Massachusetts Sees Nearly 300,000 Uninsured Enroll for Coverage Under Health Care Law

Massachusetts officials on Wednesday said that nearly 300,000 formerly uninsured residents have enrolled in some form of health insurance over the past 18 months, the Boston Globe reports. According to the Globe, the number surged to 293,000 in the last month as people rushed to enroll in a health plan before the end of the year. Under the law, most residents must obtain health coverage by the end of the year or face penalties.

Officials said that they do not know how many people remain uninsured but that they expect thousands of more residents will meet the deadline. The U.S. Census last year estimated that there were 657,000 uninsured Massachusetts residents, while the state estimated 395,000 residents were uninsured. According to the Globe, "Based on those figures, the progress represents coverage for nearly one-half to three-quarters of the uninsured."

Most of the newly insured are enrolled either in MassHealth or Commonwealth Care. Both programs are run by the state, and beneficiaries contribute a small copayment or receive no-cost coverage, "leading some critics to suggest that the state has accomplished only the easy part of its task," the Globe reports. About 63,000 of the newly insured are enrolled in private insurance plans. State officials expect that number to reach 100,000 by the end of the year. Health care advocates were successful in persuading the state to push back application deadlines for some health care programs from Nov. 20 to the end of the year (Dembner, Boston Globe, 12/6).

Employer Costs
In related news, a report released on Thursday by the Massachusetts Taxpayer Foundation estimated that employers will spend $175 million more per year for workers' health coverage under the state's insurance law, the Globe reports. The increase includes $150 million in additional costs as more employees enroll in employer plans and $24 million for new prescription drug benefits. In addition, the report estimates that 50,000 employees and their dependents will enroll in employer-sponsored coverage to comply with the insurance mandate.

The report concluded that the state's new health care system could face problems if health care costs are not controlled. "The delicate balance of shared responsibility among government, employers and individuals -- and the broad consensus of support for health care reform in Massachusetts -- assumes that health coverage will not become unaffordable for any of the parties, an assumption that will be constantly tested as more and more residents become insured," the report states (Finucane, Boston Globe, 12/7).

The report is available online (.pdf).