Massachusetts' healthcare experiment impresses Clark on clarkhoward.com

After his initial misgivings, Clark now reports that the Massachusetts healthcare experiment -- where they've required all citizens to have coverage -- is working better than expected. Mitt Romney was viewed as pandering to the Democrats when he agreed to implement this experiment. But really he just found a good compromise.

Clark believes the Democrats are too fervent for socialized medicine, and the GOP is too dead-set on a free-market solution. Both parties are leaving the American people behind as they get into partisan battles over the healthcare issue.

In Massachusetts, the number of people with coverage is up -- and almost all of it is not the welfare-state stuff you might expect. Romney's plan effectively eliminated redlining and allowed people with pre-existing conditions to buy health coverage for the first time ever.

The Democrats were upset that the Massachusetts law made individuals responsible for buying their own health coverage. But Clark loves it. The GOP was upset that the state had to subsidize coverage for the poor. But Clark loves that too. After all, it frees up the emergency rooms and saves money because hospitals no longer have to write off the cost of treating uninsured people.

Of course, Massachusetts didn't get everything right. But the state put aside partisanship and blazed the trail into new territory. Their experiment provides a marker for other states to try to improve upon.

In related news, The Dallas Morning News reports that Bennigan's and Steak & Ale employees/former employees are out of luck with insurance and COBRA now that both companies have gone bankrupt. One woman who is in a late stage of pregnancy is uninsured and uninsurable for her delivery -- even though she's been paying into the plan.

Clark has long believed that employer-provided healthcare is not the way to go -- and this is a perfect example why not.

What others are saying

Health Insurance
If there is a national government health insurance option; like the Obama plan, the well will shop for cheaper private insurance while they can get the coverage. If they become very sick, they probably will move to the government plan. How can private insurance survive while competing with
a government option? Once the private insurers are gone, we are "Canada South"
I think the Netherlands plan with multiple insurers might work for us.
By Paul @ 10/16/08 11:17:46 AMreport abuse
Bypassing the US Healthcare system by over-night bus to Mexico.
Hi,
In the last 48 months I have had 6 open-chest surgeries in Tijuana, Mexico. I worked for Gov. for 33 yrs and had Blue Cross Health Insurance for 500.00 a month.

They denied my pre-approvals so I fired them.

I web-searched for wt. loss lap-band surgery. I settled on Bajanor Hospital.

It is located 1,200 feet from the border in Tijuana, Mexico.

My surgery was $7,200.00 at Bajanor Hospital. In Fresno, Ca. it was $37,000.00 for the same surgery, self-pay.

I was told to have my chest sutures removed 10 days after I got back to Hanford, Ca. Hanford is 400 miles from the Mexician border.

My US Doctor was removing the sutures and my stomach split open ...blood went 3 feet out into the room !
Being afraid of a lawsuit, my US Doctor would not help me even though I had Blue Cross Insurance.

I boarded Amtrak with beet-red, blood-soaked hidden hands and went back to Mexico.
The Bajanor Hospital kept me for 4 months, from June to middle of Sept. 1

During that time, I had two open-chest surgeries and the Hospital van would take me to the beach to watch the sunsets and the rental horses run in the surf.

I was told on Sept. 14th,2004 that I could go home the next day... the 15th.

I asked what I owed the Hospital and Doctors for my four months stay ?

I was told, " You owe us nothing, you were our guest. " I asked why ? I was told, " We try to help people here. "

The local hospital ER-RN said the four months stay would have been hundreds of thousands of dollars at the Hanford, Ca. Hospital.

I wrote an article on my medical experiences in Mexico ( I can send you a copy, if you want ) and the local Hospital published it on the web.

The producers of 20/20 read it and flew me to NY for a 90 min. interview with John Stossel last year.

I was on his Sept. 14th show ; " Sick in America. "

The one time I did not take the over night bus to Mexico, I was charged $2,600.00 by my local Hospital for two bags of IV water !

Dctor Carlos the owner of Bajanor Hospital, reviewed the bill, with a film crew from 20/20 filming, and said, " Jimmy, this is over-billing fraud."

He stated if I had taken the over-bus, as you normally do, The bill for the two qts. of IV water plus injectino would have been $ 19.00 (US) !...not the + $ 2,600.00 you were charged ! ...I screwed up not taking the bus.

The US Heathcare System is super broken. We need to get the best parts of other Countries National Healthcare Systems and make our own... "UNITED STATES NATIONAL HEALTHCARE SYSTEM."

I am moving to Tijuana, Mexico ASAP !

