Is Massachusetts' Health Plan Working?

Mandating That All Residents Have Health Coverage Is A Challenge

(CBS)  For most of the last decade, Madelyn Rhenisch of Boston was uninsured and too ill to work.

So last fall, when then-Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney kicked off his state's universal health care system, CBS News correspondent Kelly Wallace reports, Rhenisch jumped at the chance to become the first enrollee.

"Oh my gosh, I can now not make that the primary anxiety of my life. Will I get sick? Can I get better? Can I go to the doctor?" Rhenisch says.

But signing up people like Rhenisch — who live below the poverty line and get free health care — was easy. A much tougher test is enrolling people with higher incomes who don't have insurance. The more they make, the higher their premium.

Martir Burgos was told her premium would be just $40 a month. She can't afford even that. Bill Walczak, CEO of a community health clinic, says she's not alone.

"They're already taking money that they don't have and trying to spend it on things that they desperately need, like food," Walczak says.

All uninsured residents are required to enroll by July or face tax penalties.

Perhaps the biggest hurdle is changing the culture so that insurance is seen not as a luxury, but as a necessity.

"How do you reach that 24-year-old guy who thinks nothing's going to happen to him and he'd rather buy two six-packs of beer than health insurance," says Grace Moreno.

Despite the challenges, at least 15 other states are following Massachusetts. Two weeks ago, California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger proposed his own plan for universal coverage.

It's been called bold and ambitious, but is it doable? Massachusetts may have a better chance of success, given the numbers. Less than 400,000 people are uninsured in Massachusetts. In California, that number is 6.5 million — more than Massachusetts' entire population.

The country is watching to see whether this plan could be a prescription for success — or the wrong diagnosis for health care reform.

[carlylaine]

I cannot believe this. Forcing people to get HEALTH INSURANCE or face penalties??!?! Liberal Government get the "F" out of my choices! Get out of my life and my LIBERTY!!!!!!!

[katia327]

All uninsured residents are required to enroll by July or face tax penalties.
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I love this. I absolutely LOVE this. What is this country coming to, when we are FORCED to do something, that SHOULD be our choice??

Will they not be happy, until all people are on the streets??? How is this affecting our elderly, and people who BARELY make it pay check to pay check?

But, then, what do these 'lawmakers' care??? Most of them are filthy rich.

I OPPOSE, this 'requirement', and the consequence of being taxed. This should be a CHOICE. If you can afford what they are offering, then fine. If you cannot, the very LAST thing you should be is penalized.

I thought this was the UNITED STATES of AMERICA. Not NAZI Germany.

[katia327]

Oh and ONE MORE THING.

Are the 'ILLEGALS' in this country, being FORCED like our CITIZENS are????

All I can say is, they'd better be.

[suprsport68]

I think something should be done so all people have either health insurance or some form of medical care. Canada and England have health care programs. We are the richest and largest country yet we have people going hungry, homeless, and sick because our government worries more about other countries then our own. Instead of sending food to other countries, feed our own; instead of foreign aid, aid our needy. We need to be less politically correct and worry more about what's the right thing to do.

[suprsport68]

I think something should be done so all people have either health insurance or some form of medical care. Canada and England have health care programs. We are the richest and largest country yet we have people going hungry, homeless, and sick because our government worries more about other countries then our own. Instead of sending food to other countries, feed our own; instead of foreign aid, aid our needy. We need to be less politically correct and worry more about what's the right thing to do. After that being said, I can't believe they are being FORCED into this!! What happened to this being a free country?? Healthcare wouldn't cost as much as it does if they would stop providing FREE healthcare to all the ILLEGAL people in this country and pawning it off on the TAXPAYERS!!! Its bad enough my tax dollars pay for prisoners healthcare now it pays for illegals too!! I do have a solution for that: All the people on deathrow..kill them. All the illegals, round them up and ship them to Iraq. If they live through the war, then they can come back and be citizens of this country. Right there would free up enough money for our government to provide healthcare for all US Citizens for FREE

