Monitoring the Impact of Health Care Reform in Massachusetts, Phase 3
Award Amount:
$153,485
Approval Date:
July 15, 2008
Start Date:
July 1, 2008
End Date:
June 30, 2009
The Urban Institute
2100 M Street, NW
Washington, Dist. of Columbia 20037
Principal Investigator:
Sharon K. Long, Ph.D.
The health care reform plan implemented in Massachusetts two years ago has yielded some impressive results. The survey conducted in the previous phase of this Fund-supported evaluation found that the state's uninsured rate was cut nearly in half at the end of the plan's first year, and residents saw a signficant drop in their out-of-pocket expenses—all without any evidence of private coverage "crowd-out." In phase 3, the evaluation team will assess the reform's first- and second-year impact on insurance status, access to and use of health services, and out-of-pocket spending, particularly for uninsured and low- and moderate–income households. New survey questions will examine the early impact of the individual mandate, as well as new coverage programs and insurance-purchasing mechanisms created by the law. Cofunding will continue to be provided by the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts Foundation and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.