"My Health Care Options" Are Nonexistent

The government of Massachusetts has provided us with a website with which to look up Our Health Care Options. Problem is, in Massachusetts, you don't really have any--unless you have a job or are wealthy. Mandatory health insurance is really not the same as health care for everyone. If you're not covered by your employer or able to afford your own insurance, you're stuck with the state, likely paying at least $150 a month of money you don't have. Insurance inanities aside, the new site is actually a pretty useful tool (although we haven't been able to get results for any health care providers yet), providing ratings and cost information and comparisons for hospitals and doctors around Massachusetts. Secretary of Health and Human Services Dr. JudyAnn Bigby says, "our hope is that the website will empower consumers to spend health care dollars more efficiently and motivate providers to improve quality and decrease their costs." It's a helpful step, but it's far from a magic wand to heal our health care system.