title: Massachusetts: more mirage than miracle.
abstract: Enactment of the Massachusetts health reform plan stemmed primarily from several factors unique to the state. They were augmented by a questionable rationale that this latest version of health reform would forestall even greater threats ahead to the interests of the state's business community, private insurance policyholders, and taxpayers. The plan's foremost achievement involves development of a "Connector" mechanism to facilitate pooling and purchasing beyond the workplace. However, its successful implementation will be challenged by the complexities of enforcing an individual mandate and changing the long-standing course of an overregulated and high-cost health market.
authors.affiliation: American Enterprise Institute, Washington, DC, USA. tmiller@aei.org
authors.forename: Tom
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Miller
mesh_terms: D018166:Health Care Reform / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D006297:Health Services Accessibility / Q000191:economics* / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D006801:Humans; D008404:Massachusetts; D008484:Medicaid / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D017146:Models, Organizational; D013221:State Health Plans / Q000191:economics / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence* / Q000458:organization & administration; D013660:Taxes; D014481:United States; D019472:Universal Health Insurance / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence* / Q000458:organization & administration