State Public Health Insurance Options: A Comparison

[Originally published on September 17, 2021]

[Last updated on February 1, 2024]

Affordability remains the top concern for people when they think about health care. Public health insurance options have emerged to fill the gaps that leave people without access to affordable health care and provide an affordable, dependable, government-run health insurance plan that is often privately run. With an eye on health equity, these plans can reduce disparities by improving network adequacy standards, engaging diverse voices, providing additional subsidies for those in need, and expanding access to safety net and rural providers.

In the chart below, we compare several states’ public options and examine the similarities and differences between them.