Toward true national insurance

By Robert Kuttner | November 26, 2005

IF YOU ARE a young adult, the parent of a young adult, a self-employed worker in the new economy, or one in a low-wage job, you are on the front lines of the health insurance crisis. Once, decent employers provided health insurance as a fringe benefit. But that fringe is unraveling.

If your employer doesn't provide insurance, good insurance is astronomically expensive to purchase. More and more young adults, convinced that they won't get sick, are just doing without. Politicians of all stripes are hearing from constituents.

The Massachusetts Legislature is again wrestling with this issue. Each of the three approaches in play -- the House bill, Governor Romney's plan, and the Senate bill -- bumps into unfortunate fiscal and political realities. The best approach, universal coverage with a single financial pool (Senator Warren Tolman's bill), is not even on the agenda.