Martha Bebinger Reporter, WBUR, Boston

1. Covering the
Uninsured: Lessons
from Massachusetts
Martha Bebinger
Reporter, WBUR, Boston

2. Starting in 2006...
• Massachusetts passed law aimed at near universal coverage.
• Aggressive outreach campaign boosted enrollment faster than
expected.
• Physicians in some areas were overwhelmed with new patients and
closed panels.
• Patients not used to having a regular doctor flooded emergency
rooms.
• Patients with pent-up demand sought more care than anticipated.

3. Lesson: Spending forecasts will be
wrong
Source: The Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation

4. Story Ideas
• Follow implementation from perspective of:
• a few patients
• a doctor
• a couple of employers
• a clinic or a hospital
• a for profit and not-for-profit insurer
• Follow the money: marketing, penalties, deductibles
• Track resistance: patients, employers, providers
• Watch for Exchange glitches

5. Reporting Tools
• Find patients: Facebook, Twitter, listservs,
churches, schools, physicians, pharmacists,
advocacy groups for immigrants, disease specific
associations
• Catalog patients by: age, gender, immigration
status, disease, occupation, race, etc.
• Find the best data: think tanks, legislative
committees, hospitals, non-profits, universities,
professional associations, insurers (claims data)
• Build relationships with reporters in bordering
states

6. Creating a dialogue
• Launched CommonHealth blog
• Commentary, Resource Page, FAQs, Advisories,
Calendars,
• Live events, early versions of meet-ups
• Period hourly on-air specials
• Live Chats

7. Happy to chat...
marthab@wbur.org
@mbebinger
617-353-0714