Massachusetts // Current TV

Abducted Girl's Mother Makes Plea to Ex-Husband

The mother of a 7-year-old believed kidnapped from Boston and taken to New York by her... more

ebindelglass
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3 years ago
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Same-sex marriage: Minnesota to follow example set by Massachusets and California?

Minnesota's gay and lesbian couples are organizing a lawsuit similar to the ones... more

JanaPokana
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3 years ago
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4 comments

Uncovered

Christina Heller is a New Hampshire resident without health insurance. She explores... more

HellerGoodale
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3 years ago
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10 comments

Joba Makes Fenway His Hut

Joba Chamberlain dominated the Boston Red Sox with his best major league start and the... more

ebindelglass
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3 years ago
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Woman Commits Suicide Before Home Foreclosure

A 53-year-old wife and mother fatally shot herself shortly after faxing a letter to... more

ebindelglass
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3 years ago
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1 comment

Mother and Wife in Massachusetts Facing Foreclosure Commits Suicide

From NECN.com: "(Prat Thakkar, NECN: Taunton, MA) - In Taunton, Massachusetts... more

merckrx
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3 years ago
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Massachusetts steps forward on health coverage

The most closely watched experiment in U.S. health care is under way in Massachusetts. Nearly everybody in the state is now required to have health insurance — or pay a tax penalty.
Massachusetts enacted its new health law in mid-2006 and has been phasing it in since. There's real progress to report. More of the uninsured have signed up than expected. Support remains broad and strong. But there have been glitches. And unless the federal government comes through with financing for the next phase, the experiment could still fall off the tracks.
The Price Of Complication Anytime you start with the complex U.S. health system as it is and try to plug its gaping holes, you're going to end up with something very complicated. That's what is happening in Massachusetts. And yes, Massachusetts health reform is very complicated. It's actually a collection of new programs.

Driving the whole thing is a new state requirement that all residents over 18 must have insurance — or pay a penalty of up to $912 on their annual income taxes.
The only exceptions are those who can't find an insurance policy that's "affordable" — no more than 2 to 10 percent of their gross annual income. About 60,000 people are expected to be exempt this year, but the number could rise if the cost of insurance keeps going up faster than people's incomes. So far, the Massachusetts law has exceeded its targets. Enrollment is running a year ahead of projections. The number of uninsured has dropped by more than half. Most of the newly insured are people who are poor or near-poor. Analysts say people's unmet health care needs have dropped substantially. Fewer people are hit by large medical bills and fewer are reporting trouble paying their bills. Nearly three out of four people think the new law has been a success, according to a recent poll of 1,015 randomly selected Massachusetts adults conducted by the Harvard School of Public Health for the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts Foundation. Most people in the survey support requiring people to have health insurance. A large majority favor subsidizing premiums for low-income people. On the other hand, the program's very success means that costs are running hundreds of millions of dollars higher than projected. In some parts of the state, newly insured people report trouble finding a doctor with appointment slots. Some people who have tried to get insured have run into maddening bureaucratic snags. Others who were signed up have found themselves disenrolled for no apparent reason. One of the biggest challenges is persuading younger adults to buy coverage. According to a recent study in the journal Health Affairs, most who are still uninsured are young males with low incomes and good health. Despite the problems, the costs, the challenges, most Massachusetts residents want to see the law continued. Only one in eight favor repeal. The fate of the experiment rests with the Bush administration. The federal waiver that was needed to launch the Massachusetts reform expired on June 30, but has been extended temporarily. The federal government supplies substantial subsidy — about $360 million in fiscal 2009. The state has applied for a three-year renewal of the waiver, and negotiations are ongoing.The most closely watched experiment in U.S. health care is under way in Massachusetts.... more

goldenways
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3 years ago
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2 comments

Out-of-state gay couples poised for legal marriage in Massachusetts

The possibility of out-of-state gay couples being allowed marriages in Massachusetts... more

rwylie
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3 years ago
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Massachusetts Senate Approves Gay Marriage Rights for All U.S. Citizens

"The state Senate voted swiftly and unanimously yesterday to strike down a... more

AVtime
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3 years ago
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2 comments

Half-Empty Blue Bins: Recycling the Beacon Hill Way

Beacon Hill, a neighborhood of Boston, MA, is littered with trash for collection on... more

brycepatingre
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3 years ago
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6 comments

Another East Coast venue shuts down MMA sanctioning

First New York and now Massachussets. With the economy the way it is and the amount... more

ufcguy75
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3 years ago
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Police investigate site that alleges officer misconduct

They don't pretend to be Woodward and Bernstein. The bloggers call themselves... more

Hawkmang
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3 years ago
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2 comments

Mom Accused of Denying Son Medicine

This Massachusetts mom withholds cancer meds from Jeremy Fraser, her 8-year-old... more

Adumbration
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3 years ago
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3 comments

No Porn For Troops

You can serve the entire country in the military, but the military won’t let you... more

Britny
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3 years ago
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2 comments

Pregnancy Pact Phony?

Now why is it the original story on the Teenage Pregnancy Pact garnered so many views... more

SamuraiDave
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3 years ago
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1 comment

Teen Pregnancy Pact---B.S. ??

Do you think the Teen Pregnancy story is B.S.?? The Mayor is basically saying that...

momsword
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3 years ago
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0 comments

Pregnancy Boom at Gloucester High

Seventeen girls under the age of 15 made a pact to get pregnant and raise their babies... more

rodbegbie
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3 years ago
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Massachusetts School of Law begins process of Bush war crimes trial

Let Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld and Yoo be tried for their war crimes, just as other war... more

barb_v
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3 years ago
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28 comments

Video of MA Senate Taking Phony "Voice Votes" on 2009 Budget

In this video, Senate president pro tempore Sen, Stanley Rosenberg (D-Northampton)... more

soleil10
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3 years ago
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US Senator James Marzilli arrested on assault charges

Massachusetts Democratic Senator James Marzilli was arrested Tuesday afternoon for... more

sapsrbbiz
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3 years ago
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1 comment

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