SCI’s State of the States Report Shows Trends Among States in Addressing Costs, Quality and Access

Despite the constraints of the recession and uncertainty about the impact of potential federal reforms, many states made great strides in implementing local reforms in 2009, as documented in a new report from State Coverage Initiatives (SCI).

SCI’s State of the States -  The State We're In - tells stories of how states:

• protected Medicaid during a time of rampant fiscal tightening
• increased coverage for kids
• responded to failing employer-sponsored coverage rates
• experimented with exchanges and other ways to organize local insurance markets
• addressed rising delivery systems costs by improving care coordination
• explored novel ways to re-think health care payment systems

Changes to SCI Website

We’ve made some changes to our home page and our resources page. Visit www.statecoverage.org to get the most updated info and new products from SCI.

SCI Issue Brief on State Health Insurance Exchanges

"Preparing for Health Reform: The Role of the Health Insurance Exchange," a new issue brief by Robert Carey, provides readers with an overview of the potential role of a health insurance exchange, state-specific issues that should be considered before establishing an exchange, and the different ways in which an exchange might be structured and operated.

Resources on Health Insurance Exchanges and Insurance Market Reforms

In 2010, the SCI program stands ready to help states navigate state health reforms whether or not federal reform materializes. In particular, we plan to concentrate on exchanges/connectors and related insurance market reforms. We may be working to help states understand ways to improve and reorganize the market in the absence of federal reform or helping them navigate the responsibilities and options they will have in the context of federal legislation. In any case, states need to know both the possibilities and limitations of stronger regulation and better organization of the small group and individual markets.

SCI offers no cost, personalized technical assistance. If you have any technical questions, or need help with your process moving forward, please contact us. We look forward to working with you.


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