Build a Health Care Bill: Problem 2 – Self-Employed Coverage – Part 1

Problem 2:
Self-employed people, and those working for companies that don’t provide health insurance, need the ability to join or create groups for the purpose of buying group health insurance.

Solution Ideas:
Background
Current law, I think in all 50 states, prohibits the creation of groups for the purpose of underwriting health insurance. And, individual insurance is inherently more expensive than group insurance.

Idea #1.
State Employment Agencies could create insurance groups and negotiate group health insurance policies with private insurance companies. They could then enroll the self-employed and those not covered by employer sponsored group insurance in a State Employment Agency group health insurance plan upon a declaration that they do not have employer sponsored insurance.

Idea #2.
Create incentives for organizations to form insurance groups and offer health insurance to members.

Idea #3.
Create incentives for the states to enact exceptions to their own insurance regulations; exceptions that allow people who are not members of an insurance group to form health insurance groups so they can become eligible for group health insurance.

Additional ideas for solving this problem or ways to improve the ideas presented are welcome. As are any other problems you think should be addressed by health insurance reform legislation.

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