New England | Winter | 2008 | Health Plan Analysis
Massachusetts' health reform program got off to an encouraging start in 2007 with more than 300,000 previously uninsured residents receiving health benefits; however, problems loom with higher-than-expected healthcare costs that threaten to undermine Commonwealth Care and Commonwealth Choice. Medicare private-fee-for-service plans continue to grow in Massachusetts, although they are still a fraction of the overall Medicare Advantage market. Maine has implemented a new disease management program for its Medicaid beneficiaries, while New Hampshire is taking stock of its several-year disease-management contract with McKesson Health Solutions. And the Massachusetts eHealth collaborative is preparing for its next phase of allowing physicians to share patient electronic health records.
