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Mass. Health, A Creator Explains, Pt.7 – Recommendations, summary; “Way to go!”

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• Direct payments must be phased out: Direct payments to hospitals are made for those who mostly provide care for the subsidized health insurance, low-income sector. This is already scheduled by the legislature to be phased out in 2009 with one last payment of $160 million. The legislature needs adamantly stay with that agreement.
   
• Monitor enforcement with strict adherence: Clamp down of hospitals that still offer free care. The care paid for must come from patients who are paying for health insurance coverage, whether subsidized or not. These requirements must be ‘tightened up’. No more “large opaque window” payments to these hospitals for those without health insurance. Enforce this strictly. This is another cost savings.
• Contain costs: This must be done vigorously. Several cost containment features were considered at the beginning of the original plan. “Cost and quality transparency” should be uniform across health providers, including the purchasers’ co-health insurance options.

In summary, those who know the plan best are also the most positive. Although there are still some detractors, recent poll results show that 2 out of 3 residents have “favorable opinions.” There are many who believe that a federal universal health insurance plan would work better. Mr. Romney contends that Massachusetts, working with the Bush Administration have successfully shown that it can be done at the state level. If there could ever be such cooperation in all of the other 49 states, of dedicated people such as Mr. Romney, Mr. Kennedy, Michael Leavitt, the Massachusetts legislature and many other leaders who forged this marvelous creation, our troubles would be over. So far, none have come up to the plate. It may require an authoritative umpire to get things in order. Kudos, for Mr. Romney and the other creators. We need more people like them.