Affording shared responsibility for universal coverage: insights from California.
This paper presents key insights from California's recent experience in developing a plan for universal health coverage with "shared responsibility" among individuals, employers, and governments. A major challenge was finding an acceptable balance among the goals of affordability, equity, and cost to the state. Although reform did not pass, the state's approach-particularly differences from Massachusetts regarding modest-income workers and related employer and public roles-provides important insights for federal reform.
Curtis
Rick
R
Institute for Health Policy Solutions in Washington, DC, USA. rcurtis@ihps.org
Neuschler
Ed
E