[UPDATE: From the New York Times (7/17/09):
A high-level state commission recommended Thursday that Massachusetts seek to rein in health care costs by radically restructuring the way doctors and hospitals are paid. Read more.]
In a real-life test of what happens when you extend services without creating a sustainable structure to supply those services, the state of Massachusetts is stepping back from universal health care coverage. Unfortunately, real-life tax-paying residents feel the loss.
Cutbacks like this one send a message that we cannot afford health reform. The reality is that we cannot afford to keep the health care system we have, and that Massachusetts made the mistake of extending coverage without making the necessary changes to lower costs. A health system that is focused on the health of the people it serves can control costs while improving quality. We need to improve wellness while we take care of the ill.
Read about the San Francisco’s health-centered approach to see the contrasting results. You can read a story about the Massachusetts cutback and their restructuring proposal in the New York Times.
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