Tomorrow’s Health Care Headlines Today

Conn Carroll / July 16, 2009

A Boston Globe headline today reads Boston Medical sues state for funds. Replace “Boston Medical” with “Local Hospital X” and “state” with “federal government,” and you’ll have tomorrow’s headline. And it will dominate newspapers across the country, should Obamacare become law. First, though, some history.

When Massachusetts passed their health reform law in 2006, one of the major reform elements was an agreement between state and federal officials that would redirect federal Medicaid funds which were previously flowing to “safety net” institutions, like Boston Medical Center, for uncompensated care. They would instead use them to help the poor buy coverage. The thinking was (more…)