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CONTACT: Physicians For National Health Program (PNHP)/Public Citizen Phone (312) 782-6006 email: info@pnhp.org |
Massachusetts Is No Model for National Health Care Reform
Public Interest Groups Urge Sen. Kennedy to Introduce Single Payer Legislation
WASHINGTON - February 18 - The Massachusetts health care system, widely regarded as an example of how to provide universal coverage and keep costs low, is in fact faltering badly and should not be held up as a national model for reform, according to a study released today by Physicians for a National Health Program (PNHP) and Public Citizen.
The groups urged Sen. Edward Kennedy (D.-Mass.) to reject his home state's approach and, instead, introduce Senate legislation crafted after the House's United States National Health Care Act, H.R. 676, which would implement single-payer financing of health care while maintaining the private delivery system. The public interest groups also released a letter to Kennedy signed by more than 500 Massachusetts physicians and health professionals urging the senator to embrace single payer reform.
"Massachusetts physicians have the unique opportunity to observe the effects of this reform on patients every day," said Rachel Nardin, M.D., president of the Massachusetts chapter of PNHP and lead author of the study. "The nearly 500 doctors who have signed the open letter to Sen. Kennedy see that the reform is deeply flawed."
PNHP's study of the Massachusetts model found that the state's 2006 reforms, instead of reducing costs, have been more expensive than expected. The budget overruns have forced the state to siphon about $150 million from safety net providers, such as public hospitals and community clinics.
Many low-income residents, who used to receive completely free care, now face copayments, premiums and deductibles under the new system - financial burdens that prevent many of them from receiving necessary medical treatment. Since the state's reforms passed, premiums under the state insurance program have increased 9.4 percent. The study found that if a middle-income person on the cheapest available state plan got sick, he or she could end up paying $9,872 in premium, deductible and co-insurance for the year.
Many residents remain uninsured, or have inadequate insurance.
Under a single-payer system doctors, hospitals, and other health care providers are paid from a single fund administered by the government.
"A single-payer system will make health care accessible to all Americans by automatically covering everyone under one national health insurance plan," said Sidney Wolfe, M.D., director of Public Citizen's Health Research Group. "We are facing a health-care crisis in this country because private insurers are driving up costs with unnecessary overhead, bloated executive salaries and an unquenchable quest for profits - all at the expense of American consumers."
The study found that a national non-profit single-payer system could save Massachusetts about $8 billion to $10 billion a year in reduced administrative costs. Currently, Americans spend 31 cents of every health care dollar on administrative costs, by far the highest rate in the world and much higher than the 17 cents spent in Canada, which has single-payer universal health care.
"Big hospitals and insurers have gotten rich off reform, but a survey shows that more people directly affected by it have been harmed that helped," said Steffie Woolhandler, M.D., a PNHP co-founder and associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School who helped prepare the study. "We're seeing patients who now can't afford vital medications and treatments that they've been on for years because of the new copayments and deductibles imposed by the law,"
To read an embargoed copy of the report, "Massachusetts' Plan: A Failed Model for Health Care Reform," go to http://pnhp.org/mass_report/. Prior to 11 AM tomorrow, you will need to use the password nardin.
4 Comments so far
Show All"The groups urged Sen. Edward Kennedy (D.-Mass.) to reject his home state's approach and, instead, introduce Senate legislation crafted after the House's United States National Health Care Act, H.R. 676"
Of all people, you would think Kennedy would be the one to introduce HR 676-like legislation to the Senate.
Thanks to PNHP and Public Citizen for exposing the Massachusetts plan as
a bad one, and pushing for the most sensible, cost effective plan that will
create 2.6 million new jobs, add $317 Billion in business revenue, increase wages by $100 Billion (www.calnurses.org) and give EVERYONE comprehensive, quality, guaranteed health care -that plan is Rep. John Conyers HR676 single payer bill.
We must all contact our Congresspersons and Senators and let them know that
single payer (specifically HR676) is the only plan that will work. It guarantees health CARE for all. That will not be the case with any plan that includes insurance companies. They talk about insurance coverage for all, but coverage doesn't mean care. Incremental approaches and mandates do nothing
but siphon money from care to add profit to health insurance companies. The "coverage" is too expensive for people to ever use due to high co-pays and deductibles. Let's do what the rest of the western industrialized world has done, and put people over profit.
