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Morning News

Health Care Revolution in the Air in Massachusetts

Aired October 24, 2000 - 10:29 a.m. ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Health care issues have become an important focus this year. In Massachusetts, residents will get a chance to vote on a measure that has sparked a battle with insurance companies.

From our Boston bureau chief, here is our bureau chief, Bill Delaney, now, with more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BILL DELANEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Not for the first time, there's revolution in the air in Massachusetts.

ANNE ELDRIDGE, NURSE: We the people, against HMOs, health insurance executives, and those that have a financial interest in maintaining the status quo.

DELANEY: Massachusetts Question 5, if it passes this election day, would guarantee for the first time in any state the right to always choose your doctor and the right to medical coverage in a state with 600,000 uninsured.

Slashing red tape will pay for it, says Dr. Paul Ling, by mandating no more than 10 cents of every insurance dollar be spent on administrative costs.

DR. PAUL LING, SUPPORTER, QUESTION 5: We turned health care over to essentially MBA bureaucrats and accountants. The focus was exclusively on cost-cutting. Their job is just to say no.

DELANEY: Voters are expected to say yes.

(on camera): Recent polls here show an estimated 70-80 percent of voters support Question 5. Trouble is, a lot of experts who've read the proposal's fine print, think it's a terrible idea.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MITCHELL RABKIN, M.D.: Unfortunately, Question 5 goes in the wrong direction.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DELANEY (voice-over): In this ad, part of a multimillion-dollar blitz by the insurance industry, a doctor who once supported Question 5 rejects it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RABKIN: Please join me in voting no on 5.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DELANEY: Boston's two major newspapers, four deans of local medical schools, all many unions, all now agree with the insurance industry that Question 5 fails to outline a realistic plan to pay for its promises.

STEVE ALLEN, INSURANCE INDUSTRY SPOKESMAN: It's going to cost the taxpayers, the rate payers and businesses in this state somewhere between several billion and up to $17 billion every year in new costs. It's going to increase insurance rates, and it's going to create a lot of government red tape.

DELANEY: Question 5, though, could catch on. At least 31 other states are considering legislation mandating universal care.

Bill Delaney, CNN, Boston.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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