Back to Annual Meeting

Back to Annual Meeting

APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Christie L. Hager, JD, MPH, Office of Speaker Salvatore F. DiMasi, Massachusetts House of Representatives, State House, Room 356, Boston, MA 02133, 617-722-2500, chager@hsph.harvard.edu

As federal health policy continues to drive budget reductions and reduced federal participation in public health insurance programs, state legislatures throughout the country have engaged in another round of health reform in search of both short- and long-term solutions to address rising numbers of uninsured and erosion of employer-sponsored coverage. In its 2005-2006 session, the Massachusetts Legislature debated a comprehensive bill to expand health insurance to more than 500,000 uninsured residents. Built on a foundation of shared responsibility on the parts of government, individuals, and employers, a major legislative proposal consisted of a combination of Medicaid expansion, public insurance subsidies, a first-in-the nation individual mandate, and an employer contribution. Multiple layers of stakeholder interests and the politics of health reform are key to the context of this year's round of state level health reform efforts.

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the session, the participant (learner) in this session will be able to

• Understand the letter and the spirit of recent Massachusetts health care reform legislation.
• Be able to compare state-level health reform efforts on several measures.
• Identify potential strategies for states to expand access to health insurance, thus creating a platform for improving the overall health of the population.

Keywords: Health Care Access, Health Care Access

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Any relevant financial relationships? No