Comprehensive Reform is Possible: Massachusetts Sets the Standard with a Public-Private Approach

When Massachusetts passed its health reforms in 2006, the policy environment changed in a fundamental way: Massachusetts demonstrated not only that comprehensive reform is possible but that it can be accomplished in a bipartisan manner. Throughout 2008 policymakers watched uninsurance rates fall as various aspects of the reform became effective (see page 30 for a full description of the progress of Massachusetts health reforms). Massachusetts succeeded by using a mixed public-private approach, representing a compromise between those who support a single payer plan and those who advocate for an entirely private model. This general strategy was resoundingly accepted and incorporated by all the states that developed or proposed serious plans for reform, including California, Colorado, Maine, New Jersey, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Vermont, and others. All aimed for practical solutions that build on the current system.