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Momentum Gaining for Universal Access in Massachusetts
by Tom Walsh
Unlike many thorny public issues, providing
universal access to affordable, high-quality medical care for all
Massachusetts citizens enjoys the support of nearly everyone. How
to get there, however, remains a very open question.
Despite the fact that the Bay State is one
of the best when it comes to health coverage, somewhere between
450,000 and 600,000 Massachusetts citizens are not insured and do
not have easy access to health care. "It is unconscionable
that people remain uninsured in our state," Alan C. Woodward,
M.D., MMS president, told the Society's House of Delegates
at its Interim Meeting in November. His remark was greeted with
enthusiastic applause.
Proposals Are Percolating
Just before Thanksgiving, Gov.
Mitt Romney unveiled his plan. Health Care For All, a prominent
advocacy group, has a plan that differs significantly from the governor's.
The Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts (BCBSMA) Foundation
expects to unveil a plan this spring, and in November it contributed
a major cost-benefit study of the issue. more
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