Massachusetts Health Care Reform Is a Pioneer Effort, but Complications Remain

Current Clinical Issues18 March 2008Massachusetts Health Care Reform Is a Pioneer Effort, but Complications RemainJennifer Fisher WilsonJennifer Fisher WilsonAuthor, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-148-6-200803180-00029 SectionsAboutFull TextPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail On 12 April 2006, Massachusetts introduced health care reform legislation "to provide access to affordable, quality, accountable health care" that became law in a bipartisan vote of 154 to 2 in the House of Representatives and 37 to 0 in the Senate. When then-governor Mitt Romney (R) signed the groundbreaking legislation, Chapter 58 of the Acts of 2006, he declared that "an achievement like this comes around once in a generation, and it proves that government can work when people of both parties reach across the aisle for the common good." Over the course of the next year, policymakers, stakeholders, ...References1. Gabel JR, Whitmore H, Pickreign J. Report from Massachusetts: employers largely support health care reform, and few signs of crowd-out appear. Health Aff (Millwood). 2008;27:w13-23. PMID: 18003668 MedlineGoogle Scholar2. 2007 MMS Physician Workforce Study. 11 October 2007. Accessed at www.massmed.org on 14 January 2008. Google Scholar3. West CP, Popkave C, Schultz HJ, et al. Changes in career decisions of internal medicine residents during training. Ann Intern Med. 2006;145:774-9. PMID: 17116922 LinkGoogle Scholar4. Sox HC. Career changes in medicine: Part II Editorial. Ann Intern Med. 2006;145:782-3. PMID: 17116924 LinkGoogle Scholar5. Schwartz MD, Basco WT, Grey MR, et al. Rekindling student interest in generalist careers. Ann Intern Med. 2005;142:715-24. PMID: 15838091 LinkGoogle Scholar Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAuthors: Jennifer Fisher WilsonAffiliations: Disclosures: None disclosed.E-mail:email protectedorg. PreviousarticleNextarticle Advertisement FiguresReferencesRelatedDetailsSee AlsoTeaching Health Centers and the Primary Care Workforce Crisis for the Underserved Lucinda Leung Metrics Cited byFrom Structural Analysis to Pragmatic Action: The Meso-level Modifiable Social Determinants of HIV Vulnerability for Labor MigrantsWhat Health Care Reform Means for Immigrants: Comparing the Affordable Care Act and Massachusetts Health ReformsExcluded and Frozen Out: Unauthorised Immigrants' (Non)Access to Care after US Health Care ReformAccess to Care and Use of the Internet to Search for Health Information: Results From the US National Health Interview SurveyMassachusetts Health Care ReformThe Health of Safety Net Hospitals following Massachusetts Health Care Reform: Changes in Volume, Revenue, Costs, and Operating Margins from 2006 to 2009The Patient-Centered Medical Home: An Ethical Analysis of Principles and PracticeBottlenecks in the Emergency Department: the psychiatric clinicians' perspectiveMassachusetts Reform and Disparities in Inpatient Care UtilizationIs Health Insurance Enough? A Usual Source of Care may be More Important to Ensure a Child Receives Preventive Health CounselingThe Case for Synergy Between a Usual Source of Care and Health Insurance CoverageHospital Variability in Emergency Department Length of Stay for Adult Patients Receiving Psychiatric Consultation: A Prospective StudyTeaching Health Centers and the Primary Care Workforce Crisis for the UnderservedLucinda LeungMassachusetts health insurance mandate: effects on neurosurgical practiceUsual Source of Care as a Health Insurance Substitute for U.S. Adults With Diabetes?A Usual Source of CareOregon Surpasses Struggles of Early Reform and Develops a Road Map for Future SuccessJennifer Fisher Wilson 18 March 2008Volume 148, Issue 6Page: 489-492KeywordsHealth careHealth care policyHealth economicsHealth insuranceHealth surveysInsuranceLegislationPatientsPrimary care physiciansTaxes ePublished: 18 March 2008 Issue Published: 18 March 2008 Copyright & PermissionsCopyright © 2008 by American College of Physicians. All Rights Reserved.PDF downloadLoading ...