From Massachusetts to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue: Aboard the Health Reform Express

  • and John McDonough, Hunter College
June 2010 |

Abstract: The journey of national health reform legislation from concept to President Barack Obama’s desk was long and winding, but not without important guideposts. Core elements of Massachusetts’ 2006 health reform—near-universal, affordable coverage; changes in the small-group and individual insurance markets; and an individual mandate to obtain insurance—provided a road map for policy makers charting national health reform. Our experience with the Massachusetts reform informed our work on the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee in 2008 and 2009. We compare national and Massachusetts health reforms and analyze their implications for the future.

For the full text of this article, click here (subscription).

Join the Conversation

Please log in below through Disqus, Twitter or Facebook to participate in the conversation. Your email address, which is required for a Disqus account, will not be publicly displayed. If you sign in with Twitter or Facebook, you have the option of publishing your comments in those streams as well.

Issues:

Related Programs