The Massachusets Health Plan's Inability to Offer Affordable Health Insurance Premiums Will Stall-Out Other State's Efforts in Health Reform

Now that we know Massachusetts is not going to be able to offer affordable health insurance to the middle class, we can expect to see other similar state health reform efforts stall-out.

Both California and Pennsylvania have already started down the Massachusetts health care reform road. But when state legislators find that families making $50,000 or $60,000 a year would be mandated under state law to spend $6,000 to $8,000 out of their own pockets, for plans that require a $2,000 deducible for all but a few services, they will be hard pressed to force their voters into a mandated system.

We haven't had this kind of excitement about health care reform in 15 years.

It will be a shame if Massachusetts now pours a cold bucket of water over it.

My earlier post on the high premiums in Mass: The Massachusetts Health Plan Will Turn Out to Be Little More Than a Fancy Expansion of Medicaid--Bids Come In At $250 Per Person Per Month