CHA president sees great promise in new Massachusetts health care law

Published: 2006-04-18

WASHINGTON (CNS) -- Although it is too early to tell whether a new Massachusetts law will succeed in its goal of health insurance coverage for nearly everyone in the commonwealth by July 2007, the president and CEO of the Catholic Health Association said she is "immensely impressed" that the Legislature took on the difficult issue of universal health care. Sister Carol Keehan, a Daughter of Charity who heads the association, said the move to find creative solutions to the health care crisis is "long overdue" and must be imitated around the country and in Washington. "Every person in this country will be better off if more people are insured," she said in an April 17 telephone interview with Catholic News Service. Those with good health insurance and those who contribute to their employees' insurance will see the rise in health care costs slowed, while those without insurance will get coverage and will no longer delay treatment because of worries over costs. "It's too new to know if it's the right model," she added, "but we need to make this a priority. We all have to do something." Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney signed the health insurance reform bill into law April 12.

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