Is Massachusetts a Good Model for the National Health Insurance Bill?

Is Massachusetts a Good Model for the National Health Insurance Bill? in Individual Health Insurance

Well, it depends on what you define as model-like.

If you look at the percentage of insured residents, then yes, Massachusetts is a phenomenal model. A whopping 96 percent of the population of Massachusetts has health insurance as a result of the new law, reported the Chicago Tribune.

The Massachusetts health insurance law also makes reform look good for those afraid their current coverage might go down the tubes. According to the Tribune article, “many middle-class people who had insurance before the overhaul see little change.” And, “the employer-based insurance system remains intact.”

Low-income Massachusetts residents who normally could not afford health insurance are also rejoicing at reform and the subsidies to help pay for coverage.

On the other hand, health reform in Massachusetts certainly has its problems. The first, and arguably the biggest, problem is still-skyrocketing health care costs.

A state commission report said the high price of health care “threatens the viability” of the reform effort, wrote the article.

And as we already know, as health care costs go up, so do health insurance premiums. That’s exactly what’s happening in Massachusetts, with some policyholders facing 10 percent increases in their premiums.

The other issue, not mentioned in the Tribune article, is a significant doctor shortage. There just aren’t enough primary care physicians, particularly in rural areas, to see all these new patients.

As wait times to see a doctor get longer, the idea of “rationed care” becomes more of a reality.

Like just about everything in this world, health reform in Massachusetts has its ups and downs. So is the Bay State a good model? We’re still not sure.

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