Massachusetts leaders mark 20 years of Chapter 58 and urge action on rising health-care costs

FANEUIL HALL — Massachusetts leaders and people who helped craft and implement Chapter 58 gathered at Faneuil Hall on 2026-05-12 to mark the law’s 20th anniversary, praise its role in expanding coverage and press for new steps to rein in costs that now threaten affordability.

Audrey Morse Gestier, executive director of the Health Connector, said the law’s mix of market reforms, individual and employer responsibilities and the Connector itself helped drive a dramatic reduction in uninsurance: “By the fall of 2008, uninsurance among adults had dropped by nearly 70%,” she said, and the state now has one of the highest coverage rates in the nation at “over 97%.” Gestier thanked implementers, advocates and frontline assisters who helped put residents into coverage.

Governor Healey praised the bipartisan coalition behind the 2006 law while warning that the work is unfinished. Governor Healey said state officials have taken recent steps to ease cost burdens — cutting some co-pays and deductibles and removing prior authorization for routine care — and that the Commonwealth found funding to protect affordable coverage for about 270,000 households after federal premium supports were reduced. She told attendees she had appointed a health care affordability working group to develop short-, medium- and longer-term proposals to lower costs.

"This is a day to celebrate," Governor Healey said, "but let's be inspired to do the work that lies ahead." She framed the anniversary as a reminder that bipartisan trust and collaboration made the original law possible and urged the same spirit to address today’s cost crisis.

Former governor Deval Patrick praised the teams that operationalized Chapter 58 and recounted the challenges of implementation, including early website failures when integrating the federal law. Patrick offered a personal vignette about a contractor’s wife whose Commonwealth Care coverage led to detection of previously undiagnosed cancer, describing such stories as evidence of the policy’s human impact.

Former governor Mitt Romney said political leaders and pragmatic collaboration made passage possible and recounted three elements he considered decisive: mission-driven leadership, mutual respect across rivals and detailed negotiation. Several former legislative leaders who worked on the law, including Speaker Ron Mariano and former Senate President Bob Travaglini, reflected on the intensive negotiations and the broad coalition of business, labor, medical leaders and advocates that helped craft and implement the statute.

Speakers repeatedly credited Senator Ted Kennedy’s advocacy; Ambassador Vicki Kennedy attended. Several current and former officials, staffers and community assisters were acknowledged from the stage.

While many speakers described Chapter 58 as a model that later informed federal reform, they also emphasized that Massachusetts faces a new set of challenges: rising costs and questions about how to preserve affordability. The gathering closed with repeated appeals for renewed, bipartisan effort to develop practical proposals to reduce out-of-pocket costs and contain overall health-care spending.

The event included ceremonial recognition of contributors and a short series of speeches from current and former governors and legislative leaders. No formal votes or policy adoptions were recorded at the gathering; Governor Healey’s affordability working group is expected to deliver recommendations through a process she described to attendees.