Best Regards,
James Dodd
By James Dodd @ 08/28/08 12:31:28 PMreport abuse
Free health insurance
What makes you think that when health insurance is provided by an employer it is free? When you employ someone you figure out the total cost of employing that person. This cost includes 1. Salary 2. employers portion of Social security and medicare(they match the same amount that is taken out of your check), health insurance benefits, vacation, any other benefits provided. Someone pays the premiums. many are shared,very few are paid 100% by the employer. Theoretically, if the employer no longer had the cost of insurance premiums that would free that money to be paid as salary. While a hard transition to make I believe that a transition to self purchased plans would be a step in the right direction. there would need to be some protection for the consumer put into place though.
By John @ 08/21/08 01:16:01 PMreport abuse
bull
Just because Clark pulls out a sad story don't be fooled...he would take free employer health care over paying out of his own pocket for higher rates on individual coverage. You have to believe in the stability of the company you work for, and if they will offer free health ins. as a benefit you would be a fool to say no thanks, i'll buy my own. Its not like they will say here's some money so you can get your own ins. if you don't want ours, it just don't work that way.
By Dave @ 08/21/08 11:31:38 AMreport abuse

Health Insurance

If there is a national government health insurance option; like the Obama plan, the well will shop for cheaper private insurance while they can get the coverage. If they become very sick, they probably will move to the government plan. How can private insurance survive while competing with
a government option? Once the private insurers are gone, we are "Canada South"
I think the Netherlands plan with multiple insurers might work for us.

By Paul @ 10/16/08 11:17:46 AMreport abuse

Bypassing the US Healthcare system by over-night bus to Mexico.

Hi,
In the last 48 months I have had 6 open-chest surgeries in Tijuana, Mexico. I worked for Gov. for 33 yrs and had Blue Cross Health Insurance for 500.00 a month.

They denied my pre-approvals so I fired them.

I web-searched for wt. loss lap-band surgery. I settled on Bajanor Hospital.

It is located 1,200 feet from the border in Tijuana, Mexico.

My surgery was $7,200.00 at Bajanor Hospital. In Fresno, Ca. it was $37,000.00 for the same surgery, self-pay.

I was told to have my chest sutures removed 10 days after I got back to Hanford, Ca. Hanford is 400 miles from the Mexician border.

My US Doctor was removing the sutures and my stomach split open ...blood went 3 feet out into the room !
Being afraid of a lawsuit, my US Doctor would not help me even though I had Blue Cross Insurance.

I boarded Amtrak with beet-red, blood-soaked hidden hands and went back to Mexico.
The Bajanor Hospital kept me for 4 months, from June to middle of Sept. 1

During that time, I had two open-chest surgeries and the Hospital van would take me to the beach to watch the sunsets and the rental horses run in the surf.

I was told on Sept. 14th,2004 that I could go home the next day... the 15th.

I asked what I owed the Hospital and Doctors for my four months stay ?

I was told, " You owe us nothing, you were our guest. " I asked why ? I was told, " We try to help people here. "

The local hospital ER-RN said the four months stay would have been hundreds of thousands of dollars at the Hanford, Ca. Hospital.

I wrote an article on my medical experiences in Mexico ( I can send you a copy, if you want ) and the local Hospital published it on the web.

The producers of 20/20 read it and flew me to NY for a 90 min. interview with John Stossel last year.

I was on his Sept. 14th show ; " Sick in America. "

The one time I did not take the over night bus to Mexico, I was charged $2,600.00 by my local Hospital for two bags of IV water !

Dctor Carlos the owner of Bajanor Hospital, reviewed the bill, with a film crew from 20/20 filming, and said, " Jimmy, this is over-billing fraud."

He stated if I had taken the over-bus, as you normally do, The bill for the two qts. of IV water plus injectino would have been $ 19.00 (US) !...not the + $ 2,600.00 you were charged ! ...I screwed up not taking the bus.

The US Heathcare System is super broken. We need to get the best parts of other Countries National Healthcare Systems and make our own... "UNITED STATES NATIONAL HEALTHCARE SYSTEM."

I am moving to Tijuana, Mexico ASAP !

Best Regards,
James Dodd

By James Dodd @ 08/28/08 12:31:28 PMreport abuse

Free health insurance

What makes you think that when health insurance is provided by an employer it is free? When you employ someone you figure out the total cost of employing that person. This cost includes 1. Salary 2. employers portion of Social security and medicare(they match the same amount that is taken out of your check), health insurance benefits, vacation, any other benefits provided. Someone pays the premiums. many are shared,very few are paid 100% by the employer. Theoretically, if the employer no longer had the cost of insurance premiums that would free that money to be paid as salary. While a hard transition to make I believe that a transition to self purchased plans would be a step in the right direction. there would need to be some protection for the consumer put into place though.

By John @ 08/21/08 01:16:01 PMreport abuse

bull

Just because Clark pulls out a sad story don't be fooled...he would take free employer health care over paying out of his own pocket for higher rates on individual coverage. You have to believe in the stability of the company you work for, and if they will offer free health ins. as a benefit you would be a fool to say no thanks, i'll buy my own. Its not like they will say here's some money so you can get your own ins. if you don't want ours, it just don't work that way.

By Dave @ 08/21/08 11:31:38 AMreport abuse

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Aug 20, 2008 -- Massachusetts' healthcare experiment impresses Clark

What others are saying