[suprsport68]

We are the richest and largest country yet we have people going hungry, homeless, and sick because our government worries more about other countries then our own. Instead of sending food to other countries, feed our own; instead of foreign aid, aid our needy. We need to be less politically correct and worry more about what's the right thing to do. After that being said, I can't believe they are being FORCED into this!! What happened to this being a free country?? Healthcare wouldn't cost as much as it does if they would stop providing FREE healthcare to all the ILLEGAL people in this country and pawning it off on the TAXPAYERS!!! Its bad enough my tax dollars pay for prisoners healthcare now it pays for illegals too!! I do have a solution for that: All the people on deathrow..kill them. All the illegals, round them up and ship them to Iraq. If they live through the war, then they can come back and be citizens of this country. Right there would free up enough money for our government to provide healthcare for all US Citizens for FREE

[suprsport68]

I can't believe they are being FORCED into this!! What happened to this being a free country?? Healthcare wouldn't cost as much as it does if they would stop providing FREE healthcare to all the ILLEGAL people in this country and pawning it off on the TAXPAYERS!!! Its bad enough my tax dollars pay for prisoners healthcare now it pays for illegals too!! I do have a solution for that: All the people on deathrow..kill them. All the illegals, round them up and ship them to Iraq. If they live through the war, then they can come back and be citizens of this country. Right there would free up enough money for our government to provide healthcare for all US Citizens for FREE

[suprsport68]

I can't believe they are being FORCED into this!! What happened to this being a free country?? Healthcare wouldn't cost as much as it does if they would stop providing FREE healthcare to all the ILLEGAL people in this country and pawning it off on the TAXPAYERS!!! I do have a solution for that: All the people on deathrow..kill them. All the illegals, round them up and ship them to Iraq. If they live through the war, then they can come back and be citizens of this country. Right there would free up enough money for our government to provide healthcare for all US Citizens for FREE

[suprsport68]

I can't believe they are being FORCED into this!! What happened to this being a free country?? Healthcare wouldn't cost as much as it does if they would stop providing FREE healthcare to all the ILLEGAL people in this country and pawning it off on the TAXPAYERS!!! I do have a solution for that: All the illegals, round them up and ship them to Iraq. If they live through the war, then they can come back and be citizens of this country. Right there would free up enough money for our government to provide healthcare for all US Citizens for FREE

[bwessels]

Um, this isn't "Liberal Government." This is your new Republican golden boy, Mitt Romney. Just don't ask him to find Massachusetts on a map, because other than this lurch to centrism, he hasn't been here as "governor" in years.

[heapteat]

Many,if not most of us are required to have insurance to drive.

[cdegolier]

Does anyone actually read the entire article. What a person is charged for medical insurance is based on what they make. The tax money comes from the rebate that is given. The poor do not pay taxes, they get rebates.

The entire point to making everyone have health insurance is to stop the unessary trips to the emergancy room for every little sniffle, which is costlier than a doctors vist and clogs the emergency rooms with patients that do not need to be there and slows patient care to those who truly need to be there.

Yes the illegals are again a large problem when it comes to health care, I live in California and Arnold's plan makes them purchase health care also. Besides how many illegals can Masschusetts actually have?

[cdegolier]

The government has tried leaving it up to individuals whether or not they want or need health insurance and like auto insurance it only costs the reasonable people who pay for it.

I could care less if you choose not to have health insurance as long as the next trip to the emergency room you pay the bill your self. Instead of making the taxpayers pay for your idiocy.

Maybe skip the cable tv, cell phone, hair weaves, manicures and all the other indulgences people seem to think are required for life and one could afford $40 dollars a month for something that should be required by law in every state.

[random_radar]

"Is Massachusetts' Health Plan Working?"

The test of all government programs is whether they keep politicians in office. In that respect, socialized coercive health care will probably be successful.

As for providing quality health care, that is irrelevant.