Last week a policy research firm released a report detailing the costs and benefits of five state health care reform proposals. They include:
- A proposal that modifies insurance regulations to address specific groups that have lower rates of coverage such as small employers and young adults (Market Reforms)
- A proposal that includes the components of the Massachusetts legislation to establish a health insurance connector (Connector)
- A proposal to provide a comprehensive, standardized benefit package for all residents (Washington Health Partnership)
- A proposal to establish a single-payer system similar to the health care system in Canada (Single Payer)
- The Insurance Commissioner's proposal for a guaranteed benefit plan (OIC)
Sen. Karen Keiser’s Washington Health Partnership would provide consumers and employers a choice of plans and providers and includes all Washington residents not covered by federal medical programs.
According to the draft report produced by Mathematica Policy Research, consumers and employers will see the following benefits from Sen. Keiser’s plan:
- A 32 percent reduction in out-of-pocket spending for health care for consumers ($1.3 billion a year)
- A reduction in employer-related health care spending of $2-to-$4 billion per year
- A reduction in state health care spending by $330 million a year
How the plans stack up
