universal coverage

Massachusetts lawmakers voted in for a major health reform bill, making the state the first in the nation to require citizens to purchase insurance. Gov. Mitt Romney (R), who has publicly campaigned for the measure, is expected to sign the bill into law. Supporters say the "hybrid" approach to guaranteeing healthcare, which mandates individuals to buy coverage and uses taxpayer funds for subsidies for the poor, could serve as a model for a national system. The law requires employers with …

> Hospitals are "getting aggressive" in the fight over hand washing, columnist Laura Landro writes in The Wall Street Journal. Some are launching surveillance programs to ensure compliance. Article (sub. req.)

> An outside buyer is reportedly considering making an offer for Portland Physician's Hospital, the specialty facility at the heart of the debate over the hospitals in …

California's insurance commissioner is expected to release a report this morning highly critical of health savings accounts (HSAs) and the trend in healthcare towards "consumer driven plans." Commissioner John Garamendi's report concludes that California's healthcare system is headed towards "a complete breakdown." Garamendi, a Democrat who plans to run for lieutenant governor in 2006, is a supporter of universal coverage.

The report notes that the cost of healthcare premiums has …