ERISA Law Blog

The Many Faces of Healthcare Reform

Drew Altman, the President and CEO of the Kaiser Family Foundation, has some insightful comments about the aspect of the healthcare reform debate he believes is being neglected: insurance market reforms.  He makes a number of good points.  One of the surprising things I learned is the fact that across the political spectrum there is majority support for eliminating the ability of insurers to underwrite applicants for health insurance.  People support the idea of requiring that health insurers be required to take all risks even if it may mean the consumer pays more in premium.  The willingness of folks to accept that potential sacrifice is key to getting universal coverage off the ground in the negotiations.