State Expansions: Massachusetts

The Massachusetts Health Reform of 2006 requires everyone in the state to obtain health insurance–if affordable coverage is available. In order to increase access to health coverage, the state expanded MassHealth (the state's combined Medicaid and SCHIP program), introduced private insurance subsidies, and created an agency to help uninsured people find affordable coverage.

For an in depth look at the Massachusetts expansion, see Massachusetts Health Reform of 2006. (Families USA, August 2007)

For implementation updates, see A Healthy Blog from Health Care for All.

Massachusetts Expansion Resources

• Massachusetts Health Reform: What's the Real Story? (Health Care for All and Community Catalyst, August, 2008)
• Confronting Disparities while Reforming Health Care: A Look at Massachusetts (Families USA, June 2007)
• Proposed Health Reform in Massachusetts: Net Gain for the Business Community (Families USA, January 2006)
• Revisiting Massachusetts Health Reform: 18 Months Later (Community Catalyst, December 2007)
• Getting Ready for Reform (Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts Foundation and The Urban Institute, August 2007)  
• Massachusetts Health Reform Toolkit (Alliance for Health Reform, July 2007)
• Massachusetts Health Reform: Employers, Low-Wage Workers and Universal Coverage (Center for Studying Health System Change, July 2007)
• Affordable Health Care for All: What Does Affordability Really Mean? (Community Catalyst, April 2007)
• Massachusetts Health Reform: What it Does; How it Was Done; Challenges Ahead (Community Catalyst, April 2006)
• Commonwealth Connector
• Health Care for All
• ACT!! Affordable Care Today
• Disparities Action Network (DAN)

Massachusetts in the News

• One in Five Massachusetts Residents Has Medical Debt (Standard-Times/South Coast Today, September 19, 2008)
• New Massachusetts Law Aids Children with Mental Illness (AP/Boston Globe, August 21, 2008)
• 439,000 More Get Health Coverage (The Boston Globe, August 20, 2008)
• Leaders Nip, Tuck Health Care Policy (The Boston Globe, August 11, 2008)
• Administration Grants State Third Medicaid Waiver (AP/Boston Globe, July 28, 2008)
• Business Balking at Health Changes: Many Firms and Insurers Oppose $100m Price Tag; Public Backs Patrick Idea to Close Gap in Funding (Boston Globe, July 15, 2008)
• Agency Expects More to Appeal Health Care Fee (Boston Globe, July 11, 2008)
• State Plan Changes Minimum Health Insurance Coverage Standards (Amesbury News, July 10, 2008)
• Massachusetts Cigarette Tax Jumps $1 per Pack (Boston Globe, July 1, 2008)
• Massachusetts Pioneering Health Plan Turns 1 (USA Today, June 30, 2008)
• House takes on health costs (Boston Herald, June 4, 2008)
• Study Finds State Gains in Insurance (New York Times, June 3, 2008)
• Healthcare affordability figures updated: Governor hails insurance plan (Boston Globe, April 11, 2008) 
• At two-year mark, Mass. health care law still a work in progress (Boston Globe, April 11, 2008) 
• In Massachusetts, Universal Coverage Strains Care (New York Times, April 5, 2008) and A Healthy Blog's response (April 5, 2008)
• Healthcare cost increases dominate Mass. budget debate (Boston Globe, March 26, 2008)
• Health leaders seek to change payment system (Boston Globe, March 13, 2008) 
• Health plan rates may rise by 14% (Boston Globe, February 15, 2008) 
• Cost of health initiative up $400m (Boston Globe, January 24, 2008) 
• State health plan saves towns money (Boston Globe, January 20, 2008)  
• Penalties to rise for shunning insurance: State healthcare levy could exceed $900 (Boston Globe, January 1, 2008)
• Mass. panel approves changes to subsidized health plan (Boston Globe, December 14, 2007) 
• Panel to press insurers on premiums: Seeks to hold increases to 5% for some plans (Boston Globe, December 5, 2007)
• Poll Finds Broad Business Support for Health Plan (Boston Globe, November 14, 2007) 
• Medicaid Cuts Could Cut Mass. $100 million (Boston Globe, November 13, 2007)
• Healthcare Initiative Reaches Out (Boston Globe, November 8, 2007) 
• Health Plan Line Swamped with Calls (Boston Globe, November 5, 2007) 
• Drug Coverage Costs Pose a Challenge: High-Deductible Plan Is Rejected (Boston Globe, October 12, 2007) 

For general resources on state expansions, see Other Resources.

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