Talk:Massachusetts health care reform/Archive 1

Article rename from "Chapter 58" desired
An appropriate long-term title to this article is desired. The name "Chapter 58" is not a searchable name for people ignorant of the status or content of a 2006 Act of the 2006 session of the Massachusetts, USA Legislature. Yellowdesk 02:41, 20 October 2006 (UTC)

I agree - the name has no meaning beyond Massachusetts insiders. I suggest "Massachusetts Health Reform" or "Massachusetts 2006 Health Reform Legislation." Are there analogous entries for other legislative enactments? Dolph Yehudi 22:17, 23 October 2006 (UTC)

Thanks for the email re: this article. I've been away from wikipedia for several months on work. I would agree that a name change is in order. I changed it to "Chapter 58" hoping that a shorthand term would shake out in Massachusetts. The closest thing I have heard is "The Connector". Dolph Yehudi's suggestion of "Massachusetts 2006 Health Reform Legislation" would also be appropriate if unwieldy. pihp 01:24, 24 October 2006 (UTC)

Anonymous editor 24.128.15.147 seems to have come up with the best name so far. Any objections or improvements to the proposed title:Massachusetts 2006 Health Reform Statute  are invited. Yellowdesk 16:44, 1 November 2006 (UTC)

I think this suggestion is the most appropriate title. Do it... Dolph Yehudi 01:47, 7 November 2006 (UTC)

It seems that Chapter 58 is shaking out as the term of choice to describe this law. Don't know if that should impact the name of the article. pihp 16:27, 20 January 2007 (UTC)

Renaming this article from "Chapter 58"
It appears from the history log this article previously had the name "Healthcare in Massachusetts" which was far too global for the content. The editor (User:Pihp) that moved the article to the current name, "Chapter 58", has also agreed a new name is desirable. (see Pihp) Just add your comments into this section as you see fit. Yellowdesk 00:50, 24 October 2006 (UTC)

Proposed new names
Proposed so far, with comments (add your suggestions and comments):
 * The Connector (Massachusetts Health Care Programs)
 * Massachusetts 2006 Health Reform Legislation (how many bills were filed vs. passed?)
 * Massachusetts 2006 Health Care Legislation (a larger topic: a list that needs research)
 * Massachusetts Health Reform (a very large topic)
 * Massachusetts 2006 Health Reform Statute (statute, because it's about the bill that passed, not the bills that were filed; "The Connector" is a new state agency created by the statute, but not the topic of this article)

Articles Linking to this article (as of October 22, 2006)
(See this listing for for current links ) These would need to be checked and updated. Publicly-funded health care Mitt Romney Talk:Welfare state Universal health care Canadian and American health care systems compared Massachusetts Talk:Massachusetts general election, 2006 MassHealth Healthcare in Massachusetts (redirect page) Talk:Mitt Romney Wikipedia:Pages needing attention/Geography Wikipedia:Pages needing attention/United States Commonwealth Health Insurance Connector (redirect page) Commonwealth Care Health Insurance (redirect page)

Universal healthcare
-- is it really true that poor people are entitled to free healthcare in ma? —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 86.132.229.24 (talk) 23:02, 6 December 2006 (UTC).

For many, yes. People below the poverty level (about $9800 a year) are usually either eligible for Medicaid, called "MassHealth" in Massachusetts, or for a new program called "Commonwealth Care." The major exception to this is undocumented immigrants. They are eligible for the "Uncompensated Care Pool," which means they cannot be billed by a hospital or health center. Another exception depends on family status and whether employer-subsidized coverage is available.

People above the poverty level are still poor. Health benefits for this group depends on a number of factors - income, family composition, disability, etc. Many can still get MassHealth, and others will be able to get Commonwealth Care, starting on February 1, 2007. But the coverage is not free; enrollees have to pay premiums for Commonwealth Care and for some MassHealth programs. 24.128.15.147 04:08, 11 December 2006 (UTC)

-- What about if the person is mentally ill living with his parents and makes no money whatsoever? what would a person in that condition pay?


 * I have a relative who is disabled, and qualified for Masshealth. She pays nothing in premiums and very little in copays from what I have seen.
 * I work for Masshealth in eligibility so the following is what I know from personal experience. People who are disabled by the Social Security Administration often qualify for Masshealth (Medicaid) if their income is below 133% of the federal poverty level (about $1,132 monthly for a family of one as of 2007).  An adult who lives with his or her parents is still a family of one.  Others who make more than 133% FPL can also get Masshealth if they work and are disabled; for the rest who make more than that and do not work, they must meet a huge deductible before Masshealth pays (hardly anybody bothers with it) and don't qualify for Commonwealth Care because they already have Medicare. Midtempo-abg 22:10, 5 October 2007 (UTC)

