Now that the law has been in place for more than four years, we can assess its impact on the economy of Massachusetts. In a previous study, the Beacon Hill Institute estimated the effect of the Health Care Reform (HCR) on state and federal governments and the private health insurance markets, including employee contributions to their private insurance plans.

1 The study found that, on average, HCR has driven total health insurance costs up by $4.3 billion. Since HCR was passed, premiums for single plans have increased by $81.13 per year, while family plans have increased by $246.55 per year over the previous trend. Some of these costs are passed onto employees, in the form of higher premium contributions or lower wages. The rest of the costs are paid by companies, in the form of higher labor costs.