Sunday, January 21, 2007

Universal Health Care in Mass.

We've noted before that the Romney/Massachusetts 'Universal Healthcare' program has encountered problems. Not surprisingly, they are all cost-related.

In other words, the Government of Massachusetts lied.

A state panel says a package filling the minimum requirements for coverage under the state’s new health insurance will cost $380 a month on average for an individual, almost twice what former Gov. Mitt Romney projected when he proposed universal coverage.

... The minimum plan would limit annual out-of-pocket expenses to $5,000 for an individual and $7,500 for a family and include prescription drug coverage, according to the panel’s proposal.


As proposed, the maximum deductibles would be $2,000 per individual and $4,000 per family. Before the deductible kicks in, the plan would have to cover some medical visits and generic drugs to encourage preventive care.


We don't have plan design information here, but if it's really a "bare-bones" policy, this tells us that there are a LOT of bones in that "bare bones" pile.

IIRC, a "single" premium in SE Wisconsin is around $500.00/month--but the stop-loss is closer to $3,000./year than $5,000. as in the Mass. plan.

(For more on Romney's mess, see the American Spectator blogsite and search on Romney.)

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