Thursday, 4:30 PM
Leaders reach health care accord
By Scott Helman
Globe Staff
Legislative leaders have reached a final accord on a major new health care bill, ending more than four months of negotiations that were marked by bitter divisions over how to cover the state's uninsured.
House Speaker Salvatore F. DiMasi and Senate President Robert E. Travaglini were set to unveil the bill at a 1 p.m. press conference at the State House. No details of the plan were immediately available.
Since last fall, health care has been the preeminent issue on Beacon Hill, and the two legislative leaders and Governor Mitt Romney have pushed markedly different plans for extending insurance to the 500,000 to 600,000 uninsured people in Massachusetts. The agreement could end a months-long bottleneck at the State House, where several major unrelated bills have awaited resolution as lawmakers worked on health care.
A question remains whether the state has crafted a plan soon enough to still qualify for $385 million in annual federal Medicaid funding. Federal officials had urged Massachusetts to reach a final agreement in place by January, and it's unclear now whether the state can still access all of the money.
Senator Edward M. Kennedy, who has worked closely with state leaders on the plan, issued a statement today saying:
"Massachusetts once again leads the nation with an innovative plan that will achieve our longstanding goal of expanding health care for all ... Now the battle moves to Washington for Administration approval and Iım proud to lead the fight to keep the federal dollars that will enable this plan to become a reality."
