Mass. Gov. Takes Issue With Report Pegging ACA Costs at $1B

Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick is sharply criticizing a report that puts a price tag of about $1 billion on the implementation of the federal Affordable Care Act in Massachusetts.

The Pioneer Institute, a conservative-leaning think tank, said in a report issued Wednesday that it will cost Massachusetts more than $600 million to get a functional health insurance exchange up and running.

Additionally, the report estimates a cost of at least $400,000 for placing some 300,000 people into temporary Medicaid coverage because of the initial failure of the state’s health connector website.

Patrick is currently on a European trade mission but issued a strongly-worded statement from London calling the Pioneer Institute report one “based on politics rather than facts.”

Patrick said Massachusetts was expanding health coverage successfully “and doing so within budget.”