Vice President Joe Biden said Wednesday that the country is on the cusp of what he called "remarkable changes" in the treatment of mental illness.

As other states begin grappling with the intricacies of the federal health care overhaul, many are looking for lessons from the largely successful Massachusetts model as well as from its limitations and remaining challenges.

Gov. Deval Patrick said Tuesday he will file legislation that would freeze unemployment insurance rates for Massachusetts businesses and end parts of the state's landmark 2006 health care law that is at odds with the federal Affordable Care Act.

Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick on Monday signed into law a bill he said should provide a model for a nation trying to stem the spiraling cost of health care.

Massachusetts House and Senate negotiators have filed the final version of a bill they say will save up to $200 billion in health care costs over the next 15 years and help guarantee the future of the state's landmark 2006 health care law.

Massachusetts has the nation's highest rate of residents with health insurance. Visits to emergency rooms are beginning to ease. More residents are getting cancer screenings and more women are making prenatal doctors' visits. Still, one of the biggest challenges for the state lies ahead: reining in spiraling costs.

The debate over the line between religious freedom and federal health care mandates has made its way into Massachusetts' closely watched U.S. Senate race, with Republican Sen. Scott Brown accusing his chief Democratic rival of wanting to "dictate to religious people about what they should believe."

Massachusetts has struck a multi-billion dollar deal with the federal government that Gov. Deval Patrick says will help the state move ahead with plans to overhaul the way it pays for health care coverage.