Heritage Foundation Leadership for America

Massachusetts Health Care Reform

Federal and state officials are negotiating a renewal of Massachusetts's Medicaid demonstration waiver. The last renewal of this long-standing waiver precipitated Massachusetts enacting a fundamental shift in policy from subsidizing hospitals to treat the uninsured to subsidizing coverage for the uninsured. This policy precedent is particularly important, and the terms of any waiver renewal will either confirm or undermine a key policy shift that should also occur in other states.

Medicaid Waiver Renewal Will Set a Precedent

State Reform Initiatives

While Federal lawmakers have been deadlocked over differing approaches to health reform, a growing number of states are moving forward with initiatives of their own. Here are a few "must read" resources for state policymakers:

The Rationale for a Statewide Health Insurance Exchange

A Comparison of Health Insurance Exchanges and the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program

How to Fund a Statewide Health Insurance Exchange

How Pooling Arrangements Can Increase Small-Business Coverage

The Benefits and Limits of "Reinsurance"

The Massachusetts Approach

In April 2006, Massachusetts enacted major health reform legislation which has sparked renewed national interest in state health reform efforts. The plan, originally proposed by former governor Mitt Romney, represents a distinct departure from the strategies underlying previous state reform initiatives. Now the challenge for policymakers is to better understand its core design elements and the insights they might offer other states. Read about the Massachusetts approach and its significance and progress. Visit the implementation timeline and view data on the progress of the reforms to date.