute.org/masswatch/
3. “Healthcare Price Transparency in Massachusetts” ” Pioneer Institute Public Policy Research. https://pioneerinstitute.org/pioneer-research/healthcare-price-transparency-massachusetts/
4. “Mass Pensions” Pioneer Institute Public Policy Research. https://masspensions.com/
5. “The Bay State’s Public-Pension Complex: Costly and Unaccountable -Click to Download” Pioneer Institute Public Policy Research. https://masspensions.com/
6. “Compare US Transit Systems” Pioneer Institute Public Policy Research. https://mbtaanalysis.com/us-transit-comparisons/
7. “Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax” Guidestar.org. Accessed January 30, 2021. Part I. Lines 8-12.
8. “Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax” Guidestar.org. Accessed January 30, 2021. Part I. Line 22.
9. “Jim Stergios” Pioneer Institute Public Policy Research. https://pioneerinstitute.org/jim-stergios/