Daily News Updates - Health Insurance News

Mass. Medical Model Shines, Pt.7 – More challenges and challenges.

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Of course there is still resistance, always has been. The business community is steadfastly plying to stop this new legislation. According to the president of the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation, Michael Widmer, the new employer-based health insurance segment turned out be almost double the number that was projected. The Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation is a business-funded public policy group. The high increase in employer-based [health insurance] enrollment “translates into almost $1 billion more spent by employers on premiums,” Mr. Widmer explains. He contends that the high compliance rating of the 159,000 sign-ups for employer-based health insurance employers "makes a mockery of the state's allegation that employers have not done their fair share."

The public response during the early days was resistance, as well. It was not organized resistance and was largely due to being uninformed. That changed at the beginning of 2007 when the state launched a major campaign to inform and warn all the residents of an upcoming $219 penalty for those without health insurance by mid-year. It delivered results. The new report shows that 6-month period marking the greatest increase in health insurance enrollment of any 6-month period.

Another continuing problem with the overall health insurance/care project is that the Massachusetts legislation is coming under heavy criticism. Some health policy experts are questioning whether this huge project can be sustained. The concern is because of the heavy demands in the long term without sufficiently slowing growth in health-care costs. Given the constant rising of costs in recent years, some doubt that this prospect will ever happen.

Continued…