Last week the state of Massachusetts embarked on an innovative path to solve the problem of the uninsured. The legislature and the governor collaborated to pass legislation that will require all citizens to buy health insurance. This is modeled on the many state laws around the nation that require you to have car insurance. The Massachusetts plan also includes assistance to low income people to enable them to buy their health insurance.

Any such solution to the vexing problem of the uninsured will have supporters and detractors, but I am really impressed with the bipartisan and almost unanimous passage of this legislation in Boston. It is surely a creative solution, and health policy wonks and politicians around the country will be watching closely to see how it works in Massachusetts. I hope it is very successful, because it represents people focusing on the problem and trying to develop real solutions that will work in practical terms.