In 2006, Massachusetts made history when it became the first state to mandate health care coverage for all of its residents.
Since the passage of this landmark bill, nearly 300,000 individuals have obtained health insurance, and use of the state’s free care pool has declined by 16 percent. Payments to hospitals and health centers for treating the uninsured, which totaled $680 million in fiscal year 2007, are projected to fall to $438 million this year, as more people sign up for coverage.
By most measures, the new law has been a success. As with all major undertakings, however, the transition to universal health care in Massachusetts has not been without a few bumps in the road.
Small businesses, for example, have seen huge premium increases each year and are now paying an additional $175 million annually under the new health care law. Unless this problem is addressed, the private sector’s ability to continue to insure its employees will be put at serious risk.
From the beginning, critics and skeptics have warned that spiraling costs could undermine this historic undertaking and ultimately lead to its failure. This year, $618 million is being spent on Commonwealth Care, the state program that subsidizes health insurance for low-income residents, but Governor Patrick has allocated $869 million for this program in his fiscal year 2009 budget, an increase of more than 40 percent.
Obviously, annual cost increases of this magnitude cannot continue without universal health care becoming unsustainable. Fortunately, Senate President Therese Murray is determined not to see that happen.
Last week, Sen. Murray put forth a plan to help rein in costs and ensure that the state’s experiment with universal health care will succeed and not collapse under its own costs. Her bill — known as An Act to Promote Cost Containment, Transparency and Efficiency in the Delivery of Quality Health Care — contains a series of reforms she says will “modernize the health care system, reduce waste and inefficiencies, and improve health care quality for every citizen of the Commonwealth.”
Here are just a few of the provisions contained in the bill:
Cost transparency: To get a handle on rising health care costs, the bill calls for the Health Care Cost and Quality Council to convene annual public hearings with health care providers. Maintaining an ongoing dialogue will help identify what factors are driving costs and allow all parties to work together to reduce those costs.
The bill also establishes a special commission to review how health insurers manage their reserves and surpluses, and requires hospitals and insurance companies to fully disclose all costs passed on to consumers. If an insurer asks for a rate increase of more than 7 percent, the Division of Insurance and the Attorney General would launch a public review process, taking a close look at the company’s administrative costs and executive compensation packages to determine if the requested increase is justified.
Saturday, April 12, 2008
Thursday, March 13, 2008
A champion of MSAC principals?
Patrick's enslavement as an adolescent had to have been a critical factor in the development of his unique attitude toward the Irish. Even in captivity, he must have come to know them as human, hence, deserving of the gospel. This set the stage for his call to convert them.
As a result of his enslavement, Cahill, whose particular interest is the "hinges of history," says, "Patrick grew into a man that he truly would not otherwise have become. So you would have to say that Patrick's kidnapping was a great grace, not just for the people of Ireland, but for all of Western history."
Had he never been kidnapped, it seems quite likely that it would have been decades, probably centuries, before Ireland was converted. It certainly would not have been in a position to "save civilization," as Cahill so dramatically puts it in his book, when the Roman Empire crumbled and literacy was lost—lost, that is, by all but the Irish monasteries planted by Patrick and his successors.
Not surprisingly, his own experience in captivity left Patrick with a virulent hatred of the institution of slavery, and he would later become the first human being in the history of the world to speak out unequivocally against it.
"The papacy did not condemn slavery as immoral until the end of the 19th century," Cahill says, "but here is Patrick in the fifth century seeing it for what it is. I think that shows enormous insight and courage and a tremendous 'fellow feeling'—the ability to suffer with other people, and to understand what other people's suffering is like."
In fact, although he is renowned as the patron saint of the country and the people he evangelized, a better advocate than Patrick cannot be found for anyone disadvantaged or living on the fringes of society.
"He really is one of the great saints of the downtrodden and excluded—people that no one else wants anything to do with," Cahill says.
Women find a great advocate in Patrick
As a result of his enslavement, Cahill, whose particular interest is the "hinges of history," says, "Patrick grew into a man that he truly would not otherwise have become. So you would have to say that Patrick's kidnapping was a great grace, not just for the people of Ireland, but for all of Western history."
Had he never been kidnapped, it seems quite likely that it would have been decades, probably centuries, before Ireland was converted. It certainly would not have been in a position to "save civilization," as Cahill so dramatically puts it in his book, when the Roman Empire crumbled and literacy was lost—lost, that is, by all but the Irish monasteries planted by Patrick and his successors.
Not surprisingly, his own experience in captivity left Patrick with a virulent hatred of the institution of slavery, and he would later become the first human being in the history of the world to speak out unequivocally against it.
"The papacy did not condemn slavery as immoral until the end of the 19th century," Cahill says, "but here is Patrick in the fifth century seeing it for what it is. I think that shows enormous insight and courage and a tremendous 'fellow feeling'—the ability to suffer with other people, and to understand what other people's suffering is like."
In fact, although he is renowned as the patron saint of the country and the people he evangelized, a better advocate than Patrick cannot be found for anyone disadvantaged or living on the fringes of society.
"He really is one of the great saints of the downtrodden and excluded—people that no one else wants anything to do with," Cahill says.
Women find a great advocate in Patrick
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Mass Senior Action Resolution for change
Preserving Affordable Housing
We will take action to educate the community and our elected officials about the "expiring use" crisis
Peserving Public Housing for the elderly
MSAC will advocate for adequate funding for operational and capital needs to ensure quality service and Maintenance
Medicare and Prescription Drugs
MSAC urge our elected officials to demand repeal of the Medicare modernization Act. and replace it with a Medicare drug benefit run be Medicaire
Bring down the cost of Presciption Drugs
MSAC supports the practice and legislation that allows reimportation ofPrecription Drugs
into the United States.
Single Payer Health Care
MSAC continues its active support of single payer health care
Home Care
MSAC will use its rescouces to organize for state funding to enhance existing homecare programs and to provide service to mare seniors and disabled in need.
Safe Saffing Keep Patients Safe
Members of MSAC reaffirm their enthusiatic support for the Act Relative to Patient Safety.
Social Security
MSAC supports all workers in the United be subject to Social Security Withholding and opose the privatization of Social Security and destroing its concept.
Corporate Tax Responsibility
Corpoation Tax breaks repealed and Corporation pay their fair share.
Support for Veterans
MSAC urge the Administration Legislators public officials and all citizens enjoying their freedom
create a safe unconditional support for veterans and their families.
We will take action to educate the community and our elected officials about the "expiring use" crisis
Peserving Public Housing for the elderly
MSAC will advocate for adequate funding for operational and capital needs to ensure quality service and Maintenance
Medicare and Prescription Drugs
MSAC urge our elected officials to demand repeal of the Medicare modernization Act. and replace it with a Medicare drug benefit run be Medicaire
Bring down the cost of Presciption Drugs
MSAC supports the practice and legislation that allows reimportation ofPrecription Drugs
into the United States.
Single Payer Health Care
MSAC continues its active support of single payer health care
Home Care
MSAC will use its rescouces to organize for state funding to enhance existing homecare programs and to provide service to mare seniors and disabled in need.
Safe Saffing Keep Patients Safe
Members of MSAC reaffirm their enthusiatic support for the Act Relative to Patient Safety.
Social Security
MSAC supports all workers in the United be subject to Social Security Withholding and opose the privatization of Social Security and destroing its concept.
Corporate Tax Responsibility
Corpoation Tax breaks repealed and Corporation pay their fair share.
Support for Veterans
MSAC urge the Administration Legislators public officials and all citizens enjoying their freedom
create a safe unconditional support for veterans and their families.
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