The effects of the Massachusetts health reform on financial distress.

• Position: News & Numbers - Brief article

The major health-care reform enacted by the State of Massachusetts in 2006 reduced the total amount of debt that was past due and the fraction of all debt that was past due, improved credit scores, and reduced personal bankruptcies, according to a new paper from the Chicago Federal Reserve. The Massachusetts model served as the basis for the Affordable Care Act and provides an opportunity for examining the effect of coverage on financial outcomes for the entire...