Congress members are also being invited to a forum hosted by the Leadership Conference, in Washington on 2/25 "National Lessons From State Reform: A Massachusetts Case Study" to hear testimony of those who know that the
Massachusetts plan does not work.
(For info about the 2/25 meeting: jyarbrough@calnurses.org)
Join the Leadership Conference for Guaranteed Health Care's efforts (Progressive Democrats of America, CNA/NNOC, PNHP, Healthcare-NOW!, Student
American Medical Association, Labor Campaign for Single Payer, All Unions
For Single Payer Committee, and about 80 more member groups, to get HR676 enacted, to get real health care reform in this country. http://guaranteedhealthcare4all.org/,
In the last two decades over a dozen state health reforms have attempted to provide universal health care coverage. Yet our healthcare system is still desperately in need of your help. It’s clear new engineering will be needed in the months ahead as the nation looks to rebuild our economy and our healthcare system. To help with this task, the Leadership Conference for Guaranteed Health Care will host a forum, “National Lessons from State Health Reform: The Massachusetts Case Study”, and consider the nation’s most recent state health care overhaul.
What can we learn from Massachusetts and is it a model for national health policy? The ‘Massachusetts model’ includes many of the policy features currently being considered in national health care reform, including individual mandates, subsidized private insurance for low-income individuals, employer ”play or pay” provisions, and the creation of an insurance exchange to promote competition and ensure the adequacy and affordability of insurance options. We feel it is especially important to consider the lessons of the ‘Massachusetts model’ before incorporating any of these features into
a national health care reform bill.
In order to provide a multifaceted view of the Massachusetts reform, the forum will be run like a congressional hearing. We invite you to join the 'Committee' of Representatives who will listen to witness testimony and ask questions of the
expert panel. Congressman Eric Massa [NY-29] will Chair the forum. Rep Massa’s district is similar to many nationwide that are suffering as out of control healthcare costs consume state and municipal budgets and district residents struggle to get the health care they need. We invite you learn from Massachusetts’ recent state reform on behalf of those in your district who need national reform most.
The forum will be held on February 25, 2009, 2pm – 4pm, 2226 Rayburn House Office Building. The program will consist of two expert panels, one beginning at 2:00pm the other at 3:00pm; each will be followed by questions from the Committee. The panel of experts will represent health centers, insurance brokers, physicians, nurses, patients, and labor leaders.
They include David Himmelstein, MD, Cambridge Hospital Physician, Associate Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School; Sandy Eaton, RN, Massachusetts Nurses Association; Jamie Eldridge, Massachusetts State Senator; Arthur MacEwan, PhD, Professor of Economics, University of Massachusetts Boston; Robert Gaw, President, National Association of Socially Responsible Organizations, Health Benefits Administrator.
We cannot afford to repeat the mistakes of the past--too much is at stake. We look forward to adding your name to the Committee to listen to witness testimony at the February 25 forum, and we invite your questions.
The Leadership Conference for Guaranteed Health Care is a coalition of doctors, nurses and other health care providers; labor unions; nonprofit agencies; reform advocates and faith-based organizations working to achieve guaranteed comprehensive, high quality, and affordable health care coverage for everyone. The coalition specifically advocates for a publicly funded and privately delivered national health care system structured around a single-payer financing mechanism.
Please contact Danielle Alexander, danielle@pnhp.org, (202) 662-0614, for more information.
Your constituent,
Greed used to be considered one of the seven deadly sins. Until greed becomes a dirty word again we will suffer the consequences of unbridled greed.
How many of us have to die before profit driven companies realize that their customer base is diminishing?
How cruel and thoughtless does the individual shareholder of for-profit health care have to become before they realize they are the problem and sell their shares?
A cure for our health crisis begins with clean elections, media de-consolidation, enactment and enforcement of the Fairness Doctrine, legislation criminalizing for-profit insurance decisions that endanger lives.
I don't care how rich you are you are going to die and you can't take it with you. Stop this insanity.
You are hurting America.