Reaching the goal: expanding health insurance coverage in New England: current strategies and new initiatives

As the number and percentage of people without health insurance continues to climb, the goal of expanding such coverage is even more pressing. Traditional strategies have had only limited success. And with little movement at the federal level, states have chosen to enact their own bold initiatives. Four New England states - Maine, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Vermont - have recently passed or implemented programs to expand health insurance coverage, some with the goal of achieving near-universal coverage. By combining different strategies from across the political spectrum, the new initiatives represent a unique amalgam approach to expanding health care coverage. This paper examines existing strategies that have taken a more incremental approach to expanding coverage and also explores the new initiatives in New England, comparing and contrasting their designs and strategies.