June 30, 2010. Sharon Long published two articles in the current issue of Health Affairs. Both articles are based on Dr. Long's research into Massachusetts' landmark health reforms and are part of the journal's "Update on Massachusetts."
In the article "Health Reform in Massachusetts Cut the Uninsurance Rate among Children in Half," Dr. Long and her co-authors evaluate the post-reform drop in uninsurance among the state's children. According to the authors, this decrease illustrates that outreach, enrollment simplifications, and coverage expansions to both parents and children are critical components of efforts to reduce the number of children who are uninsured. The significance of these strategies is a key lesson for health reform efforts at the national level. These findings are part of Dr. Long's SHARE-sponsored research.
In "Sustaining Health Reform in a Recession: An Update on Massachusetts as of Fall 2009," Dr. Long and Dr. Karen Stockley analyze how Massachusetts has fared during the current recession with respect to insurance coverage, health care costs and access to care. They observe a continued record-low uninsurance rate in 2009, along with improvements in access to care and affordability, despite the economic downturn. There are, however, some persistent access and cost issues that remain.
Link to the article "Health Reform in Massachusetts Cut the Uninsurance Rate Among Children in Half" (Health Affairs subscription required to view full text).
Link to the article "Sustaining Health Reform in a Recession: An Update on Massachusetts as of Fall 2009" (Health Affairs subscription required to view full text).