MA Healthcare Reform; a benefit or a detriment?

Submitted by Jessica Bavuso on Fri, 04/24/2009 - 12:36pm

Massachusetts launched a new healthcare plan in 2007 in efforts to ensure that all residents have access to quality healthcare. The Massachusetts Reform Plan was designed to guarantee affordable, quality and immediate treatment for patients regardless of inability to pay. The reform also entertained goals of cutting back emergency room visits and extreme heath conditions by utilizing doctor's offices and primary care physicians.

In order to facilitate the change, with ease, many healthcare providers have changed policies and regulations allowing dependents to be claimed for longer periods of time than in the past. Those who cannot afford expensive policies are able to apply for Mass Health, a state funded program. Residents who do not have healthcare are at risk of hefty fines.

Its two years later and people want to know if it's made a difference. Have positive changes developed within the Commonwealth that can be credited to the reform? How is the economic downturn affecting healthcare and residents?

With increased homelessness and stress I think that it is appropriate to conclude that emergency rooms should expect an increase in visits. But, what about out-patient visits that could be easily remedied by a doctor's visit? With numerous factors it may be hard to analyze correlations, but these correlations are important in understanding the effectiveness of our healthcare plan.

Do you think the reform has been a positive addition to Massachusetts? Will the current economy highlight the pros, cons or both of the program?

Jessica Bavuso

Marketing and Communications Intern

Crittenton Women's Union

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The number of people in America without health insurance coverage at some time during 2006 totaled about 16% of the population, or 47 million people. In addition, many of those with insurance are not sufficiently insured, with high-deductible policies, policies that do have limits on what they will pay for or policies that cost a significant percentage of their income.Because of the amount spent on health care in the US, according to a 2009 report, the United States ranks 1st in the quality of health care among [[developed country|developed countries The World Health Organization (WHO), in 2009, ranked the US health care system 1st in overall performance and 1st by overall level of health (among United Nation nations included in the study).An example of the implementation of reform that does not benefit insurance companies or the private health care industry is the power of insurance company and health care industry lobbyists in the United States. Possibly as a consequence of the power of lobbyists, key politicians such as Senator Max Baucus have taken the option of single payer health care off the table entirely. This must be solved or loans are the answer to our Healt expenses

MA Healthcare Reform; a benefit or a detriment?

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