Massachusetts and Health Care Reform (and don't forget Vermont)

In a development that ought to make conservatives everywhere tingle with thrill, states like Massachusetts and Vermont are innovating health care solutions. (MA's individual insurance mandate, signed by Republican Gov Romney and based on conservative Heritage foundation's ideas,  is of course the precursor to the Affordable Care Act's individual mandate).

This blog entry is to track coverage and information about Mass health care reforms.  Ongoing.

The Topic is Cost

• Editorial: Massachusetts Takes on Health Costs - NYTimes.com (8/4/2012) http://goo.gl/AVy9P
• "The Prob. w/ Health Care in MA: The way we pay for it" (by Secy of HHS of MA) (1/28/11)
• Mass. global payment experiments: cuts costs, patient satisfaction remains stable. (WBUR blog, 1/2011)
• "Accountable Care Organizations" (ACOs): coverage in Globe (search term)
• Peter Smulowitz on BMG re: healthcare costs (Dec 2009)
• updated 2009: Massachusetts Health Care Program News - Breaking Local Massachusetts Health Care Program News - The New York Times - http://goo.gl/0KTWk

Romneycare in local discussions

• Herald tells Romney to stop trying to blame Deval, attacking Obama on waivers (Herald, 2/2011) (calls "radical" global payments a system where docs paid flat fee "whether they treat you or not"--?)

Reports/news/updates from Mass. health care

• Why Romneycare Is Working In Four Graphs | ThinkProgress (1/26/2012)  
• Health insurers hold back on rate increases in Mass. - Business - (1/21/2012) The Boston Globe 
• 98% covered. 99.8% of kids
• A doctor to watch over you - Health & wellness - The Boston Globe (1/23/2012)
• "In the new system of ‘global payments,’ patients will have more contact with their primary providers — like it or not"
• Health Connector patients mostly satisfied with service - The Boston Globe  3/2011

Massachusetts Efforts toward Single-payer

• Resources at "Mass-Care"
• LWV MA still supports MA Medicare for All (press release; 12/15/2011)
• LWV Mass. supports HB2127 (Medicare for all) (Jun 24, 2010)

Vermont's move toward single-payer

• Overview (Feb 2011)
• VT looking toward Taiwan's healthcare system (which was built from ground up in 2008)--overview of Taiwan's system here (NPR, 2008 April)

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