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The sobering lessons of health reform in Massachusetts.
Slate ^ | June 23, 2009 | Darshak Sanghavi

Posted on 06/23/2009 9:18:32 PM PDT by Lorianne

The debate over achieving universal health care can seem hopelessly confusing. But the issues are actually pretty simple when you consider the lessons of Massachusetts.

In 2006, state lawmakers seeking to broaden health coverage made it illegal to be uninsured. It works like this: Employers have to offer you a health plan. If you are jobless or don't like your employer's plan, you must buy your own. If you don't get one, you pay a stiff fine. This strategy—known as an employer and individual "mandate"—forms the backbone of the national health reform bills now making their way through Congress.

On paper, the experiment was a resounding success. According to an Urban Institute estimate, the number of uninsured residents quickly fell from 13 percent to 7 percent following the law's passage.

And yet, something strange happened. Despite having health insurance, roughly one in 10 state residents still failed to fill prescriptions, ended up with unpaid medical bills, or skipped needed medical care for financial reasons. Hundreds of millions of dollars were spent to insure more Massachusetts citizens, but many people still weren't getting necessary care. What happened?

(Excerpt) Read more at slate.com ...


TOPICS: Government; US: Massachusetts
KEYWORDS: 111th; bhoheathcare; lessons; reform
And a similar lesson in Hawaii.
1 posted on 06/23/2009 9:18:32 PM PDT by Lorianne
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To: Lorianne
And lets PLEASE don't forget which alleged ''conservative'' asswipe signed this MASSCare into law.

That would be Mutt Romney, for those few still absent-minded out there.

2 posted on 06/23/2009 10:10:09 PM PDT by SAJ
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To: Lorianne

Sooooo....Mass makes a perfect example of the FAILURE of government healthcare/insurance to use when calling our Congresscritters....??


3 posted on 06/23/2009 10:25:31 PM PDT by goodnesswins (For lease)
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To: SAJ

Until we hogtie the Trial Lawyers, physicians will continue to order high tech tests to CYA. Specialists pay in the hundreds of thousand of dollars per year for malpractice insurance. Make the lawyers use government run health care and see what happens when they have to accept their imminent death because some treatment is denied.


4 posted on 06/23/2009 10:29:02 PM PDT by Semperfiwife (It is a tale, told by an idiot.....living in DC)
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To: Lorianne

In the case of MA the initial plan (prior to Romney) became overloaded and the state eventually stopped paying the hospitals. The state was taken to court and lost. Then came Romney who played ball w/ the liberals and MA is again in a fix.

I’m not so sure of the situation in HI but when we were there last summer I heard some reports on the news about it being overloaded and I think the state was limiting who would be eligible.

Then we have medicare/medicaid....

There are no examples of this working anywhere...and we’re supposed to believe the govt can take more responsibility on and succeed. Even to a casual observer this is silliness.


5 posted on 06/24/2009 5:33:17 AM PDT by 556x45
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To: Lorianne

And that’s not including all the folks who left the state for their health care, or all the folks who just plumb left the state.


6 posted on 06/24/2009 5:37:23 AM PDT by mewzilla (In politics the middle way is none at all. John Adams)
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To: long hard slogger; FormerACLUmember; Harrius Magnus; hocndoc; parousia; Hydroshock; skippermd; ...


Socialized Medicine aka Universal Health Care PING LIST

FReepmail me if you want to be added to or removed from this ping list.

**This is a high volume ping list! (sign of the times)**


7 posted on 06/25/2009 1:55:01 PM PDT by socialismisinsidious ( The socialist income tax system turns US citizens into beggars or quitters!)
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