BOSTON — “Today, we celebrate the twentieth anniversary of landmark health care reform – reform that expanded access to care for residents across the Commonwealth and helped pave the way for national progress as a model for the Affordable Care Act.
“Twenty years ago, Massachusetts took on one of our most pressing challenges with the passage of Chapter 58, expanding coverage and establishing the Massachusetts Health Connector. Massachusetts continues to lead the nation, with the highest rate of health insurance coverage in the country. But we are also at a critical juncture, as the gains we made and the values that we fought for twenty years ago are increasingly under strain from rising health care costs.
“As we reflect on this reform milestone, we should also recognize what made it possible. Two decades ago, we proved that even our biggest challenges can be met when we come together with a spirit of compromise and a shared commitment to the public good. That same spirit is needed now.
“There is a clear and growing need to redouble our efforts to moderate cost growth and ensure that coverage translates into equitable access. When we come together as a Commonwealth to tackle these challenges, with measures like the Healey-Driscoll Administration’s newly formed Health Care Affordability Working Group, we can right-size these trends.
“Massachusetts has long been a national leader in health care reform, both in expanding access, and in demonstrating what is possible when we act in the interest of the greater good. As we mark this anniversary, we must recommit to that legacy.”
– HPC Executive Director David Seltz
