Massachusetts Religious Coalition Seeks To Place Health Care Initiative on State Ballot

Main Category: Medicare / Medicaid / SCHIP
Article Date: 30 May 2005 - 0:00 PDT

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The Greater Boston Interfaith Organization, a coalition of 65 religious and community groups, on Thursday launched a campaign to place a proposal on the 2006 state ballot that would raise the state cigarette tax to fund an expansion of health coverage for state residents, the Boston Globe reports. The initiative seeks to expand Massachusetts's Medicaid program, MassHealth; offer subsidies for small businesses to help those who pay for employees' health care coverage; and implement surcharges based on a percentage of payroll. Firms paying total annual salaries of $50,000 or less would be exempt. Under the proposal, the state would also automatically enroll in private plans residents whose employers do not provide insurance. The state would generate $150 million annually by adding 50 cents to the $1.51 per pack cigarette tax. The group must collect about 40,000 certified signatures to qualify the proposal for the ballot. The proposal "hews closely" to one by state Joint Committee on Health Care Financing Chair Sen. Richard Moore (D) that has "gained little traction" in the Legislature, the Globe reports. Supporters of the initiative say it would go further than a proposal supported by Gov. Mitt Romney (R) and Senate President Robert Travaglini (D) that would allow insurance companies to offer lower-cost policies with fewer benefits. Romney spokesperson Eric Fehrnstrom said the governor supports expanding health care coverage, but he does not support the coalition's proposal. Many large business groups in the state also oppose the coalition's proposal, according to the Globe (Greenberger, Boston Globe, 5/26).

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