Essay on Massachusetts Health Reform - 1386 Words

Massachusetts Health Reform In 2006 the state of Massachusetts wanted to help its millions of citizens who were uninsured. The state legislators as well as the governor put into place a plan to help citizens get insurance. A law was passed to reform insurance in Massachusetts, which was known as Chapter 58 of the Acts of 2006 of the Massachusetts General Court; its long form title is An Act Providing Access to Affordable, Quality, Accountable Health Care. The newly enacted law decreed that almost all of Massachusetts’ residents obtain a minimum level of insurance coverage. It also gave free health care insurance for Massachusetts residents that earned less than 150 percent of the federal poverty level. It also decreed that all†¦show more content†¦The rising costs of unpaid emergency room expenditures were an issue that had to be addressed by state authorities. EMTALA required that all persons be treated, however, it did not include any legislation to reimburse payment that left hospital left wi th unpaid bills and growing expenses. The state of Massachusetts had a tax set up to help pay for the expenses of the uninsured emergency room visits. The tax was known as Uncompensated Care Pool, and nicknamed free care pool. It also covered uninsured hospital admissions and community health centers. The free pool care was always underfunded and was raised annually. An MIT professor determined that the amount of money in the free pool care would be enough to fund reform legislation without needing to raise any more taxes or have additional funding. Another issue was the fact the large employers that received self-insurance were progressively giving up health insurance as an employee benefit. They also mandated that only full-time employees would be eligible for the insurance benefit. These issues among others are why advocacy groups and state legislators felt very strongly that some kind of health insurance reform was necessary. The actual statute consisted of key provisions, one o f which was the employer Fair Share Contribution and Free Rider Surcharge. Another was a requirement that each individual must have proof of coverageShow MoreRelatedPositive And Negative Effects Of The Massachusetts Health Care Insurance Reform Act2274 Words   |  10 Pagesto improve overall healthcare, the state of Massachusetts implemented the Health Care Insurance Reform Act. This paper looks at the positive and negative effects of the Massachusetts Health Care Insurance Reform Act (MHRA). Using a literature review of public health studies ranging from 2009-2012, I argue that there are both positive and negative effects of the Massachusetts Health Care Insurance Reform. While the Massachusetts Reform increased health insurance coverage for all citizens and decreasedRead MoreThe Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA)1660 Words   |  7 PagesProtection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) is one of the most substantial reforms in Medicare since 1965. This is now consid ered the law of the land according to Douglas Holtz-Eaton. The PPACA portrays a â€Å"coverage first† strategy. â€Å"Sadly, a review a of the state’s experience bodes poorly for the future of national reform.† (Point/Counterpoint 177) There are two major driving factors in which could propose a threat for this reform. The first factor is it costs too much. Many decades ago, healthcareRead MoreThe Effects Of Universal Health Insurance Mandate On The Massachusetts Labor Market1372 Words   |  6 Pagesthe universal health insurance mandate in the Massachusetts labor market. 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The same author said executives in the state realized the growing problemRead MoreThe Massachusetts Health Care System2396 Words   |  10 Pagesanalyzing the Massachusetts health care system. Specifically it addresses how the 2006 health care reform law sought to provide health insurance coverage for the uninsured, underinsured, children, young adults, and low income residents. In addition it diminished the demand side rationing that was occurring in Massachusetts. Its desire was for universal coverage, and would be both reasonably priced and of intrinsic value. The law addressed the need to decrease barriers to health care, such as racialRead MoreThe Massachusetts Health Care Act Of 2006922 Words   |  4 Pages The Massachusetts Health Care Act of 2006 was an attempt to gi ve healthcare to all of the residents of Massachusetts. The law mandated that nearly every resident of Massachusetts obtain a minimum level of insurance coverage, provided free health care insurance for residents earning less than 150% of the federal poverty level and mandated employers with more than 10 full-time employees to provide healthcare insurance. The law was amended significantly in 2008 and twice in 2010 to make it consistentRead MoreEssay about The Impact of The Affordable Care Act1660 Words   |  7 Pagesalways had a realization that there was a problem with obtaining affordable health insurance. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) also known as Obamacare, was signed into law in March 2010. This law enables people who were unable to afford healthcare the ability to obtain a healthcare plan at an affordable rate. In 2009 a survey was taken as to the amount of people in the United States that carried health insurance. In table one below you can see over 50 million people in the UnitedRead MoreImproving Access Of Healthcare1156 Words   |  5 PagesIn the United States, health insurance expansion and market reforms have focused on increasing the access of healthcare. For instance the passing of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) of 2010 focuses on the expansion of affordable quality health care to millions of uninsured. The act requires that all Americans purchase a private health care plan or enroll in a government funded insurance program. The often repeated argument in favor of expanding health care coverage is that