The U.S. spent $2.6 trillion on health care in 2010 — more than the entire economy of France or Britain. But the amount spent and how it’s used varies from state to state.
And no two states are more different than Texas and Massachusetts. At 25 percent, Texas has the highest rate of uninsured people in the nation. Massachusetts, where a 2006 law made coverage mandatory, has the lowest rate — fewer than 2 percent of people are uninsured.
Monday’s All Things Considered takes a look at two Americans who are living the reality of that difference. In Texas, Melinda Maarouf, 55, is one of 6 million Texans without health coverage. In Massachusetts, Peter Brook, 51, is one of the 439,000 residents who now have coverage as a result of the state law.
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via One Nation, Two Health Care Extremes : Shots – Health Blog : NPR.