June 19, 2008 10:13AM 

# NYT Feigns Concern over Cost Overruns in Massachusetts Health Plan 

By [Michael F. Cannon](https://www.cato.org/people/michael-f-cannon) 

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Today’s *New York Times* ran [my response](http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/19/opinion/l19health.html) to the Grey Lady’s recent [editorial](http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/16/opinion/16mon1.html) on the [Massachusetts health plan](https://www.cato.org/pub_display.php?pub_id=8431):

> 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.”
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> 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.”

##### Related Tags 

[General](https://www.cato.org/general), [Health Care](https://www.cato.org/health-care), [Tax and Budget Policy](https://www.cato.org/tax-budget-policy) 

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