Romney Refuses To Celebrate 5-Year Anniversary Of His Signature Health Reform Plan

Today is the five-year anniversary of Massachusetts’ passage of comprehensive health care reform — a measure, that not only paved the way for the Affordable Care Act, but also greatly expanded coverage in the Bay state. More than 98 percent of Massachusetts residents now have health care coverage, including 99.8 percent of children — the highest in the nation. The percent of private companies offering health insurance to their employees has increased from 70 to 76 percent and in 2011, the state spent $405 million on uncompensated care, nearly $300 million less than before reform was enacted in 2006.

But Mitt Romney — who announced just yesterday that he is forming an presidential exploratory committee — has tried to downplay his role in enacting what he once defended as the “ultimate conservative plan” and has thus far stayed mum about the anniversary. This tone contrasts sharply with how Romney characterized the law five years ago, when he presented the measure as a bipartisan accomplishment that could, at least in part, serve as a model for the nation. The Massachusetts Democrats compiled this “Thank You Mitt” praising the law in 2006: