Near Universal Health Insurance In Massachusetts Becomes Law

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Main Category: Health Insurance / Medical Insurance
Also Included In: Public Health
Article Date: 13 Apr 2006 - 8:00 PDT

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The Governor of Massachusetts, Mitt Romney, signed a health care bill that takes his state light-years ahead of the rest of the USA. Many will see Massachusetts as a national model. All state residents will have to purchase health insurance by July, 2007.

There was one part of the Bill that Gov. Romney overturned (he has the power of veto). It was intended that companies that do not provide health insurance to staff pay up to $295 per year per employee to the state - this was overturned. Several small business owners complained that this provision would have been too burdensome.

Romney also overturned having extended dental benefits for adult Medicaid recipients.

Massachusetts has a population nearing 6.5 million. Half a million of those have no health insurance at all. In this new legislation, lower income people will be able to access health insurance at either greatly reduced rates, or in some cases, completely free. People who can afford private medical insurance will be penalised if they do not have any.

Some facts about Massachusetts:

Population 2004 estimate
(Mass.) - 6,416,505 (USA) - 293,655,404

Persons under 5 years old (2000)
(Mass.) - 6.3% (USA) - 6.8%

Persons under 18 years old (2000)
(Mass.) - 23.6% (USA) - 25.7%

Persons 65 years old and over (2000)
(Mass.) - 13.5% (USA) - 12.4%

Female persons (2000)
(Mass.) - 51.8% (USA) - 50.9%

Median household income (2000)
(Mass.) - $50,502 (USA) - $41,994

Per capita money income (2000)
(Mass.) - $25,952 (USA) - $21,587

Persons below poverty (2000)
(Mass.) - 9.3% (USA) - 12.4%

Private non-farm establishments with paid employees (2001)
(Mass.) - 177,434 (USA) - 7,095,302

Private non-farm employment
(Mass.) - 3,129,980 (USA) - 115,061,184

Non-employer establishments (2001)
(Mass.) - 410,481 (USA) - 16,529,955

Land area (2000 - sq miles)
(Mass.) - 7,840 (USA) - 3,537,438

Persons per square mile (2000)
(Mass.) - 809.8 (USA) - 79.6

Written by: Christian Nordqvist
Editor: Medical News Today
Copyright: Medical News Today
Not to be reproduced without permission of Medical News Today

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