The Massachusetts Medical Society supports the achievement of
universal insurance coverage, and adopt the five principles from
the Institute of Medicine's report Insuring America's Health:
Principles and Recommendations:
a) Health care coverage
should be universal.
b) Health care coverage should
be continuous.
c) Health care coverage should
be affordable to individuals and families.
d) The health insurance
strategy should be affordable and sustainable for society.
e) Health insurance should
enhance health and well-being by promoting access to high-quality
care that is effective, efficient, safe, timely, patient-centered,
and equitable.
The MMS will continue to investigate options that work toward
the goal of achieving universal insurance coverage, that may
include:
a) A non-disruptive and
evolutionary approach to improving our current health care system,
that is politically and economically viable and sustainable, and
that includes quality and public health components.
b) The development of health
care coverage products that are sufficiently comprehensive to
provide meaningful health care, and that are affordable and can be
obtained through appropriate purchasing pools for individuals or
smaller employers.
c) A bi-modal approach of
expanding public and private payer responsibilities; patients
should have a choice between private and public financing.
d) Efforts to enhance current
enrollment of Medicaid-eligible individuals and families, including
appropriate opportunities through public and private
entities.
e) Both individual and employer
mandates, provided that affordable private health insurance and/or
appropriate subsidies are made available.
f) Collaboration
across all health care segments, including employers, health plans,
health care organizations, legislators, and the administration for
the State.
Adopted by the MMS House of
Delegates
May 13, 2005
