Roadmap to Coverage

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Executive Summary

The Roadmap to Coverage initiative develops three policy options that would provide universal health insurance coverage for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Within this overall objective, all three options are designed to minimize (a) disruptions in the employer-based coverage that is the basis of the existing health insurance market, (b) the need for new revenues, and (c) the expansion of government's role.

Lack of health coverage has been proven to adversely affect health, increase financial uncertainty for families and individuals, and contribute importantly to personal bankruptcy. Therefore, covering the uninsured has direct health and financial benefits to Commonwealth residents—at the same time that it reduces the strains on the overall health care delivery system by helping those who cannot pay.

Why now? Even with renewed economic growth, health care costs are increasing substantially faster than wages in the state—causing employers to require higher worker contributions and to offer less comprehensive coverage. This trend will further increase the number of uninsured—making universal coverage ever more difficult to achieve. The time to act is now, while the problem is still within reach.

Note: This report is available in its entirety in the Portable Document Format (PDF).

The nonpartisan Urban Institute publishes studies, reports, and books on timely topics worthy of public consideration. The views expressed are those of the authors and should not be attributed to the Urban Institute, its trustees, or its funders.

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