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December 2, 2008 8:33:36 PM CST

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Uninsured Ignore New Health-Care Law

Posted Jul 2, 07 5:36 AM CDT in US,  Science & Health 

(Newser) – A law requiring Massachusetts residents to have health insurance kicked in yesterday, but two-thirds of the 372,000 residents who need coverage haven't signed up, the Christian Science Monitor reports. Massachusetts is a pioneer in universal health care, and most people eligible for subsidized care have insurance, but some 6% of the state's population currently goes without.

The state mandated heath care last year, expanded Medicaid and established a plan for low-income residents. Large groups of people are simply ignoring the law, apparently willing to risk a $219 penalty, but the state professes not to be worried. Says a spokesman for the board overseeing the initiative: "It's a marathon, not a sprint."

Source Christian Science Monitor

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Leaders from the Greater Boston Interfaith Organization, Steve Vogel, left, and Debbie Varrs knock on a door to give information about Massachusetts' new health care reform law during their informative...   (Associated Press)
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