“The not-quite secret of healthcare in Massachusetts is that, though it is usually high-quality, it costs too much. To get a dialogue going about how costs can be restrained, Senate President Therese Murray proposes to force health insurers to explain why they need to raise prices. The state now lacks any coordinated response to premium increases, which are expected to be about 10 percent next year. Most people value health insurance, and they or their companies find the money to pay for it. But fewer younger, healthier people are joining the state’s workforce to defray the costs incurred by the older, sicker population. Eventually, insurance will cost so much that it will price people out of comprehensive coverage, unless steps are taken to moderate the increases.” (10/31/07)