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The Multi-State Plan Program
To Boost Competition in New Insurance Exchanges, the Federal Government will Select and Oversee at Least Two Nationwide Plans.
One of the key mechanisms for expanding health insurance coverage under the Affordable Care Act is the creation of new insurance exchanges—marketplaces where people can compare and purchase qualified private health plans based on benefits, quality, and price. Although one goal is to stimulate competition among private health plans, in most states the insurance markets for individuals and small businesses are highly concentrated. For example, in 30 states a single insurance company accounts for more than half the enrollees in the individual market, and in most states one or two insurers dominate the small-group market.
To spur competition among plans, the Affordable Care Act also created the Multi-State Plan Program. The Office of Personnel Management (OPM), which administers health insurance programs for federal employees and members of Congress, will certify and oversee health insurance issuers to offer at least two plans in every state exchange.
This policy brief explores the background of the Multi-State Plan Program, the challenges facing OPM in administering it, and the issues associated with offering health insurance plans in multiple states.
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Selling Health Insurance Across State Lines
Researchers at the Georgetown University Health Policy Institute analyzed legislation to sell private insurance across state lines enacted in six states—Georgia, Kentucky, Maine, Rhode Island, Washington, and Wyoming—and find that proposals to authorize selling health insurance across states lines do not adequately take into account the complexity of how insurance products are sold and regulated.
Health Affairs/RWJF Health Policy Briefs
Series provides clear, accessible overviews of timely and important health policy topics. The briefs are geared to policy-makers, congressional staffers, and others who need short, jargon-free explanations of health policy basics.
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