The Health Care for All! Coalition consulted with policy experts based at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health to determine how Maryland can make health care more affordable as implementation of health reform moves forward.
Based on the feedback from these policy experts and coalition participation in public meetings, we drafted specific policy recommendations and shared them with the Maryland Health Exchange Board. The full report and supporting documents are available below.
Health Care Affordability Proposal
First, we recommend that the Maryland Health Exchange Board use active purchasing authority to encourage competition among insurers and get a better value for Maryland consumers. We also highlight the benefits of new health care delivery models like patient-centered medical homes which yield better health outcomes and save money.
Next, we explore options to encourage healthy people to participate in the exchange by dealing with adverse selection.
Finally, we discuss the benefits of providing a basic health plan option, simplifying enrollment into health insurance coverage options and investments in public health like health insurance co-ops. These options will make a big difference for working families who may make too much to qualify for free health insurance but still have trouble paying for a full private plan.
With these options fully implemented, health care in Maryland can be truly accessible and affordable to all.
Resources:
- Health Care Affordability Proposal
- Demystifying Active Purchasing: Tools for State Health Insurance Exchanges (White Paper)
- Improving Value and Investing in Prevention:Encouraging Value-Based Insurance Designs in State Health Insurance Exchanges (White Paper)
- Seizing the Opportunity: How to contain costs in Taft-Hartley and employer healthplans by re-engineering delivery of care to your members (Publication by America’s Agenda)
