Massachusetts Provides Health Care Insurance for Everyone
Friday July 28, 2006
It sounds great right? Well, don't pack your bags yet.
According to The Harvard Crimson, "The Massachusetts state legislature overwhelmingly passed a bill yesterday that would provide health insurance for nearly all citizens of the commonwealth. The vote makes Massachusetts the first state in the nation to approve such a comprehensive proposal, which comes close to achieving universal coverage."
But not everyone is cheering about the new bill. Apparently, under the new bill, if you are uninsured in Massachusetts and can afford insurance you must buy it or face penalties. Hmmm..It looks like Massachusetts will be the guinea pig for the rest of the country to iron out all the kinks for possible national universal health care coverage.
If the insured pool was larger with everyone paying into the pool, logic dictates that premiums should be more reasonable for all, while all people would be protected from catastroophic expenses that can eat up a lifetime of savings. The problem will occur for people who can’t make it into the subsidized group, and who are not well heeled enough to bear the cost if it is prohibitive. Does the law force government decicion makers to take out private insurance so the rest of us are not paying for their wonderful benefits with our taxes as well?