A Massachusetts law that requires all state residents to obtain health insurance took effect Sunday, USA Today reports (Appleby, USA Today, 7/2). Under the law, residents with annual incomes below the federal poverty level are eligible for no-cost care. Residents with annual incomes up to three times the poverty level can enroll in state subsidized plans, while those with incomes more than three times the poverty level can choose their own coverage from new, lower-cost private plans if they are not offered coverage through their employer (LeBlanc, AP/Long Island Newsday, 6/30). Officials estimate that 60,000 people will be exempt from the insurance requirement because they will not qualify for subsidies but will not be able to afford other coverage options (Belluck, New York Times, 7/1). [...]
Plus, just looking at income isn't going to be enough. Someone paying off student loans and a previous healthcare bill might not have the actual money after those bills and after taxes to pay for insurance, even if they make enough not to qualify for the state-subsidized plans.
