[Jolie]

Deadline near for Mass. health insurance By STEVE LeBLANC, Associated Press Writer
Sat Jun 30, 12:50 PM ET



BOSTON - The goal was as audacious as it was simple: Plug the holes in Massachusetts' health care network without resorting to the politically nuclear option of a single government-funded program.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070630/...ts_health_care

[pickledpepperRN]

The uninsured let a deadline pass

Massachusetts required them to get health insurance by July 1, but two-thirds haven't yet complied.

Page 1: http://www.csmonitor.com/2007/0702/p03s03-usgn.html
Page 2: http://www.csmonitor.com/2007/0702/p...gn.html?page=2

[pickledpepperRN]

Some say Blue Cross plans to hurt health revamp

Lower contributions by firms could leave more without policies

Small employers that are only willing to pay one-third of their workers' healthcare insurance premiums can now offer policies through Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Massachusetts. Previously, the state's largest health insurer only offered coverage to companies that contributed at least one-half of premium costs.

The change, which went into effect July 1, has reignited debate over how much employers should contribute to healthcare premiums. Healthcare activists and state legislators who helped craft Massachusetts' healthcare reform law are worried the move by Blue Cross, which has about 3 million members, could lead to fewer workers with healthcare coverage.
"This has the potential to unravel some of the progress we've been making in reducing the number of uninsured," said state Senator Richard T. Moore , Democrat of Uxbridge, who played a key role in forging the healthcare reform law, which is intended to extend coverage to all state residents
Moore said that as employers shift more of the cost of healthcare insurance to workers, fewer will be able to afford coverage….

http://www.boston.com/business/globe...health_revamp/

[HM2Viking]

I think that these results show why a tax funded plan is a superior approach from a pragmatic standpoint.

[HM2Viking]

Even as states such as California, Vermont, and Pennsylvania take further steps toward achieving affordable health care for all of their citizens, Massachusetts has taken its landmark health care plan a step further, requiring its residents to have health care coverage as of the beginning of this month. Problem is, the July 1, 2007 deadline for enrolling in a health plan has come and gone, yet many Massachusetts residents remain without health insurance. This has sparked concerns not just about how universal the state’s health care plan truly is but also about higher than expected premiums and the lack of affordable options for every income level. These concerns resonate not just in the states where health care reform is actively under consideration but also across the country as individuals, businesses, and health care providers recognize that fundamental health care reform is critical to our national economic and social well-being
The state’s new health reform legislation, signed into law on April 12, 2006 by former governor Mitt Romney, tackles the health care problem using a three-pronged approach. The plan expands MassHealth (Massachusetts’ Medicaid program), requires employers to cover their employees or pay a “Fair Share” contribution, and mandates that all individuals purchase affordable coverage or face a penalty through income tax filings

http://www.americanprogress.org/issu...asshealth.html