Third Way Praises Bipartisan Massachusetts Health Care Plan
Posted by Jonathan Cowan, President Mon, 17 Apr 2006 16:28:00 GMT
April 14, 2006
Dear Governor Romney, President Travaglini and Speaker DiMasi:
Third Way commends you for your bipartisan achievement in the recent passage of health care reform legislation. With this new law, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts is taking a path-breaking step forward toward comprehensive health care reform.
The implementation and financing of this plan will no doubt present a significant future challenge. Nevertheless, the Massachusetts proposal deserves particular praise for its bipartisanship and for its reliance on market-based mechanisms to deliver universal coverage.
We share your conviction that a well-structured, competitive private insurance market is best-poised to provide individuals with affordable and efficient coverage. The plan appears to have struck a careful and appropriate balance among the private sector, government, and individuals in apportioning the costs of and responsibility for obtaining health insurance in Massachusetts.
It is also heartening to see such an ambitious proposal pass with overwhelming support from across the political spectrum. We hope future efforts in Congress toward comprehensive health care reform will share this spirit of bipartisanship and consensus.
The Massachusetts plan is a bold and potentially precedent-setting experiment in health care reform. We look forward to seeing this legislation fulfill its promise to the citizens of Massachusetts. Sincerely,
Jonathan Cowan
President