The Politico Examines Health Care Systems in Massachusetts, Vermont

• Massachusetts: Two years after Massachusetts passed its health insurance law, the number of newly insured residents "has cost the state hundreds of millions of dollars more than expected," making the program "a victim of its own remarkable success," The Politico reports. Brian Rosman, research director for Health Care for All, said, "We're in the process of implementation, and there are certainly challenges. The biggest one is how to pay for the lower-income care, but we've made great strides and would call it a success so far." State officials and other groups say they "are optimistic that they can temper the cost overruns through the same kind of cooperation that made reforms possible in the first place," according to The Politico. Massachusetts officials say that this "collaborative approach ... may be one of the most important lessons the Massachusetts experience can teach national leaders" -- a "message that has not been lost on Washington, where health care issues, already a top campaign priority, will surely grab the attention of the new administration and Congress," The Politico reports. Joan Fallon, spokesperson for the Commonwealth Health Insurance Connector Authority, said the state "is taking the lead in looking at cost containment." The state Legislature is considering a bill that would cut costs by increasing insurance company transparency, creating a statewide electronic health record system, improving recruitment of primary care physicians and banning pharmaceutical company gifts to physicians. Businesses also could be asked to shoulder more of the costs, but they likely will resist additional assessments (Frates, The Politico, 6/10).
  
  
• Vermont: Vermont's health care program, which "bears some similarity" to presumptive Democratic nominee Sen. Barack Obama's (Ill.) health care proposal, offers "some real lessons for the next administration," The Politico reports. The first part of Vermont's two-part program was a public-private initiative called the Blueprint for Health to improve care for chronic conditions by setting standards for EHRs, developing community wellness programs and improving disease management support. The second part, Catamount Health, was a plan for uninsured Vermonters to pay lower premiums and enroll in either Blue Cross Blue Shield or MVP Health Care. The plan is funded through state cigarette taxes and a mandate that employers pay a $365 fine annually for every uninsured employee; however, employers with fewer than four employees are exempt. Because Vermont's plan is voluntary, only 20% of the eligible 25,000 Vermonters have enrolled in the program, which many advocates attributed to the poor economy. "If you need health care, Catamount is an incredible deal once you get past the premium, but not many people have extra money lying around right now," Peter Sterling, executive director of the Vermont Campaign for Health Care Security, said (Lerer, The Politico, 6/10).