Mass Success, Pt.3 -- Healthy growth and growing pains.
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The Washington-based research group called the Urban
Institute is nonpartisan. The author of this study was a
principal research associate for them and her name is Sharon K.
Long. In support of my earlier synopsis, we find Ms. Long
reporting “The entire increase in coverage appears to have been
drawn from the ranks of the uninsured.” She finds no evidence
that employer-provided health insurance is being “crowded out”
by this program. In fact, the study found the opposite. Even
though the national trend, as we all know, has been the erosion
of employer-provided health insurance for a long time now and
still today is getting worse at an accelerating rate.
Massachusetts boasted commendable success here too. Instead of
employer-provided health insurance eroding, as it has
nationwide, they actually appreciated an increase of almost 3%
from 2006 to 2007 fall to fall. Brilliant!
With all this success in growth, of course, supply and
demand become a factor. With all this new health care, there is
naturally going to be a much greater demand for medical
professionals, like doctors. So even though there was an
over-all effect of more people receiving care, there was also
an increase in the numbers of people who couldn’t find an
available doctor. It is reported from many family practitioners
and other medical professionals that they are “stretched by an
influx of newly insured patients, causing long delays for some
appointments”. Interestingly, there was a small increase from
the low-income sector seeking care by way of emergency room for
non- emergency reasons.
Continued…
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