Massachusetts may have successfully covered a large portion of the state’s uninsured.

Massachusetts may have successfully covered a large portion of the state’s uninsured, but their plan is facing real challenges which could help other states, such as California, as they work towards universal health insurance coverage in their states. In 2006, Governor Mitt Romney and the state’s legislature passed a plan that would require all state residents to carry health insurance. The law would also provide subsidies to help low-income families pay for those costs and would charge employers who did not offer health insurance.

Currently, the state has enrolled about one-third of its uninsured residents, roughly 200,000 people. The majority of those enrolled have been low-income residents who qualify for subsidies. Unfortunately, those who do not qualify for subsidies may be facing major challenges. Because the law did not include cost negotiations, nothing is being done in the state to keep health insurance costs affordable. Plus, those who do not secure their own health insurance will face fines starting at $216 and increasing yearly into the thousands.

With the costs of health insurance expected to continue rising, the state may also find funding the subsidies for low-income individuals difficult to maintain in the coming years.

This entry was posted on Monday, December 10th, 2007 at 8:39 am and is filed under Health Insurance in the News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.