The signing ceremony, complete with fife and drum corps, was held in the historic Faneuil Hall be... Massachusetts governor sig

The signing ceremony, complete with fife and drum corps, was held in the historic Faneuil Hall before 300 ticketed guests. Speakers included Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., who last shared the Faneuil Hall stage with Romney in 1994 at a debate in Romney's unsuccessful campaign for Kennedy's Senate seat. Now, Romney is considering running for president in 2008, and the success of the bipartisan health care plan could become a major selling point of his candidacy.

The event reflected only a shade of the political distance between Romney and the state's Democratic lawmakers. Rep. Salvatore DiMasi, speaker of the House, chided Romney for his line-item vetoes, saying, "Governor Romney, if you change anything, you will disturb the delicate balance that made this law possible. Every element is critical to accomplishing this law's goals."

The law is projected to provide coverage for about 515,000 of the state's 550,000 uninsured people and leave less than 1 percent of the population uncovered. It goes further than those of any other state.

It requires residents to obtain health insurance by July 1, 2007. People who can afford insurance and do not buy it will be penalized on their state income taxes.

The law takes the $1 billion in the state's free-care pool, which paid for medical care for patients without insurance, and uses it to subsidize insurance for people who cannot afford it. The legislation also makes it possible for more individuals and businesses to buy insurance with pre-tax dollars, saving them money. It includes a system to encourage insurance companies to provide more-affordable plans with fewer benefits or higher deductibles.

Several details have yet to be worked out, and questions remain about whether enough affordable plans can be created to allow everyone to afford coverage.

The law also expands some Medicaid coverage, including coverage for children. Romney vetoed a provision that reinstated dental coverage for adults.

The legislation, months in the making, almost fell apart over disagreements about whether businesses should be charged and how much if they were.

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