Universal Health Insurance in Massachusetts Did Not Benefit Trauma Patients

Healthcare reform was signed into law in Massachusetts in 2006. To determine its effect on survival in trauma patients, investigators analyzed a statewide inpatient database from 2002 to 2011. New York, a state that did not implement healthcare reform, was used as a comparator.

The proportion of uninsured trauma patients in Massachusetts decreased steadily over the 10-year study period and was not associated with implementation of healthcare reform. Complex mathematical models suggested that in the four years after healthcare reform, there were 604 more trauma deaths in Massachusetts than predicted.