Mass Health Insurance Reform: One Year Later
It has been a year since Massachusetts passed landmark legislation requiring that all residents of the state procure health insurance coverage. Data indicates that the program has received the approval of many state residents, though costs were higher than anticipated.
One article which described the outcomes noted thus far was posted in the journal Health Affairs. As noted, the intent of the law is to provide all residents with health insurance within a three year timeframe. A key goal of this effort is reducing the cost for high quality insurance plans.
The report notes that the rate of uninsurance among working age adults dropped by half during the first year of the program; 350,000 individuals obtained health insurance. Before the program commenced in 2006, the rate of uninsurance was 13 percent and fell to seven percent in 2007. Among people with income levels within 300 percent of the poverty level, the rate of uninsurance decreased from five to three percent.
Improvements in access to healthcare were also noted. As well, the number of persons with difficulty paying medical bills decreased, as did the high rates of out-of-pocket costs.That same group noted that they received preventive care within the past year. There was also an increase in the use of dental care; 59 percent received care compared to 49 percent in 2006.
These results were tabulated through a phone survey completed by the New York Times in cooperation with the Urban Institute. Individuals are also now required to report their health insurance status when filing tax returns.
Those people who are still without health insurance are generally low income, male, and healthy. As well, many of those without insurance claimed they did not know that insurance was now a requirement.
June 5, 2008 Related topics: Legal & legislative