A Transition to Universal Care

1988. Massachusetts made coverage available to the disabled and to needy pregnant mothers. Some 17,000 people now have coverage, the state says. 1989. Colleges were required to provide health insurance to full-time students.

Small businesses were able to join a pool to purchase affordable coverage for employees from contractors. An estimated 10,000 people are affected by this provision.

1990. In January, businesses with six or more employees began to pay $16.80 a year per employee to insure unemployed people looking for work. By December, about 100,000 of 600,000 such people will be covered.

On Page 7 of the March 2 edition, the 1990 tax of $16.80 on Massachusetts businesses is different from the $1,680 assessment, effective in 1992.