More Massachusetts residents exempt from health insurance mandate

Massachusetts granted a higher percentage of waivers of its health insurance requirement in 2010 than the year before, the Boston Globe reports.

Sixty-three percent of the 2,637 who applied for an exemption were approved, up from 44 percent in 2009. The exemption waives the tax penalty for not buying insurance in the state.

Most waiver applicants were excused due to the lingering bad economy. Although a 2006 state law requires most residents to have coverage, regulators may authorize waivers based on factors such as a home foreclosure.

Massachusetts' experience with waivers and universal health insurance could help inform the national debate on whether the mandatory insurance requirement in the health reform law should be blocked.

One lesson that can be learned from the Massachusetts experience is that regulators can be flexible in granting hardship exemption, if the overall compliance rate is high, said Michael Miller, policy director at Community Catalyst, a national health advocacy group. Last year, about 98 percent of the state's residents were insured.

That many of the uninsured in the state are among the poorest people in Massachusetts has prompted regulators to revisit whether some rules need to be tweaked. One definition that could be up for discussion: How do you define affordable?

To learn more:
- here's the Boston Globe article