Our readers know that we give Massachusetts a lot of credit for forging ahead with its program to cover everyone, although we recognize the economic and logistical challenges. The Boston Globe takes a closer look at how families are cobbling together coverage, even in Massachusetts, where unemployment has reached a 15 year high. Here are three stories that the Globe's Kay Lazar found when she looked "at the people behind the statistics."

Vivian Izuchi, 53, a married mother of three, lost her job as director of a church after-school program. She got another similar job fairly quickly, a blessing in this economy. But the last one had health coverage. This one doesn't. "I am investigating everything and anything I can," she told the newspaper, as she sorts through a "maze of state-subsidized programs" to see if her family qualifies. Her husband is now unemployed, so no on-the-job insurance option there.

Cynthia MacPherson, 46, lost her part-time job as a manager at a restaurant and her husband Jim, 50, lost his at a construction equipment firm. She estimates she has spent 100 hours calling around trying to get coverage for their family of five. It's particularly frustrating because they thought his severance package had them covered through May for $300 a month. But a paperwork mix-up got in the way, and they have received huge bills for their diabetic daughter's treatment. The paperwork snafu seems to be fixed now, and a state-subsidized MassHealth will fill in some of the coverage gaps. They hope. "It's scary to think that this could still fail," she said.

Aria Weissman is a recent college grad who had been working at a nonprofit helping troubled kids. Then the economy crashed, and she was laid off. She's now facing $30,000 in student loans, $500 in unpaid medical bills, plus the usual day-to-day expenses. She is "waitressing full time, sending out resumes, and hoping she doesn't get sick."

The stimulus bill being considered in Congress would help some of the newly-jobless get coverage through COBRA subsidies or Medicaid eligibility. SCHIP expansion can also help some of these families. Those are stop gaps though. Long-term solutions will be found in the entwined tasks of reviving our economy and repairing our health care system.