Private health insurance refers to health insurance plans marketed by the private health insurance industry, including employer-sponsored insurance, as opposed to government-managed insurance programs.
Private Insurance Coverage
Upcoming Events
No upcoming events for this topic. See past events below.
Past Events
Event Description This roundtable featured former journalists and health care professionals to explore the current value-based care landscape, highlight anticipated policy discussions for the coming year, and identified key considerations for reporters and media experts. Learning Goals This event was made possible with support from the National Institute for Health Care Management (NIHCM).
This panel provided a high-level overview of health care coverage programs in the United States, such as Medicare, Medicaid, the Affordable Care Act, and employer-based insurance, as well as recent changes to coverage such as bolstering subsidies. This Session:
This event was Part III of the Alliance’s Health Policy Roundup and 2022 Forecast series. Download a summary of this event » While significant attention has been paid to shifts in national health policy, it is equally important to understand the promise, tradeoffs, and impacts on various stakeholders that state policies have demonstrated. Within the […]
This event was Part II of the Alliance’s Health Policy Roundup and 2022 Forecast series. Economic fallout and higher unemployment rates due to the pandemic have raised concerns about health insurance coverage enrollment and affordability in the U.S. Although the national uninsured rate remained mostly unchanged throughout the pandemic (at or around 10–11%), many eligible […]
Clinicians, hospitals, and health systems are searching for new ways to improve the oncology patient experience and promote health equity. The ongoing pandemic has complicated this push for improvement, as providers and health systems have had to change care delivery practices dramatically to protect patients from COVID-19. Furthermore, health equity has received significant attention over […]
Download an overview of this event for easy sharing » There is no shortage of proposed solutions to reduce health care costs and expand coverage in the U.S. However, central to many policy options is the concept of increased market competition and/or increased regulation of health care insurance markets. In other U.S. markets, competition is a […]
This multi-day virtual academy equipped staffers at the start of their career in health policy (or those that needed a refresher) with practical knowledge about fundamental facets of the health care system and the policymaking process. Sessions will feature speakers with experience working in/with federal policy institutions, including Congress and the executive branch. Topics addressed […]
We would like to invite you to join us for a day-long conference focusing on the fundamentals of health policy, the American health care system, and how it relates to the legislative process. “Health Policy Academy” is ideal for Congressional staff members looking to expand and strengthen their knowledge of health policy through panel discussions […]
Public Briefing According to The Commonwealth Fund’s latest Health Insurance in America Survey, 30 million people in the United States remain uninsured, about 44 million are underinsured, and health care costs are growing faster than median wages in many parts of the country. This briefing oriented the audience to both current coverage and affordability trends […]
Toolkits
Massachusetts Health Reform
Starting July 1, every adult in Massachusetts is required to have health coverage (except for 60,000 people exempted by the state). This toolkit, supported by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, is designed to help you understand the state’s pace-setting near-universal coverage plan and its implications, with links to representative articles and documents from across the […]
Medicare Private Fee-for-Service Plans
Over the past three years, enrollment in Medicare private fee-for-service (PFFS) plans has increased significantly. These plans offer a potentially greater choice of providers than beneficiaries will find in Medicare HMOs or PPOs. They often provide extra benefits not found in traditional Medicare. Beneficiaries attracted to the plans hope to lower their out-of-pocket costs compared […]
ERISA and State Health Reform
Many policy experts believe that sweeping general reform to our national health system is not likely to happen without success stories from state-level reforms. Yet many state reforms may be in conflict with the federal statute known as the Employee Retirement Income Security Act, or ERISA. This toolkit, supported by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, […]
A Reporter’s Toolkit: The Uninsured
This toolkit offers links to resources that will help you understand who lacks health coverage in the U.S. and the consequences of being uninsured. We also offer links to proposals for change, including websites that track presidential candidates’ plans, as well as to public opinion polls and updates on state-level reform. This resource also offers […]
Health Insurance Cooperatives
Health insurance cooperatives, or co-ops, have drawn attention as an alternative way for Americans to buy health insurance. Owned by their members, co-ops are seen by some as more palatable than a government-run public plan. What exactly are health insurance co-ops? What’s been their track record? Why do they succeed, or fail? Why do proponents […]
ABCs of the ACA – What You Need to Know
The Alliance for Health Reform answers key questions about the insurance marketplaces that opened for enrollment October 1 in this new FAQ, available here. The document also provides links to websites that go into detailed explanations of how the law and the exchanges work. Some links point directly to state marketplaces and other government resources.
The Employer Mandate of the Patient Protection Affordable Care Act
The Toolkit, available here, details the ACA’s employer requirements and penalty. It also includes information about the delay in the mandate to 2015, and analysis about its impact on employer-based coverage. The Toolkit includes: key facts about the employer mandate; data about trends in employment-based health coverage; links to news articles and reports explaining and […]
Health Literacy and Health Insurance Literacy- Do Consumers Know What they are Buying?
Despite new private insurance coverage over the past year, many people do not understand the very terms and concepts necessary to make informed choices, according to recent studies. A new Alliance for Health Reform Toolkit, “Health Literacy and Health Insurance Literacy: Do Consumers Know What they are Buying?” addresses the extent and significance of both […]
King v. Burwell Toolkit: To Subsidize or Not to Subsidize
A new Alliance for Health Reform toolkit will help you prepare for and understand the Supreme Court’s King v. Burwell decision, which could come as early as Friday. A major challenge to the Affordable Care Act (ACA) is before the Supreme Court, which is expected to make a decision in the King v. Burwell case […]
Health Care Consolidation
In 2014, there were a total of 1,299 mergers and acquisitions in the health care sector – a record number, up from 1,035 the year before. This toolkit explores the driving forces behind this trend; the scope and extent of consolidation among doctors, hospitals and insurers; implications for consumers and other stakeholders; and the roles […]
Policymakers
Members of Congress, Congressional and agency staff, federal, state, and local legislators.
Health Care Stakeholders
Industry stakeholders, practitioners and providers, patient advocates, community organizations, academics.
Media
Members of the press, journalists, public relations professionals.