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September 11, 2009

Group: Census Results Show Failure of Mandate Approach
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A leading advocacy group for single-payer healthcare meanwhile is
criticizing Obama’s proposal requiring Americans to purchase health
insurance. Physicians for a National Health Program says the latest
census figures show the mandate approach has failed in Massachusetts,
where it became law in 2006. At least 352,000 Massachusetts residents,
or 5.5 percent, were uninsured last year. The group’s co-founder, Dr.
Steffie Woolhandler, said, “Today’s numbers show that plans that require
people to buy private insurance don’t work. Obama’s plan to replicate
Massachusetts’ reform nationally risks failure on a massive scale.”



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