We always knew that national health reform policy was going to be very dependent on Massachusetts. From the very beginning, we heard that Washington policy path was following “Massachusetts Avenue.” One Washington staffer said the goal was to do “Massachusetts, but better.” And so the bills passed by both the House and Senate owe their policy basics to chapter 58. People with experience here – John McDonough, Jon Gruber, and even us, to some extent, played an important role and passed on our knowledge.
Implementation, too, was always assumed to learn from our model. This Thursday and Friday, the Connector along with national partners are hosting officials from 42 states to talk about building exchanges. Next week HCFA’s Helpline Director is speaking at a national conference for consumer advocates.
But we didn’t expect that the politics of health reform would depend on Massachusetts as well. Isn’t that too much to put on one state? Why us?
Anyway – the intersection of the national media, repeating cliche (and often wrong) common wisdom about Massachusetts health reform, and the Senate race is getting harder to bear. One thing stuck out today.
Scott Brown repeated again today his “reason” for opposing national health reform, in a statement from his spokesman (and Romney spokesman during 2006 and today), Eric Fehrnstrom:
“In Massachusetts, 98 percent of residents are covered by insurance through our own state reforms. The plan is not perfect, and we need to get costs down, but we have already achieved near-universal coverage. There is nothing for us in a national plan except higher taxes and more spending to finance coverage expansions in other states. It’s a raw deal for Massachusetts,” he said.
On both policy and politics, this makes no sense.
Last week, Jack Sullivan at CommonWealth Magazine’s CW Unbound blog did a smart job responding on the substance. On a pure financial basis, the national bills would be a huge boost for Massachusetts. Federal tax credits could replace much state spending for Commonwealth Care, enhanced Medicaid reimbursements would relieve pressure on the MassHealth budget, and new Medicare drug assistance would allow us to save much of our Prescription Advantage budget. For the overall state economy, the effect is even more positive. The federal bills include new tax credits for small businesses, a large ramp-up in health research, and strengthened federal support for Community Health Centers, medical education, and other areas that play to Massachusetts’ strength.
While there is some uncertainty (we don’t have a final bill yet), we think Jon Kingsdale’s observation is on the mark: “I can say unequivocally, the long-term risk to Massachusetts would be immense should this go down to defeat. We’d be stuck with footing the entire bill.” Scott Brown’s claim is just wrong.
The New Republic’s Jon Cohn deals with the political angle. It’s the popularity of Massachusetts health reform that leads Brown to not call for its repeal, even as he opposes national reform that is in many ways more conservative than chapter 58. This validates the general understanding that once health reform is passed, and it starts providing real benefits to the population, support will rise.
While some national pundit bigfoots (we’re talking about you, Howard Fineman and Chuck Todd, for example) see tomorrow’s election as some kind of referendum on health reform, we think they have missed the point. Hardly any of the ads focus on health reform, and there’s way too much other stuff going on here.
What do you think?
-Brian Rosman
I like this blog. Health care must be delivered quite precisely .
There is a unity lost between Governing Parties that is needed to help the people feel secure. The moral building block for Health Care.
To see the true Health Care Tax forum you must stop thinking in 3-D,This multi tax forum is against a $100 Trillion Dollar system.. …
To force pay into another system of failures within Health Care Insurance Groups.
This economy will not balance with this concept of a tax forum against the Health Care System. The issue of how to force pay into this system of Health Care may have worked but I am still troubled over the progressive tax forum within this Bill. It covers so many items and Countries that it only forces the system to adjust itself. In some areas, increases against the people and the troubled economy, and in other areas, less effects will be felt.
But this is my big problem, Government Officials seek help and they are to proud to ask us, “the true working force of Government.” It is understandable they have failed the People and within the United States Of America all we ask is to see us as who we are and not try to bring us into this world of the intellectual. I guess our Prime Directive is that of Star Trek, so it must be understood that for millions of people we are just as happy as can be making $13.00 per hour and we have no interest in this world of politics, and how to be a Enstine. Government Officials must understand that there is a level of people within different parts of this Country, that seek to be only that they find to make them happy.
As for this economy well, it is said that the U.S.A. Arms Division has created enough arsenal to destroy every last creature in the world 2 times over,built with tax dollars. This would be funny if not for the irony of it. And now as time has passed Government Officials keep failing. Before 9/11 all the way to today.
As it is in a world of a system, when employees continue to fail, one or two things happen, one; you get fired, two; if you see into a person a good, then it is political correct to implement a penalty or roll back in pay. But this implement of penalty is more favored in the course of action in the Federal Employment World. So how to fix the economy and unite it with the Health Care issue. It would be in the Countries best interest to implement a 10% per cent penalty against every State, County and Government Official within this Matrix of failures. Hey what is that old saying, what is good for the Goose is good for the Gander. I am serous about this, it is past due to show that our Government Officials they have failed, their system failure reaches into this world of warnings that they brush aside as if the information is not worthy noting. From Pearl Harbor to 9/11/2001 to 3/07/2010 of our tax system and Health Care Reform. This 10% per cent penalty should go into the Health Care Forum.
The big problem that Government Officials have is that they have no street credit. President Obama still has some but if he does not take his family and step away from these dueling Parties, that fight over this Health Care Dollar, and stand with Us he will lose all credit from the streets to the county.
President Obama, I would say to you, you have one last chance to regain the hopes and dreams of the American People. To reach out in a concept that states, if there is 250 million people in trouble because of these failures, I would give all my money to them and then I would say to all that I gave money to, “I have no money left, would you all please give me $1.00 back and then I would have $250. million dollars to start all over again.”
As for this $100,trillion dollar in site………….
Results 1 – 10 of about 685,000 for net worth of medicine development industry
Just to show how deep this Health Care Tax split petition reaches. The term split petition is used because of the Tax factor plan that is not seen because of the intent not to show a capital Taxing of close to a $100 trillion dollar package, a yearly system income, not profit…..
Some have stated that I clam to have spiritual in site or something of the sort. I assure you this is not true, so when I state that I asked God to help, it is my way of saying hey Bobby show me how to work on theses Chevy engines. But I do thank you for the consideration. Consider me a cross of Jethro Bodine from the Beverly Hill Billies with my 10th. Grade education and Vin Diesel from the move Pitch Black.
So drop on by and see page 100 at our site and follow the blue pill link
Health Care within a moral value, is to ,
{ GIVE LIFE TO HOPE WHERE THERE IS NONE }
Henry Massingale
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