Deck 12: Massachusetts

Question 1

What is the name of the entity whose goal was to make health insurance more available and affordable, and which served as a model for "Health Care Exchanges" in the Affordable Care Act?

A)Commonwealth Health Insurance Connector Authority (Connector)
B)Commonwealth Care Program
C)Commonwealth Choice Program
D)MassHealth

Answer 1

Commonwealth Health Insurance Connector Authority (Connector)

Question 2

Exempting a large number of people from the individual mandate because it is or may be unaffordable would likely result in ____.

A)younger and healthier people leaving the risk pool
B)older and infirm people leaving the risk pool
C)more high-deductible catastrophic plans
D)more limits on per year of per sickness coverage

Answer 2

younger and healthier people leaving the risk pool

Question 3

Related to implementation, the text focuses on two of the Connector Board's responsibilities: defining insurance and ____.

A)creating an affordability schedule
B)providing a "seal of approval" for health plans offered through the Connector
C)establishing a young adult plan for people between 19 and 26 years of age
D)supporting public outreach and awareness

Answer 3

creating an affordability schedule

Question 4

The Uncompensated Care Pool ____.

A)reimbursed hospitals for uncompensated care provided to low- and moderate-income residents
B)required employers to contribute towards the out-of-pocket expenses of uninsured employees
C)provided subsidized coverage for people with family incomes up to 300% of the FPL with no other source of health insurance
D)provided solely outpatient services to the uninsured

Question 5

In 2006, Massachusetts passed comprehensive health care reform with a ____.

A)Republican governor and Democratic legislature
B)Republican governor and Republican legislature
C)Democratic governor and Democratic legislature
D)Democratic governor and Republican legislature

Question 6

Which statement best describes the stakeholder policy environment prior to the 2006 reforms?

A)Stakeholders had worked together on other rounds of reform and developed trust.
B)Business interests were actively opposed to the legislation but all others were in favor.
C)There was a sharp partisan divide over the scope and content of the proposed reforms.
D)The interest groups, politicians, and government officials had a tentative relationship going into the reform effort.

Question 7

Which statement best describes the leadership and support for the Massachusetts reform?

A)Leadership was widespread and the coalition broad.
B)Leadership was vested in Governor Romney and support came primarily from local consumer advocates.
C)Leadership and support were controlled by Democratic interests.
D)Leadership and support were led by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts and Partners Health Care System.

Question 8

The policy environment in Massachusetts included progressive insurance market regulations in place prior to the 2006 reform, including ____.

A)modified community rating that restricted variation based on age, region, and gender
B)encouragement of high deductible plans to reduce individual costs
C)an array of limited benefit plans to meet individual needs
D)individualized rating based on age, region, and gender

Question 9

The most unique feature of the Massachusetts plan was a mandate that ____.

A)everyone who could afford it had to purchase health insurance
B)all employers had to provide health insurance for their employees
C)government, business, and individuals share the costs equally
D)all plans contain a specified level of subsidies regardless of income

Question 10

The Connector Board's choice of a more generous benefits package ensures that vital services are covered but also increases costs and subsidies and ____.

A)exacerbates the challenges of sustainability
B)puts at risk mental health parity
C)eliminates prescription drug coverage
D)violates the standard of affordability

Question 11

In the early 1990s, Massachusetts created a demonstration program, the MassHealth Program, that included a number of coverage expansions under one umbrella program. This was done through ____.

A)a comprehensive Medicaid waiver (a 1115 waiver)
B)the Uncompensated Care Pool
C)the Children's Medical Security Plan
D)the State Children's Health Insurance Program

Question 12

What type of insurance did the Connector Board decide will satisfy the requirements of the individual mandate?

A)a comprehensive set of benefits that it called minimum creditable coverage
B)a minimum of at least $2,000 worth of coverage
C)hospital, physician, and other provider services, with limited annual mental health benefits
D)a minimum of a high-deductible catastrophic plan

Question 13

In the process of determining affordability, consumer groups turned to what sort of focus groups?

A)focus groups in churches where people brought their bills to determine what they could afford
B)focus groups of young and healthy people to determine what would keep them in the risk pool
C)focus groups at senior centers where people brought their prescriptions to determine the scope of needed prescription drug coverage
D)focus groups with young mothers and their children under two to determine well-baby coverage

Question 14

In 2005, a push to end supplemental payments to safety-net hospitals and shift these funds to individual coverage came from a threat to $385 million in funding by ____.

A)President George W. Bush
B)Governor Mitt Romney
C)Governor Michael Dukakis
D)Senator Ted Kennedy

Question 15

Which group was, for the first time, directly and actively involved in Massachusetts health care reform efforts, broadening the constituency for reform?

A)the Greater Boston Interfaith Organization
B)Health Care for All
C)ACT! (Affordable Health Care Today)
D)labor unions