Employer-sponsored insurance is the largest source of health coverage in the United States, but employers and employees face rapidly rising health care costs. CHIR’s Christine Monahan summarizes the data on how a public health insurance option could help reduce health care costs and expand access to coverage for people with job-based insurance.

Federal officials approved a new Section 1332 waiver authorizing Colorado’s public option-style law, marking the first time the federal government has taken action to approve state legislation that introduces new, more heavily regulated plans into Affordable Care Act marketplaces to compete against traditional plans. CHIR faculty dive into the details of Colorado's law and waiver and what they mean for future state action for the Commonwealth Fund’s To the Point blog.

Colorado is moving quickly to set the rules for state public option-style plans, ahead of their launch in the 2023 plan year. CHIR’s Christine Monahan discusses recent rulemaking on “Colorado Option” premium reduction targets.

CHIR's online resource center is designed to help educate federal and state policymakers, provide unbiased educational resources, and share up-to-date research on public health insurance options.

Experts at Wakely analyze the effects of introducing a public option or other low cost plan into the individual market under different circumstances, such as with and without reinsurance. They find that introducing such a plan would improve affordability for the unsubsidized and could attract reasonable market share with time, but have minimal impact on the uninsured.

Professor Gerardo Ruiz Sanchez evaluates plan offering and enrollment data from Washington State since carriers started offering public option-style Cascade Select plans in 2020. Among other findings, he observes that there has been an increase in insurance market competition at the county level during this period. 

United States of Care highlights important steps Colorado is taking to advance health equity through its Colorado Option program, including through its culturally responsive provider network and benefit design requirements. 

The Public Option Institute examines Washington State’s Health Care Authority announcement that it identified three carriers⏤Community Health Plan of Washington, Coordinated Care Corporation, and LifeWise Health Plan of Washington⏤as apparently successful bidders to offer Cascade Select plans in 2023. 

Manatt's Tara Straw explains the latest developments in Section 1332 innovation waivers, including waiver applications from Colorado and Washington related to the implementation of their public option-style laws. 

John Whittaker reports for The Post-Journal on a new public health insurance option bill introduced in New York State and puts the proposal in the context of other state experiences introducing and enacting public option legislation.

Arielle Dreher reports for Axios on the federal government’s approval of Colorado’s waiver amendment, which allows the state to move forward with implementation of its public option-style law.