June 24, 2012
CBS News interviewed the Governor of Massachusetts, Deval Patrick, about the cost increases caused by the 2006 passage of so called “RomneyCare”. As a percentage of total state costs, healthcare rose from 36% in 2006 to 43% in 2011, and Massachusetts spends more per person on healthcare than any other state.
Governor Patrick said, “When they passed healthcare reform, cost was not a consideration. We are dealing with that now.” He has created special healthcare programs that do not offer the more costly teaching hospitals, such as the Harvard system, and has allowed the state health insurance regulators to not approve premium increases proposed by the insurers.