Massachusetts gets $10.6 billion for healthcare insurance

Massachusetts will be able to expand its first-in-the-nation healthcare law because of a federal promise of $10.6 billion over the next three years, Governor Deval Patrick has announced. The deal gives Massachusetts about $2.1 billion more than it received from the government in its last round of negotiations three years ago for its Medicaid waiver package. The waiver allows the state to provide subsidized health insurance to some residents with incomes higher than would typically be allowed under traditional Medicaid rules.