Posted on 01/29/2008 3:46:33 PM PST by pissant
As he campaigns across the country this week in anticipation of the Super Tuesday primaries, Mitt Romney probably won't say much about the storied health care plan he signed into law as governor of Massachusetts.
For one thing, it is hard to portray yourself as the ideological heir to Ronald Reagan when your health care plan is virtually indistinguishable from the one proposed by Hillary Clinton. But another reason Romney may not want to talk about his plan is that it has been a dismal failure.
The Massachusetts plan was supposed to achieve universal health coverage while controlling costs. As Romney wrote in the Wall Street Journal, "Every uninsured citizen in Massachusetts will soon have affordable health insurance and the costs of health care will be reduced."
Or not.
Before RomneyCare was enacted, the number of uninsured Massachusetts residents was estimated at 618,000. Under the new program, about 300,000 previously uninsured residents have signed up for insurance. But of these, 169,000 are receiving subsidized coverage, proving once again that people are all too happy to accept something someone else is paying for. Another 70,000 people have also been enrolled in Medicaid, meaning a total of 239,000 people are receiving taxpayer-funded health insurance. Of those who have signed up for insurance since the plan was implemented, slightly more than half have received totally "free" coverage. Only 60,000 unsubsidized residents have bought insurance in order to comply with the mandate.
And though the subsidies have increased the number of Massachusetts citizens with insurance, as many as 300,000 Massachusetts residents have failed to buy the required insurance. Thus, half of those who were uninsured before the plan was implemented remain so.
The Massachusetts plan might not have achieved universal coverage, but it has cost taxpayers a great deal of money. It was originally projected to cost $1.8 billion in 2008, but it is now expected to exceed those estimates by $150 to 400 million. Over the next decade, projections suggest that RomneyCare will cost $2-$4 billion more than was budgeted. Given that Massachusetts is already facing a projected budget deficit this year, the pressure to raise taxes, cut reimbursements to health care providers, or cap insurance premiums will likely be intense.
The cost of the Massachusetts plan is also likely to continue rising, because is has failed to hold down the cost of health care. When Governor Romney signed the bill, he claimed "a key objective is to lower the cost of health insurance for all our citizens and allow our citizens to buy the insurance plan that fits their needs." In actuality, insurance premiums in the state are expected to rise 10-12 percent this year - twice the national average.
A major cause is that the new bureaucracy the legislation created - the "Connector" - is not allowing Massachusetts citizens to buy insurance that "fits their needs." For example, the Connector's governing board decrees that by January 2009, no one will be allowed to have insurance with a deductible higher than $2,000 or total out-of-pocket costs of more than $5,000.
In addition, every policy will be required to provide prescription drug coverage, a move that could add 5-15 percent to the cost of insurance plans. A proposal to require dental coverage failed narrowly, but the dentists - and several other provider groups - have not given up the effort to force its inclusion. This comes on top of the 40 mandated benefits the state had previously required, ranging from in vitro fertilization to chiropractic services.
Romney now says that he cannot be held responsible for the actions of the Connector board, because it's "an independent body separate from the governor's office." But many critics of the Massachusetts plan warned him precisely against the dangers of giving regulatory authority to a bureaucracy that would last long beyond his administration.
Executives often blame others for the failures of their own policies, but that's not a tendency one looks for in a candidate. Romney claims he is a "true conservative" with the business expertise to "get things done." Judging by his experience with health care reform, far from it.
ABOUT THE WRITER
Michael Tanner is director of health and welfare studies at the Cato Institute and the author of "Leviathan on the Right." Readers may write to the author at the Cato Institute, 1000 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, D.C. 20001; Web site: www.cato.org. For information on Cato's funding, please go to http://www.cato.org/sponsors/sponsors.html.
Gee, who would of thunk it?
Ah, doing the Manchurian Candidate’s work now.
Good question.
Rudy McRombee are all the same to me, Punchdrunk. They all need to be exposed.
I guess if romney goes down in florida at least it means the GOP won’t get stuck with supporting this plan
Gotta figure a way to get a conservative back into the race.
The rest are waiting for their rebate checks so they can buy in.
i’ve been telling people this for weeks.
although, i’d support Romney over McCain any day....
the contrived polls were a plot to get Rudy out of the picture for the Clintons and it looks like the geniuses in Florida fell for it hook, line, sinker.
Now Romney and McCain will be easy to pick off for the Clintons.
Yes, I hope Romney doesn’t win Florida. It’s a winner take all state so I really hope he loses. McCain may be a horrible choice but he still beats Romney.
Good thing Romney was able to keep the liberals in Mass from having the government totally take over healthcare. Mitt did the best he could.
LOL. I like the registered trademark. Same with the gay marriage and $50 abortions.
Sad thing is, Democrats are picking who they love the most and we are picking who we hate the least. It’s a loser for us no matter what.
I am tired of politicians pissing down my back and telling me that its rain.
Canada has a one-size fits all health care plan of the type Hillary advocates. It is a bigger failure than the Japanese national health care system which allows competitive plans, turns out a surplus of doctors and produces pharmaceuticals which are both innovative and competitive in price.
Our current health care system is partially socialized and partially broken down as a result. It would fit somewhere on the scale between Japan and Canada. So would the Massachusetts system. Socialism is Communism sold by the drink. It would be better if we were all T-totalers. But if we must drink, choose something that is more filling and less alcohol.
Ha!!
I’m going to need a bottle of Bacardi 151 after this election season.
Healthcare is BROKEN in the US. And the reason is costs are escalating at between 3 and 4 times the CPI. No one in his right mind can call a system with exploding costs as working.
I give credit to Romney for atleast making an attempt to change the broken system. Many different changes are coming to national health care. The voters will see to that. We just do not know whaich is the best COMPROMISE of all options.
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