This week we felt that the focus should be on one subject – Massachusetts Health Care Reform.
This is particularly important given that the regulators responsible for the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) will be taking major steps toward full implementation this year. Thom Stohler of the National Association of Professional Employer Organizations (NAPEO) brought this interesting to our attention.
In Employer Coverage Up Under Massachusetts Health Law written by Kathryn Mayer for BenefitsPro, the author speaks to some of the successes to the law passed in 2006. A few of the highlights include:
- 5.7% of the nation’s employers stopped offering coverage to its workers. During that time, the same measure in Massachusetts went up by 1.0%, despite a poor economy.
- According to a Reuters poll, only 4.5% of Massachusetts residents remain uninsured.
- Two key factors are attributed for these results:
- The individual mandate
- Tax implications for both employers and their employees.
Could this be a harbinger of things to come for the country when PPACA is fully implemented?
Only time will tell.
