This is a pretty balanced look at how Maine’s attempts to reform health care have proved difficult and have had unintended side effects. Its a big gamble to try this on a national level hoping for a different outcome.
Maine is the Charlie Brown of health care. The state’s legislators have tried for decades to fix its system, but their efforts have always fallen short: health insurance premiums are still among the least affordable in the nation, health care spending per person is among the highest and hospital emergency rooms are among the most crowded. Indeed, many overhauls to the system have done little more than squeeze a balloon — solving one problem while worsening another.