Coverage Strategies

Until the recent national health reform debate under President Obama’s leadership, there was an 8-year period of only limited federal discussion about health reform. During this vacuum of national leadership, many states pursued both incremental and comprehensive reform initiatives designed to increase insurance coverage and access to needed care. In fact, several states have continued with efforts to improve coverage even as the federal discussion moves forward. Most of these coverage initiatives are incremental and they generally fall into three areas:

1. Public Sector Initiatives

2. Employer-Based Initiatives

3. Insurance Market Initiatives

In addition, states often rely on a mixed-methods approach:

4. Overlapping Approaches

Finally, it is quite common for states to employ multiple approaches simultaneously or over time to enhance coverage. Comprehensive reform passed in Maine, Massachusetts, and Vermont is relying on multiple strategies to achieve universal coverage. (Click each state’s name for a description of its comprehensive reform efforts.)