NEW POLICY BRIEF – Lessons from States: What Federal Policymakers Can Learn from State Efforts on Public Option

Today, United States of Care (USofCare) released a brief that evaluates state efforts to establish and implement public health insurance options (referred to as a “public option”). USofCare and our partners are proud to have been deeply involved in such efforts, including in states that have successfully done so – Nevada and Colorado. Through this work on state public options – from inception, study, passage, and through implementation – USofCare has identified key lessons learned from these efforts and outlined them in this new policy brief. These lessons learned can help inform the development of a federal public option.

As the prospect of a federal public option comes into focus for policymakers, USofCare encourages careful reflection of where state experiences in Nevada, Washington, and Colorado offer essential lessons and considerations for federal action. We also offer our perspective on how these lessons learned can help inform a federal approach to establishing a public option especially as it relates to provider payment and access, benefit design, and public option administration.