Maine Insurance

In its efforts to health insurance for virtually all its inhabitants, Massachusetts has already more than half of the poorest people, are eligible.

But experts and politicians agree that the biggest challenge is the next 150000 people: the “working poor”, the State benefit of a subsidized interest rate, but still pay insurance costs , Usually $ 18 to $ 170 per month depending on their income.

“This group is much more difficult,” said Paul Ginsburg, an economist, directs the Centre for Studies consultancy Health System Change. “They are relations with the people, not even think about it, health insurance.”

As in California cards close to being universal health insurance, Massachusetts, a few guideposts.

“We are really a change of culture of providing heath care,” said Michael J. Widmer, president of the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation, a group of independent review of public spending. “For some, it changes the spirit of a game show in emergencies or in the local health centre with a problem to understand that it provides. Nobody’s expected that up overnight. ”

Developing a plan that everyone on the state political actors to accept the hard work and time. It goes back at least to 2004, Dir Mitt Romney, a Republican and former donors venture capital, has proposed an “individual mandate” that will reassure everyone, function, the plan proposed today in California. The chairman of the State Senate, Robert E. Travaglini, a Democrat, including for the expanded coverage, submit a plan of incremental M. Romney’s.

Then, the spokesman of the house, Salvatore F. DiMasi, a liberal Democrat, requested an extension of the tax on wages and Medicaid for employers or insurance. These provisions were to varying degrees, on the other hand, Mr. Romney and Mr. Travaglini, and legislation have been almost apart.

But several factors helped propel the parties to an agreement: a threat to cut federal $ 385 million of funding, if the number is not insured has not been reduced and the support of Senator Edward M. Kennedy, a Democrat and rival of Mr. Romney.

The plan needs about 515000 people, most governments had no insurance for health insurance, July 1 or face sanctions, which could also be applied to the loss of the deduction of tax on personal income. Medicaid has been expanded to pay for something below the poverty line. The State is 1 billion dollars to pay Pool gratis care has been reconfigured to be subsidized premiums for people earning up to three times higher than the federal budget to limit poverty.

The State will assist in establishing rules, insurance companies, health plans fairly affordable for low-income people in the centre.

So far, about 29000 people at or below the poverty line registered, or a little more than half of those for such registration.

The second phase, focusing on the “working poor”, began this month and is regarded as very difficult.

Insurers sell subsidized health plans have been tempted to speak.

Christina Severin, executive director of Network Health, most insurance plans with the lowest prices, said that his company was advertising in several languages and recruitment of hospitals, clinics and churches that did d ‘ any recruit.

The other major challenge is the man is not subsidized plans. First, the Agency is in place to enforce the law in force, the connector Commonwealth, we need benchmarks for affordable health care plans, deciding, for example, if the plans require understood for coverage.

“On the one hand, there is pressure, not for the bar is too low, so there is not any kind of plan inadequate,” said Dr. Widmer. “On the other hand, you must have options, because you try to drag in many groups.

Massachusetts is clearly new to go farther than other countries.

Vermont’s program in May last year may be adopted, should be deprived of insurance companies offer coverage for unversichert from October 2007. Return to pay for the program, employers do not provide health insurance pay $ 365 per employee, including taxes on cigarettes increases. Unlike in Massachusetts, Vermont, in the future, not to make participation mandatory.