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Romney to Sign Mandatory Health Bill
NewsMax.com ^ | April 4, 2006 | NewsMax Staff

Posted on 04/05/2006 7:05:04 AM PDT by CSM

Tuesday, April 4, 2006 10:54 p.m. EDT Romney to Sign Mandatory Health Bill

BOSTON -- Lawmakers overwhelmingly approved a bill Tuesday that would make Massachusetts the first state to require that all its citizens have some form of health insurance.

The plan — approved just 24 hours after the final details were released — would use a combination of financial incentives and penalties to dramatically expand access to health care over the next three years and extend coverage to the state's estimated 500,000 uninsured.

If all goes as planned, poor people will be offered free or heavily subsidized coverage; those who can afford insurance but refuse to get it will face increasing tax penalties until they obtain coverage; and those already insured will see a modest drop in their premiums.

The measure does not call for new taxes but would require businesses that do not offer insurance to pay a $295 annual fee per employee.

The cost was put at $316 million in the first year, and more than a $1 billion by the third year, with much of that money coming from federal reimbursements and existing state spending, officials said.

The House approved the bill on a 154-2 vote. The Senate endorsed it 37-0.

A final procedural vote is needed in both chambers of the Democratic-controlled legislature before the bill can head to the desk of Gov. Mitt Romney, a potential Republican candidate for president in 2008. Romney spokesman Eric Fehrnstrom said the governor would sign the bill but would make some changes that wouldn't "affect the main purpose of the bill."

Legislators praised the effort.

"It's only fitting that Massachusetts would set forward and produce the most comprehensive, all-encompassing health care reform bill in the country," said House Speaker Salvatore DiMasi, a Democrat. "Do we know whether this is perfect or not? No, because it's never been done before."

The only other state to come close to the Massachusetts plan is Maine, which passed a law in 2003 to dramatically expand health care. That plan relies largely on voluntary compliance.

"What Massachusetts is doing, who they are covering, how they're crafting it, especially the individual requirement, that's all unique," said Laura Tobler, a health policy analyst for the National Conference of State Legislatures.

The plan hinges in part on two key sections: the $295-per-employee business assessment and a so-called "individual mandate," requiring every citizen who can afford it to obtain health insurance or face increasing tax penalties.

Liberals typically support employer mandates, while conservatives generally back individual responsibility.

"The novelty of what's happened in this building is that instead of saying, `Let's do neither,' leaders are saying, `Let's do both,'" said John McDonough of Health Care for All. "This will have a ripple effect across the country."

The state's poorest — single adults making $9,500 or less a year — will have access to health coverage with no premiums or deductibles.

Those living at up to 300 percent of the federal poverty level, or about $48,000 for a family of three, will be able to get health coverage on a sliding scale, also with no deductibles.

The vast majority of Massachusetts residents who are already insured could see a modest easing of their premiums.

Individuals deemed able but unwilling to purchase health care could face fines of more than $1,000 a year by the state if they don't get insurance.

Romney pushed vigorously for the individual mandate and called the legislation "something historic, truly landmark, a once-in-a-generation opportunity."

One goal of the bill is to protect $385 million pledged by the federal government over each of the next two years if the state can show it is on a path to reducing its number of uninsured.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has threatened to withhold the money if the state does not have a plan up and running by July 1.


TOPICS: Breaking News; Business/Economy; Constitution/Conservatism; Culture/Society; Government; News/Current Events; US: Massachusetts
KEYWORDS: commonwealth; dukakisii; fakerepublican; healthypeople; healthypeople2010; hillaryromneycare; rinomoron; rinowatch; romney; romneytherino; socialismuberalles
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To: Sgt_Schultze

Well, also, don't forget the other side of the coin. Behavior will have to be mandated as well in order to properly manage costs.


241 posted on 04/05/2006 12:57:08 PM PDT by MarcusTulliusCicero
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To: Realism
It's funny, but our real "quality" workers don't ever think to ask for these types of benefits.

I now see your point of view.

I'm not sure you do since you altered my sentence and left our the most important part.

Quality workers want more work and more money. It's always the ones who are lazy and shiftless that want all the 'perks.'

242 posted on 04/05/2006 12:58:20 PM PDT by colorcountry (You don't have a soul. You are a Soul. You have a body.....CS Lewis)
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To: Reagan Man
Reagan significantly reduced welfare state over his eight years

If Reagan were alive today, he would tell you he cut the rate of increase in the welfare state. He never "reduced" it.

243 posted on 04/05/2006 1:00:45 PM PDT by staytrue
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To: Lancey Howard
Ditto on Allen, if the dumb dim arse Rinos keep on keeping on, soon even a candle will burn brightly.
244 posted on 04/05/2006 1:03:16 PM PDT by Ursus arctos horribilis
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To: Lancey Howard

Ditto on Allen, if the dumb dim arse Rinos keep on keeping on, soon even a candle will burn brightly.


245 posted on 04/05/2006 1:03:50 PM PDT by Ursus arctos horribilis
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To: Jeff Head

All you say is true.


246 posted on 04/05/2006 1:07:22 PM PDT by Ursus arctos horribilis
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To: Wallace T.
Again I ask, if society will not take responsibility to care for the sick, who will? Who will pay? If government does not have a hand in it and allowing the free market to reign what may be the outcome? Will we have fewer doctors or more? Will the poor be treated as well as the rich? Or does that matter? That is to say, in a free market the only issue that matters is whether or not the market is allowed to determine it's own level and no other value judgment should be made part of the argument. So, if in the course of this experiment we find ourselves tripping over the sick and the dying on the streets of this nation, have we succeeded?

