THE MASSACHUSETTS EXPERIMENT
A PLAN FOR UNIVERSAL COVERAGE
By Natalie Hale

On April 12, 2006, Massachusetts lawmakers guaranteed health insurance to all state residents in a landmark bipartisan decision. Since the first term of the Clinton Administration when then First Lady Hillary Clinton pitched a complex national health insurance plan, government and health advocates have been wrangling over universal coverage. The United States is the only developed country in the world that lacks comprehensive health services for its citizens. In light of widespread inefficiency and major budgetary deficits in the current system, the United States must assess the viability of a semi-socialized healthcare system. It cannot yet attempt such a system on the federal level. A number of state and local efforts have expanded healthcare access for select populations, but no initiatives have successfully given coverage to all. The stage was set for Massachusetts, a politically progressive and medically innovative state, to develop and implement universal insurance legislation.

As a national leader in research, medical services, and education, there could have been no better test site for such groundbreaking legislation than Massachusetts. Seventy percent of state employers already provide comprehensive health coverage for employees, and the state boasts an impressive uninsured ranking of sixth in the nation. Only ten percent of the population of Massachusetts lacks insurance. Massachusetts also runs MassHealth, a highly successful Medicaid program that provides medical services for over one million low-income residents. Beyond this unusual dedication to health, several other factors contributed to the adoption of the legislation. Most important was a $600 million federal mandate requiring Massachusetts to improve the distribution of healthcare services within MassHealth.

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