NYT Feigns Concern over Cost Overruns in Massachusetts Health Plan

Today’s New York Times ran my response to the Grey Lady’s recent editorial on the Massachusetts health plan:

Your editorial lauds the Massachusetts health care reforms as “off to a good start” and “heartening.” The editorial addresses the reforms’ higher‐​than‐​projected costs thus:


“The shortfall occurred mostly because the state underestimated the number of uninsured residents and how fast low‐​income people would sign up for subsidized coverage. It is a warning to other states to keep projections realistic.”


I’m sorry, but if states can low‐​ball the cost of reforms to get them enacted, and still get praised by the paper of record, that’s exactly what they’ll do. Some “warning.”