Cost and Coverage: The Impact of Implementing Various State Health Care Reform Proposals Nationally

With 45.7 million uninsured American in 2007, up from 38.4 million in 2000 (U.S. Census Bureau, 2008), health care reform is taking center stage as one of the top priorities for governors, state legislatures, and Congress. In the absence of a cohesive and actionable national health care reform agenda, many states are exploring opportunities to reform their health care systems in order to expand coverage. This paper will present the findings of an analysis that explores the coverage and cost impacts of implementing various state health care reform proposals nationally. [39 PDF pages]