Trav unveils plan

Yesterday, Senate President Travaglini unveiled his health care proposal. Key highlights included $116 million for increased Medicaid provider payment, $25 million for public health, and $15 million to help insurers cover catastrophic costs. Like the governor's proposal, we're happy about anything that furthers the discussion of health care reform. Its simply unacceptable that more than half a million Massachusetts residents have no health insurance. Travaglini's proposal also reminds us why we need a constitutional amendment—once enacted, his proposal won’t be the first expansion enacted in this state. An expansion in 1988 included an employer mandate that was repealed before it ever went into effect. We’re all still fighting to restore the cuts to the 1996 expansion that created MassHealth. Two steps forward – one back. The constitutional amendment would make sure that we keep marching forward to coverage for everyone, that each health care expansion is part of a permanent fix.