The 2006 Massachusetts health care reform expanded insurance coverage in the state to
near-universal levels. As the uninsured gained coverage, their out-of-pocket costs of
medical care fell, inducing them to seek more care. This paper analyzes the effect of the
reform on reported health care utilization and outcomes by both synthesizing the
existing research on the Massachusetts health care reform and providing new evidence
using the National Health Interview Survey. The results show evidence that the
Massachusetts reform increased residents' use of health care services including primary
and preventive care, reduced reliance on the hospital emergency room as a usual source
of care, and improved self-reported health.