Massive lessons

As a former (and, de jure, still) Massachusetts resident, I took advantage of the state-issued, state-subsidized health insurance while I was unemployed during the summer prior to coming to California. Luckily, I did not need any medical attention and did not make a single visit to the doctor in those few months. Having insurance did, however, provide me great peace of mind, which may have contributed to my mental stability, if nothing else. I am certain many Massachusetts residents benefited in the same way. And I am even more certain that a similar healthcare plan on the federal level will provide again the same benefits for millions of Americans.

As this article shows, the Massachusetts plan wasn't infallible, but it wasn't a failure, either. It was a shot in the dark in a state and country where comprehensive insurance of that kind had no precedent. The time has come to expand on what we have learned and to make it possible for every American who desires health insurance to afford and obtain it.