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The Health Insurance Reform Debate

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  • Scott E. Harrington

Abstract

This article provides an overview of the U.S. health care reform debate and legislation, with a focus on health insurance. Following a synopsis of the main problems that confront U.S. health care and insurance, it outlines the health care reform bills in the U.S. House and Senate as of early December 2009, including the key provisions for expanding and regulating health insurance, and projections of the proposals' costs, funding, and impact on the number of people with insurance. The article then discusses (1) the potential effects of the mandate that individuals have health insurance in conjunction with proposed premium subsidies and health insurance underwriting and rating restrictions, (2) the proposed creation of a public health insurance plan and/or nonprofit cooperatives, and (3) provisions that would modify permissible grounds for health policy rescission and repeal the limited antitrust exemption for health and medical liability insurance. It concludes by contrasting the reform bills with market‐oriented proposals and with brief perspective on future developments.

Suggested Citation

  • Scott E. Harrington, 2010. "The Health Insurance Reform Debate," Journal of Risk & Insurance, The American Risk and Insurance Association, vol. 77(1), pages 5-38, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:jrinsu:v:77:y:2010:i:1:p:5-38
    DOI: 10.1111/j.1539-6975.2009.01345.x
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    1. Gilad Sorek & David Benjamin, 2016. "Health insurance mandates in a model with consumer bankruptcy," Journal of Regulatory Economics, Springer, vol. 50(2), pages 233-250, October.
    2. Georges Dionne & Casey G. Rothschild, 2011. "Risk Classification in Insurance Contracting," Cahiers de recherche 1137, CIRPEE.
    3. Junhao Liu & Anita Mukherjee, 2021. "Medicaid and long‐term care: The effects of penalizing strategic asset transfers," Journal of Risk & Insurance, The American Risk and Insurance Association, vol. 88(1), pages 53-77, March.
    4. Georges Dionne & Casey Rothschild, 2014. "Economic Effects of Risk Classification Bans," The Geneva Risk and Insurance Review, Palgrave Macmillan;International Association for the Study of Insurance Economics (The Geneva Association), vol. 39(2), pages 184-221, September.
    5. Jessica Vistnes & Alice Zawacki & Kosali Simon & Amy Taylor, 2010. "Declines in Employer Sponsored Coverage Between 2000 and 2008: Offers, Take-Up, Premium Contributions, and Dependent Options," Working Papers 10-23, Center for Economic Studies, U.S. Census Bureau.
    6. Annette Hofmann & Mark Browne, 2013. "One-sided commitment in dynamic insurance contracts: Evidence from private health insurance in Germany," Journal of Risk and Uncertainty, Springer, vol. 46(1), pages 81-112, February.
    7. Scott E. Harrington, 2010. "U.S. Health‐care Reform: The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act," Journal of Risk & Insurance, The American Risk and Insurance Association, vol. 77(3), pages 703-708, September.

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