By using this site, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Accept
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
  • Health
    • Mental Health
    Health
    Healthcare organizations are operating on slimmer profit margins than ever. One report in August showed that they are even lower than the beginning of the…
    Show More
    Top News
    improving patient experience
    6 Ways to Improve Patient Satisfaction Within Hospitals
    December 1, 2021
    degree for healthcare job
    What Are The Health Benefits Of Having A Degree?
    March 9, 2022
    custom software development is changing healthcare
    Digital Customer Journey Mapping and its Importance for Healthcare
    July 21, 2022
    Latest News
    Grounded Healing: A Natural Ally for Sustainable Healthcare Systems
    May 16, 2025
    Learn how to Renew your Medical Card in West Virginia
    May 16, 2025
    Choosing the Right Supplement Manufacturer for Your Brand
    May 1, 2025
    Engineering Temporary Hospitals for Extreme Weather
    April 24, 2025
  • Policy and Law
    • Global Healthcare
    • Medical Ethics
    Policy and Law
    Get the latest updates about Insurance policies and Laws in the Healthcare industry for different geographical locations.
    Show More
    Top News
    Can Thinking Younger Make You Live Longer?
    April 20, 2011
    Image
    Obesity’s Outlook Unchanged
    June 13, 2011
    When It’s An Emergency Elderly Not Treated As Well in Hospitals
    July 16, 2011
    Latest News
    Building Smarter Care Teams: Aligning Roles, Structure, and Clinical Expertise
    May 18, 2025
    The Critical Role of Healthcare in Personal Injury Recovery: A Comprehensive Guide for Victims
    May 14, 2025
    The Backbone of Successful Trials: Clinical Data Management
    April 28, 2025
    Advancing Your Healthcare Career through Education and Specialization
    April 16, 2025
  • Medical Innovations
  • News
  • Wellness
  • Tech
Search
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Reading: Deval Patrick’s Wisdom (and lack thereof) on Health Reform
Share
Notification Show More
Font ResizerAa
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
Font ResizerAa
Search
Follow US
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Health Works Collective > Policy & Law > Health Reform > Deval Patrick’s Wisdom (and lack thereof) on Health Reform
Health Reform

Deval Patrick’s Wisdom (and lack thereof) on Health Reform

DavidEWilliams
Last updated: November 29, 2012 9:15 am
DavidEWilliams
Share
4 Min Read
SHARE

Governor Deval Patrick is rightly proud of the progress Massachusetts has made in health reform. Essentially every child has health insurance and nearly every adult, too. Businesses have not dropped coverage, and the state budget has not been busted. He hits some high points in a 2-minute video interview from SolomonMcCown.

He also offers some lessons for the Administration in implementing ObamaCare –and while he makes some good points, overall the advice is not going to be a game changer.

Governor Deval Patrick is rightly proud of the progress Massachusetts has made in health reform. Essentially every child has health insurance and nearly every adult, too. Businesses have not dropped coverage, and the state budget has not been busted. He hits some high points in a 2-minute video interview from SolomonMcCown.

He also offers some lessons for the Administration in implementing ObamaCare –and while he makes some good points, overall the advice is not going to be a game changer.

More Read

Why drug price regulation should not be ruled out
ObamaCare and Jobs
ACO Rule under Reform Aims to Increase Cooperation among Providers, Hospitals
Obamacare: Policy Changes – Healthcare Reform – The Good, the Bad, the Ugly
Money Money, Who’s Got The Money?

He starts by noting that MA health reforms polls in the 70% range for favorability among Massachusetts residents, whereas the Affordable Care Act/ObamaCare is only 50%, despite being essentially the same thing. He attributes the difference to a lack of marketing by the feds.

He also notes that the in Massachusetts the coalition that invented health reform stayed together to refine it over time.

The suggestions are reasonable enough, but there are some problems with this take:

  • Actually it is rational for a person to support Massachusetts health reform but not ObamaCare. Count me as someone who supports both but is more bullish about the Massachusetts version. Massachusetts already had a high percentage of people under insurance, guaranteed issue, no medical underwriting, a high-wage economy that could support employer provided insurance, an uncompensated care fund, and generous Medicaid eligibility and benefits. It was less of a leap to reform in Massachusetts than it will be for the US as a whole, and there is room to argue for other approaches.
  • The Administration has tried to market reform, and while it could perhaps have done a better job, there is fervent opposition to marketing of the program. HHS Secretary Sebelius has been subpoenaed on the topic and opponents are not above spreading misinformation
  • We had (and still have) a broad based coalition for health reform in Massachusetts. Partly it’s just the structure of the system here, where no one is trying to go to war with the other party. The Affordable Care Act ending up being a Democrat-only event. Republicans blame the President for this; I don’t really buy that. But regardless, there never really was a coalition in the first place so it’s hard to ask them to stay together on improvements. But it is a good point that we should expect to need to make refinements over time
  • Opponents of the Massachusetts health care reform law did not work to overturn the bill or sabotage its implementation
So, good for Deval Patrick for touting Massachusetts and offering to help the President. But don’t hold your breath for a sudden turnaround.

 


TAGGED:Massachusetts
Share This Article
Facebook Copy Link Print
Share

Stay Connected

1.5kFollowersLike
4.5kFollowersFollow
2.8kFollowersPin
136kSubscribersSubscribe

Latest News

Clinical Expertise
Building Smarter Care Teams: Aligning Roles, Structure, and Clinical Expertise
Health care
May 18, 2025
Grounded Healing: A Natural Ally for Sustainable Healthcare Systems
Grounded Healing: A Natural Ally for Sustainable Healthcare Systems
Health
May 15, 2025
Learn how to Renew your Medical Card in West Virginia
Learn how to Renew your Medical Card in West Virginia
Health
May 15, 2025
Dr. Klaus Rentrop Shares Acute Myocardial Infarction heart treatment
Dr. Klaus Rentrop Shares Acute Myocardial Infarction
Cardiology
May 13, 2025

You Might also Like

Debt Ceiling Negotiations on Health Care are Mere Cost Shifting

July 15, 2011
pay for performance
Health ReformHospital AdministrationPolicy & LawPublic Health

Does Pay for Performance Measure Medical Quality?

June 5, 2014

Employers as Doctors

July 9, 2011
heath exchange enrollment rates
FinanceHealth ReformPolicy & LawPublic Health

Health Exchange Enrollment: Speed of Light or…Molasses

November 13, 2013
Subscribe
Subscribe to our newsletter to get our newest articles instantly!
Follow US
© 2008-2025 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Username or Email Address
Password

Lost your password?