National reform would benefit the state

Feb 24, 2010 — The Boston Globe

By Phil Edmundson and John O'Brien

Feb. 24, 2010 (The Boston Globe delivered by Newstex) --

THINK MASSACHUSETTS doesn't need national health reform? Think again. A national health care reform bill would bring millions of dollars to Massachusetts, easing pressure on the state budget, creating jobs, and enabling thousands more to get coverage.

The bills Congress is considering will help the state finish the job it started in 2006. Four years ago, the state made the decision to improve access to health care first, and then work on controlling costs so that everyone can get the care they need at a price they can afford.

Today, the costs of the law are about what the state expected them to be. But, like other states, Massachusetts is dealing with historic budgetary pressures and needs federal money to keep health care reform moving forward. The congressional health care bills would do just that.

Financially stressed Bay State families would get help paying their health insurance premiums. Today, a family of four paying about $1,000 a month for health insurance, and earning up to $66,000 a year, is eligible for sliding-scale subsidies to help pay that bill, freeing up much-needed cash for rent, groceries, and heating bills. Individuals making less than $32,000 are also eligible for help with premiums. National health reform would bring sliding-scale subsidies to an additional 75,000 middle-class individuals and families around the state.

Small businesses would also get a help. Approximately 70,000 small businesses, many of which are struggling to hire the workers they need to be successful, would receive new tax credits to offset 50 percent of what it costs to offer health insurance to their workers.

This is critical to Massachusetts health care reform given that a substantial portion of those who have enrolled in plans since passage of the state's law have done so by signing up for plans offered by their employers.

Prescription drugs would become affordable for nearly 200,000 of Massachusetts's seniors. As national health reform fixes the Medicare Part D ``doughnut hole,'' seniors could focus on being well, instead of splitting pills or skipping days between meds in an effort to make them last longer. And all seniors could get preventive care visits and enjoy wellness programs as national reform will guarantee Medicare coverage for such benefits.

National health care reform would also bring significant increases in funds available for medical research, primary care, community health centers, and health quality improvements. This would allow Massachusetts' knowledge-based economy to thrive.

Finally, passage of a national health care reform bill isn't just an economic issue, it's a moral one, too. As the late Senator Kennedy put it, providing access to health care is a ``fundamental principle of justice and the character of our country.''

Phil Edmundson is CEO of William Gallagher Associates. John O'Brien is CEO of UMass Memorial Health Care.

Newstex ID: BGL-1035-42314740