This month RISE is introducing a new feature that will run periodically. The column will recommend articles, white papers, or issue briefs that we believe contains important information for RISE Association members. For our first column, we suggest you take the time to read the Kaiser Family Foundation’s recent issue brief on Medicare-for-All and Public Plan Buy-in Proposals.
The Kaiser Family Foundation’s (KFF) issue brief summarizes eight legislative proposals that would broaden the role of public programs, such as Medicare and Medicaid. The bills are all over the map: One would create a new national health insurance program for all U.S. residents, replacing all other sources of public and private insurance; others create a new public plan option as a supplement to private sources of coverage and public programs. Each differ in ways that have important implications for health care providers and payers.
The policy brief does a good job of explaining the similarities and differences of all the proposals and their potential implications. And though KFF acknowledges that these bills likely won’t advance in the current Congressional session, they do offer examples of the legislation that may eventually be introduced in the next session.
Most importantly, the brief will help RISE members stay current on the topic of Medicare-for-All, which is gaining traction among the American people who have come to care deeply about health insurance coverage in the years since the implementation of the Affordable Care Act. “With the visibility garnered by Bernie Sanders during the last general election and his championing Medicare-for-All, a debate has formed around the question of universal coverage and what vehicles might work to deliver it,” says RISE Executive Director Kevin Mowll.
The KFF issue brief, he says, teases out the highlights of the competing formulas being advanced by different champions and how they would drastically alter the landscape if adopted.
“We believe that it is important to remain informed and current on these large-scale public policy options as a matter of business literacy among those involved in organizing, financing, and delivering government-based health coverage today," Mowll says. “Undoubtedly, we will be asked our opinions and recommendations as it relates to these competing ideas. Digesting the material in this article is one way to keep up-to-date on this frontier of thinking about the U.S. health care system and its future.”
Interested in learning more? Oftentimes, the best way to learn how other plans are adapting to marketplace changes is to come to a live conference and hear from peers presenting their approaches and strategies. For example, check out our upcoming live event, The 12th Risk Adjustment Forum, for innovative strategies to improve risk adjustment programs for Medicare Advantage, Medicaid, and Commercial Plans.