Decline is seen in use of free care in Massachusetts

In a promising sign that Massachusetts' healthcare initiative is succeeding, use of the "free care pool" dropped by about 16 percent in the program's first year. State officials project an even bigger free care decline in 2008, and that the decline will bring savings of about $240 million. That drop is expected to come not only from insuring more people, but also from changes in the way hospitals are paid and in who is eligible for free care.