An adult with no income would be eligible for either MassHealth or Commonwealth Care, as long as the person is a citizen or legal resident. It's easy to apply for the program - it's the same application for all health programs. One way to apply is at any hospital or community health center. Another option is to call the health helpline at 800-272-4232.24.128.15.147 01:08, 20 December 2006 (UTC)

Exceptions: Christian Scientists, Conscientious Objectors,
Have any exceptions been granted? I find it surprising that the state would mandate that Christian Scientists, who are, as a rule, against any form of medical interventionism, should have to have/pay for medical insurance. samwaltz 01:25, 5 July 2007 (UTC)


 * The Mass Health connector website says they can get an exemption. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 208.204.155.241 (talk) 17:06, 9 July 2007 (UTC)

Recent edits
in editing a section of this article (Conflict with Federal Law) the entire article beyond this subsection was deleted (links etc) please add those back, I cant seem to do that. Done. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 69.9.30.232 (talk) 00:01, 7 July 2007 (UTC)

Outcomes
The study referenced in footnote 47 by Michael Scott Jackson, "Mulling over Massachusetts", does not appear to be valid to me, although I am not a scientist. I read the dissertation (Jackson was a phd student in public policy at George Mason University and this study is his phD thesis, a fact which needs to be stated in the text - I put it there). Nowhere could I find a control for the other massive changes in the economy happening that would dissuade people from starting businesses - the decrease in new businesses started appears to be attributed exclusively to the health care law being passed, which makes absolutely no sense to me. There are other things that look problematic to me, such as the timing of the study (data was collected in summer and fall 2007, was the law's impact even visible yet?); the source of the data (not government applications for incorporation status or anything official, but a direct marketing database that does not use a scientific method of their own data collection); prevalence of other data in the dissertation that seems less relevant such as estimating the "Prostestant work ethic" by looking at attendance at Protestant churches in the areas or looking at students' grades; comparing big cities in Massachusetts with small towns in New Hampshire; referencing theory from books written in 1956; and the suggestion that the author might have an "axe to grind" against liberal policy by the fact that he mentions looking (albeit unsuccessfully) for a correlation between gay marriage and some measurable economic factors. My vote would be to excise this questionable source from the record, as I find it misleading. It would be interesting to see a new study done with proper data and controls now that we've had some time to see whether new business starts could have been impacted negatively by the health care policy change. Isabelwh (talk) 16:20, 7 January 2010 (UTC)

I guess this falls under the "needs to be updated" banner? Recent study indicates growing problems within the system related to rising healtchare costs, overuse of emergency rooms, and regional unavailability of care. Seems as though a reference to this data should be included in the body of the article.

http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2009/05/28/more_mass_residents_report_trouble_paying_medical_bills/ —Preceding unsigned comment added by 76.94.58.235 (talk) 08:00, 4 June 2009 (UTC)

I had a question about the fouth figure in the Outcomes Section (the Non-Group Reform Results graph): I can't find any references that indicate that insurance premiums have decreased as a result of the health care reform. Does anyone have a citation for where that figure comes from? We should probably remove it if it can't be verified. —Preceding unsigned comment added by MatthiasSh (talk • contribs) 19:23, 30 June 2009 (UTC)

It seemed to me, that article was saying non-emergency, emergency room use was down, and costs were down, but they were still feeling the problems from national issues such as rising health care costs and the recession.

Also this information should probably be included in the outcome section.

"Pre-reform, the lowest premium for a typical uninsured 37-year-old in Boston was $335 per month with a $5,000 annual deductible. Now, through the Connector, the same individual can get health coverage for $184 per month ($118 pre-tax) with a $2,000 deductible—well below the $250 a month target set back when the leg­islation was being developed."

http://www.heritage.org/Research/HealthCare/hl1044.cfm —Preceding unsigned comment added by 67.174.15.86 (talk) 03:22, 19 July 2009 (UTC)

Proposed move to: Massachusetts health care reform
Proposal to move to the more general title Massachusetts health care reform from: Massachusetts health reform law Reasons: Comments, improvements or objections invited. -- Yellowdesk 00:29, 27 August 2007 (UTC)
 * There is an existing redirect at the proposed move title, and if agreed to, an administrator will be needed to accomplish the move.
 * The article is about "health care" not "health"
 * The original Act and Law are implemented, and terming the article with "law" or "act" ignores the ongoing regulatory and administrativie ativities

This article has been renamed as the result of a move request. --Stemonitis 06:37, 1 September 2007 (UTC)

Added new material on a case currently at the Appeals Court level
It seems that Massachusetts does not want that case to get a trial by jury, with multiple denials of trial by jury by Massachusetts judges.

One of the larger hospitals in Massachusetts also is challenging portions of the mandate as it is loosing money hand over fist. Don't know the case number or the Court where the case is currently at.96.237.121.229 (talk) 02:57, 28 October 2009 (UTC)