The argument relative to food costs is based a premise that is not comparable. Where fod costs are driven by technology that is cheaper and more productive than what it replaced the technology of medical care expands the scope of the possibilities of the health care industry. That is expensive, but we gain in that we may have the chance to live to realize our personal dreams.

247 posted on 04/05/2006 1:11:52 PM PDT by Final Authority
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To: JohnnyZ
Final Authority is one of the worst. Anyone who criticizes Mitt is labeled a religious bigot.
248 posted on 04/05/2006 1:17:24 PM PDT by JRochelle
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To: colorcountry
Quality workers want more work and more money.

As in raises, or working longer hours to make more money?

249 posted on 04/05/2006 1:27:41 PM PDT by Realism (Some believe that the facts-of-life are open to debate.....)
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To: Final Authority

Geico is not allowed in MA.


250 posted on 04/05/2006 1:30:36 PM PDT by massgopguy (massgopguy)
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To: Final Authority

Let the Church handle it. And by Church, I mean THE Church, as in one and only 'true' church of latter days.

Remember, the Church already tried this experiment called the 'United Order.' It didn't work then - it won't work now.

Yes - we should just step over the sick and dying! That image is just absurd. We have the fattest and healthiest poor people in the history of the world.


251 posted on 04/05/2006 1:32:43 PM PDT by colorcountry (You don't have a soul. You are a Soul. You have a body.....CS Lewis)
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To: Born Conservative
I don't think I'll be voting for Romney in 2008.....

I'm not really that surprised. Whether the issue is deficit spending, nationalized health care, or illegal aliens it seems as if many big name Republicans have decided to take the vote of conservatives for granted. It's up to us to prove them wrong. Tancredo for President!
252 posted on 04/05/2006 1:39:04 PM PDT by Old_Mil (http://www.constitutionparty.org - Forging a Rebirth of Freedom.)
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To: Realism
As in raises, or working longer hours to make more money?

As in, quality workers want an increase in actual, physical money in their pockets, and they'll do whatever it takes - they'll work smarter, longer, harder - they'll deserve a raise. Quality people understand their own needs and what it takes to provide them. Quality people do not stand around with their hands out and their mouths open - they take the initiative to meet their own needs however they must do it.

People of quality will do whatever it takes to provide themselves an adequate life. They understand that what is good for the business, is also good for them. If they find that is not the case, that their boss is a selfish miser, then they find a different job...or else < gasp > create one of their own, where they will fight and scrape to make it work! Once they create a viable business, they'll hire people to work for them, and they will recognize a quality worker when they are fortunate enough to find one. Then, and only then, will they offer him/her benefits and raises.

If you don't understand this concept, you are not a conservative.

253 posted on 04/05/2006 1:43:50 PM PDT by colorcountry (You don't have a soul. You are a Soul. You have a body.....CS Lewis)
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To: Born Conservative

"I don't think I'll be voting for Romney in 2008...."

Nor will I. What an idiotic bill - requiring EVERYONE to buy health insurance whether they want it or not? So someone as wealthy as, say, the Heinz-Kerrys would HAVE to buy health insurance, even though they might prefer to pay for their health care out-of-pocket? And that's only ONE of the things I find wrong with this.


254 posted on 04/05/2006 1:44:34 PM PDT by Purrcival (George Allen 2008)
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To: CSM

Dead man walking.


255 posted on 04/05/2006 1:45:19 PM PDT by hershey
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To: JRochelle
Have I called anybody a bigot or have I only pointed out in the past, those expressed opinions and the demonstrated unreasonable intolerance of a person, that they indeed may be bigoted or have bigoted views of a person?

I think on this thread, constructive criticism is good, as Mitt ascends in the polls and people learn of his work to unburden insurance companies from state regulation, together with his desire to promote personal responsibility respecting the topic of this thread, he will do very well indeed.
256 posted on 04/05/2006 1:51:26 PM PDT by Final Authority
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To: massgopguy

That is correct, as I pointed out in my reply. However, Mitt has made a serious effort to unburden insurance companies from state regulations who wish to compete in a freer market. GEICO would be one of those and the residents of Massachusetts would be well served if they did.


257 posted on 04/05/2006 1:54:37 PM PDT by Final Authority
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To: Calpernia

I thought those required at least catastrophic care policies...


258 posted on 04/05/2006 1:58:49 PM PDT by technochick99 ( Firearm of choice: Sig Sauer....)
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To: colorcountry
Respecting 251, let the church handle what? Handle health care? What should they use for money or do all of the nurses become nuns and take an oath of poverty?

The reason we aren't stepping over the sick and dying is because we do have the best health care system in the world, or used to, as it is becoming over burdened by criminal aliens where the concept of insurance and personal responsibility is foreign, and the irresponsible of our own who wish to remain deadbeats and live off others.

The Massachusetts plan subsidizes personal responsibility. It promotes responsibility and insures the taxpayer that those who can pay, will. Now that is a good thing.
259 posted on 04/05/2006 2:03:06 PM PDT by Final Authority
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To: Purrcival
What is the old adage? Don't look behind you, someone may be gaining.
260 posted on 04/05/2006 2:05:16 PM PDT by Final Authority
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