Mass. experience gives no indication of negative economic and job consequences as a result of health reform.
In April 2006, Massachusetts enacted an ambitious health care reform bill that resulted in significant gains in insurance coverage, access to and use of care, and the affordability of care for the Massachusetts population as a whole and, especially, for lower-income adults. Given the success of health reform in Massachusetts along these dimensions, many of the key features of the Bay State’s initiative were incorporated in national health reform under the ACA, including an expansion of public coverage, subsidies for private coverage, a health insurance exchange, insurance market reforms, requirements for employers, and an individual mandate.
There are those who feel that when employers are required to offer health insurance coverage or make payments related to a worker, employers will reduce wages and/or other worker compensation over time to cover those new costs.