A YES VOTE would require health insurance carriers to guarantee certain rights to their patients and governing health insurance and health care. providers, and it would prohibit the conversion of non-profit hospitals, HMOs, and health insurers into for profit entities until a system is created to provide

comprehensive health care coverage for all Massachusetts residents.

A NO VOTE would make no change in the laws governing health insurance and health care.

This proposed law would set up a state Health Care Council to review and recommend legislation for a health care system that ensures comprehensive, high quality health care coverage for all Massachusetts residents. Until the Council decided that such a system had been set up, the proposed law would prohibit the conversion of non-profit hospitals, health maintenance organizations (HMOs), and health insurance firms to for-profit status. The proposed law would also require health insurance carriers to provide certain rights to patients and health care professionals, starting January 1, 2001.

The Council would recommend laws to set up, and would decide whether laws had been passed to ensure, a health care system that provid