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Full-Text Articles in Law
Massachusetts Implements Municipal Health Insurance Reform, Karen Breda
Massachusetts Implements Municipal Health Insurance Reform, Karen Breda
Boston College Law School Faculty Papers
In July, 2011, Massachusetts enacted a municipal health insurance reform law. In Massachusetts each city and town negotiates and contracts for health benefits separately, while state employees are insured through the state Group Insurance Commission. Facing exorbitant health care costs and decreased revenues, some municipalities had resorted to laying off employees and diverting funds earmarked for public services in order to pay for health benefits. The purpose of the legislation is to provide municipalities with the tools to effectively manage escalating health care costs.
Denial Of Health Insurance Premium Assistance To Legal Aliens Violates Equal Protection Provision Of Massachusetts Constitution, Karen Breda
Boston College Law School Faculty Papers
In 2006, the Massachusetts legislature created Commonwealth Care, a health insurance premium assistance program for low-income residents, including lawfully-residing aliens. Commonwealth Care is supported by both state and federal funds. Federal funding is provided via a Medicaid demonstration project pursuant to 42 U.S.C. §1315, so that Commonwealth Care is partially reimbursed by the federal government for payments made on behalf of individuals eligible for Medicaid. Legal aliens who have resided in the United States less than five years are ineligible for federal benefits, such as Medicaid, under the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (PRWORA), 8 U.S.C. …
Beyond Bailouts: Federal Options For Preventing State Budget Crises, Brian D. Galle, Kirk J. Stark
Beyond Bailouts: Federal Options For Preventing State Budget Crises, Brian D. Galle, Kirk J. Stark
Boston College Law School Faculty Papers
More than two years after the official end of the Great Recession, state governments still face significant budget deficits that cannot be addressed without further drastic spending cuts or substantial revenue increases. The structural origins of the ongoing state fiscal crisis are well known. Excessively procyclical revenue structures, combined with spending obligations that increase with economic downturns, have resulted in a budget dynamic for the states that is not sustainable over the long term. The consensus solution to this problem is for states to save money during boom times (via budget stabilization or “rainy day” funds) and to draw on …