Massachusetts health insurance is facing both ups and downs, as the state's mandatory coverage laws run up against growing costs.
On the up side, according to
Kaiser's Daily Health Policy Report, since Massachusetts health insurance became a legal requirement enrollment in health coverage has jumped, and the number of uninsured adults has decreased to about 7% of the population.
There are about 355,000 newly enrolled residents in the state, some enrolled with help from state subsidies, some on their own, and some through employer-sponsered plans that were a requirement of the new Massachusetts health insurance laws.
But there are down sides, and they're expensive. The law was expected to cost $472 million in the first year, but because of higher-than-expected enrollment in government-sponsored programs, the actual cost was $625 million. State costs are thus going up for next year, as are the costs paid by residents.
The report states that "monthly premiums for partially subsidized coverage increased by an average of 9.4%" and for those purchasing private coverage costs will increase by about 5.1%.
Lawmakers argue that the goal was always to make Massachusetts health insurance a legal requirement first, and then figure out the costs later. This would then force "the political leadership, doctors, hospitals and health insurers to grapple with how to make this affordable."
Hopefully, that's exactly what will happen in the coming months, making Massachusetts an example of how to manage health care for the rest of the country.
