health care reform in Massachusetts (how's that workin' for you?)

From the editorialists of the WSJ...

Gearing up for 2009, liberals are eager to claim Massachusetts as a Valhalla of health reform. Their enthusiasm is apparently evidence-proof.

Even Mitt Romney, who should know better, took to these pages recently to proclaim, "Health-care reform is working in Massachusetts." Shortly after Mr. Romney's self-tribute, Governor Deval Patrick wheeled out a new $129 million tax plan to make up for this year's health spending shortfalls....cuts the state's uninsured rate by about half. That's not the promised "universal" system, but never mind....

Mr. Patrick wants one-time (yeah, right) charges of $33 million on insurers and $28 million on providers, plus some shuffling of state funds. The balance comes from an estimated $33 million boost in the state's "pay or play" tax: If businesses don't offer "fair and reasonable" insurance to their employees, they get hit. This is a textbook example of how business taxes evolve into "pay or pay," the first recourse of state-funded health systems....

More evidence that health-care "reform" (like this) should be tried at the state level if at all...