Since Massachusetts made moves to restructure a more affordable health insurance system, and then made it the law to have coverage, the rest of the country has watched to see if this one state could provide the blueprint for universal coverage nationwide.

According to Kaiser's Daily Health Policy Report, they're off to a good start. The moves they've made towards affordable health insurance have led to more enrollment than had previously been projected this early in the year. Furthermore, other concerns - like the fear that people could drop private plans to obtain subsidized coverage and that businesses could eliminate insurance plans for employees - haven't appeared.

But Massachusetts isn't off the hook yet. The article suggests that though affordable health insurance is out there, 350,000 state citizens still haven't picked up coverage. The "real test" will come when those people face stiff penalties, and the state will find out whether "coverage can really be made mandatory without sparking political resistance."

Of course, there are costs to worry about too. A new cigarette tax is being considered to off put the higher-than-expected costs of providing affordable health insurance to everyone. But, if Massachusetts handles it well, they could provide the rest of the country with a clear path to universal health care.