Health Care

"That would be the biggest thing the state can do to help municipalities deal with their enormous fiscal problems,'' said Michael Widmer, president of the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation.

Consolidating all municipal plans into the state GIC would save more than $1 billion a year by 2018, according to estimates by the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation and the Boston Municipal Research Bureau, two nonpartisan business-backed watchdog groups.

"It's no secret that the reimbursements from the federal government help fund health reform. National health reform will be important in its own right, and it will also be important for Massachusetts in terms of funding on a long term basis." - Mike Widmer, President, Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation