title: Setting a standard of affordability for health insurance coverage.
abstract: Recently, Massachusetts passed landmark legislation designed to expand health insurance coverage. This legislation includes a requirement that all adults enroll in a health insurance plan. This mandate takes effect only if an "affordable" plan is available. The definition of affordability for individuals and families of different incomes or circumstances is a critical decision in implementation and is relevant to any state or federal reform requiring individual premium or cost-sharing contributions, or both. This analysis was done to assist the policy design process in Massachusetts and delineates an empirically based approach to setting affordability standards.
authors.affiliation: Health Policy Center, Urban Institute, Washington, DC, USA. lblumber@ui.urban.org
authors.forename: Linda J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Blumberg
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Holahan
authors.forename: Jack
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hadley
authors.forename: Katharine
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nordahl
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017047:Cost Sharing; D005102:Health Expenditures; D006297:Health Services Accessibility / Q000191:economics*; D006801:Humans; D007182:Income; D037141:Mandatory Programs; D008404:Massachusetts; D008484:Medicaid / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D013221:State Health Plans / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D014481:United States; D019472:Universal Health Insurance / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*