Massachusetts health plan underfunded

The new Massachusetts subsidized health insurance program will cost "significantly" more than the $869 million Governor Deval Patrick proposed in his 2009 budget, according to the state's top financial official. To close the gap, the state has asked insurers, hospitals, healthcare advocates, and business leaders to propose ways to cut costs and raise revenue. Several dozen proposals have been put forward already, including raising assessments on insurers, hospitals, and businesses.