Is Universal HealthCare Affordable?

A pioneering program in Massachusetts to cover hundreds of thousands of uninsured has cost a lot more in its opening phases than originally projected, raising fears about its sustainability. An even more ambitious proposal to cover millions of uninsured in California collapsed in the State Senate over fears that it would prove unaffordable.

Neither setback means that states should stop trying to cover the uninsured — especially since the federal government is AWOL. The problems do suggest that officials need to make the most realistic possible cost estimates and be prepared to provide resources to subsidize coverage for those who can’t afford it.