Last week Governor Patrick and I met with Mike Leavitt, Secretary of Health and Human Services, to begin discussions on renewal of the state’s Medicaid waiver. While it may not get a lot of front-page attention, I can’t underscore the importance of the Medicaid waiver to the success of our landmark health reforms.
Massachusetts’ first Medicaid waiver was approved in 1995, took effect in 1997, and allowed our state to expand Medicaid to many low-and moderate-income residents who had not previously had coverage. The waiver was renewed in 2001, with relatively few changes. When the waiver was up for renewal in 2005, at the same time Massachusetts was getting serious about health reform, the Bush Administration threatened to take away much of the funding that had allowed us to successfully expand Medicaid.
After very difficult negotiations, we were able to retain strong federal support through the waiver, but with the stipulation that we move enact health reform in Massachusetts. It seemed that the Administration didn’t realize how serious we were in Massachusetts to see health care reform become a reality. If we failed, they wouldn’t have to fund the waiver. They learned to never underestimate us in Massachusetts!
As we approach the second anniversary of health reform, our waiver must be renewed. I expect negotiations will again be difficult, but it’s a challenge we’re ready for. Last week, Governor Patrick and I had a very cordial meeting with Secretary Leavitt, and the long process is off to a good start.
We’ve had some real differences with the Bush Administration on legislation to expand health coverage for children, their restrictions on Medicaid and other important health issues. But I believe Secretary Leavitt understands the importance of health reform, not just to us in Massachusetts, but to the country. Hundreds of thousands of Massachusetts residents who were previously uninsured now have good coverage, and we reignited the long-dormant national debate on universal coverage that’s now dominating the presidential campaign. The Governor is making a strong case for continued strong federal support for health reform, and I will be working right alongside him to make sure Massachusetts gets a fair deal.
Senator Edward M. Kennedy
Would either the Senator or Governor Patrick or their staff be so kind as to help constituents to better understand these two points:
1. “After very difficult negotiations, we were able to retain strong federal support through the waiver, but with the stipulation that we move [to] enact health reform in Massachusetts.”
What was the specific stipulation that had to be met in order to receive the waiver money?
I recall hearing at a public forum a comment from John McDonough, the director of health care for all MA around the time that Gov Romney signed CHap 58 into law, that the federal administrators at HHS had issued an ultimatum to Massachusetts politicians that we had to expand coverage and it had to be done using private insurance companies.
Is it true then that the feds (in concert with Gov. Romney and the Heritage Foundation) forced a privatization scheme on the Commonwealth that forbade our state to expand coverage primarily through public programs that have less admin. overhead spending than private insurance companies? Were we in essence blackmailed into this approach because we desperately needed the waiver money?
I am trying to understand the implications of the federal control over the waiver funds. Are the stipulations that came with the waiver the reason that Massachusetts is spending huge sums of public dollars to purchase private insurance policies for the newly insured (except for the 93k newly covered under expansion of MassHealth, a reform I fully support)? Is this waiver the reason our state had to create and fund a new bureaucracy called the COnnector and to enact a punitive individual mandate law to force people with threats of tax fines to buy private insurance even if they won’t be able to pay their other bills?
It does seem very strange that Sen. Kennedy and Gov. Patrick support the harsh and unfair individual mandate when Senator Obama, whom they both strongly support, understands that it is harming many people here in Massachusetts and has stated this fact on national television during the presidential debates.
This leads to the second point that many constituents do not understand:
2. “…working right alongside him [Gov. Patrick] to make sure Massachusetts gets a fair deal.”
Could you be more specific? What people or parties in Massachusetts are getting a fair deal under the current and future implementation of the Chapter 58 health insurance law, and how do you determine what is a fair deal and what is not?
Thank you in advance for responding to these sincere questions. I hope you can appreciate how important it is that your constituents are fully informed about this vital area of public policymaking. Only when we are included in the process will we be able to fully engage and contribute to urgently needed health reform both here in Massachusetts and on the national level.
Citizens of Massachusetts are being forced to buy into bad insurance products with the federal governments blessing.I don’t understand the reasoning behind this unless it’s big insurance lobbyist in washington.The citizens can’t afford the insurance if anything Senator Kennedy should be strongly against this mean law.The uninsured in Massachusetts are being discriminated against.
[...] Ted Kennedy writes on the WBUR Blog, Commonhealth, about the process to renew Massachusetts’ federal Medicaid waiver, and specifically a [...]