The legacy of Romney's healthcare Rx

In a 2009 report, the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation, which has done independent research on state spending and tax policies for almost 80 years, estimated that expanding healthcare coverage added a relatively small $88 million a year to state spending over the first four years. "Thus far the underlying financial model of shared participation is working well, with major strides in reducing the size of the uninsured population, and only a marginal impact on state spending," the foundation report said.