The Massachusetts Health Care System - 1563 Words

This paper focuses on analyzing the Massachusetts health care system. Specifically it addresses how the 2006 health care reform law sought to increase health insurance coverage for the uninsured, underinsured, children, young adults, and low income residents. Its desire was for universal coverage for all its residents, and that it would be both reasonably priced and of value. The Law addressed need to decrease the barriers to health care, such as racial disparities, and overall health care costs while increasing access to provider, utilization of services, with a focus on quality care. This paper will exam how the Massachusetts health reform addressed these health care issues. Massachusetts has been attributed as being the model for†¦show more content†¦Concern for the care of the patient was one of the mitigating factor for our nation’s development of Emergency medical treatment and labor act (EMTALA) . Enacted by congress in 1986, Emtala was government’s way of ensuring basic screening, stabilization and care for all patients. Non participation with emtala was not an option, since the law tied in government payments to the institutions. Simply put if you want Medicare/ Medicaid payments you will abide by this law. There shouldn’t have been need for emtala since there were already safeguards for indigent patients, but they were not followed, rather seen as guidelines. With the backing of Emtala, patients had better care assurances, and guarantee of not being dismissed. The Joint Commission on Accreditation of Hospitals stated that â€Å"individuals shall be accorded impartial access to treatment or accommodations tha t are available or medically indicated, regardless of race, creed, sex, nationality, or sources of payment for care† It has been strongly inferred that based on the implementation of emtala, increased numbers of uninsured were using the emergency rooms as their primary source of care. The thought was those without insurance, did not seek preventative care through a primary care doctor, as they did not have way to pay for services, but still received treatment through emergency rooms.