Health Insurance Purchasing Alliances for Small Firms: Lessons from the California Experience

Publication Date: May 1998

Publisher: California HealthCare Foundation

Author(s): Jill M. Yegian; Thomas C. Buchmueller; James C. Robinson; Ann F. Monroe

Research Area: Health

Type: Report

Coverage: California

Abstract:

Purchasing alliances for small firms already operate in a number of states, and federal policymakers have expressed interest in encouraging the creation and development of such alliances. This report examines the structure and experience of the Health Insurance Plan of California (HIPC), now called PacAdvantage, in its first five years, and the lessons that can be drawn for purchasing alliances within other contexts and for other constituencies. Topics covered include the statutory and regulatory structure of the HIPC; the evolution of the HIPC, including a focus on enrollment and premium trends; lessons learned for purchasing alliances; and the purposes and possibilities for privatization.