Through its work over the past decade, IHPS has earned the reputation as a leading expert in the design, development, and operation of health coverage purchasing pools.

Purchasing pools can take myriad forms. Our work has often focused on the development of small employer purchasing pools offering worker choice of health plans, often under the auspices of not-for-profits or organizations with employer/consumer boards of directors.

With increased recognition that subsidies or tax credits are needed to increase access to, health coverage for low-income workers, individuals, and/or families, there is growing recognition across various policy perspectives that purchasing pools as an effective mechanism to harness such subsidies. Not only can pools inconspicuously and efficiently combine funding from multiple sources—employer, worker, and public subsidies—but also pools can provide the infrastructure necessary to ensure the coverage provided meets policy goals or requirements.

IHPS staff have significant experience in the design, development, and operation of purchasing pools. Our focus is now to assist with the design of purchasing pools that combine public subsidy funds with private contributions to cover the uninsured. As part of this work, we can assist with:

• policy work on the local and state level to support the development of such pools;
• the development of feasibility analyses and market research;
• design of program structures, including the development of purchasing pool participation rules and benefit plan offerings;
• development of rating structures and subsidy schedules that result in equitable treatment of subsidy-eligible workers while protecting the program from adverse market forces;
• identification, criteria evaluation selection of insurers and administrative vendors; and
• insights and information for educational and outreach materials.

Pools as Mandated Coverage Venues

An Implementation and Alternate Scenario Analysis of California's Health Insurance Act of 2003 (SB2) (IHPS, April 2005)

Purchasing Pools as Vehicles for Subsidies

Three Options for Insuring all Californians (California HealthCare Foundation, October, 2006)

Massachusetts-Style Coverage Expansion: What Would It Cost in California? (California HealthCare Foundation, April 2006)

The Potential for a Small-Employer Purchasing Pool in Wisconsin: Issues and Options for Overcoming Barriers to the Development of the Private Employer Health Care Coverage Program (PEHCCP) (IHPS, January 2003)

Private Purchasing Pools to Harness Individual Tax Credits for Consumers (The Commonwealth Fund, December 2000)

Potential Tasks for Implementing Premium Assistance through a Consumer Choice Health Purchasing Group (IHPS, May 2000)

Coordination of Title XXI Coverage with Employer-Based Coverage through Consumer-Choice Health Purchasing Groups (IHPS, January 1999)

Resource Documents and Other

What Health Insurance Pools Can and Can't Do (California HealthCare Foundation, November 2005)

Consumer-Choice Purchasing Pools: Past Tense, Future Perfect? (Health Affairs, January/February 2001)

Creating Consumer Choice in Healthcare: Measuring and Communicating Health Plan Performance Information (IHPS, March 1998) Includes: "The Necessary Ingredients for a Consumer Choice Purchasing Group"

Medicare Consumer Information and Risk Selection - The Feasibility of Medicare Consumer Cooperatives (IHPS, March 1997)

A Guide to Facilitating Consumer Choice (Health Affairs, Winter 1996)

Medicaid and Cooperative Healthplan Purchasing Organizations (IHPS, December 1996)

Health Network and Alliance Status Report: Cooperative Health Care Purchasing Strategies in the Era of Accountability (IHPS, 1995)

Health Network and Alliance Status Report: Cooperative Health Care Purchasing Strategies in the Era of Accountability (IHPS, 1995)

Resource Manual: Implementing Healthplan Purchasing Cooperatives (IHPS, 1995)

Purchasing Pools to Reach Uninsured Working Families (May 2000)
Blazing the Consumer-Choice Trail (April 1999)
A Matter of Choice (May 1998)
Spanning Diverse Puchasing Roles (May 1997)
Developing Measures for Quality (May 1996)
Medicaid and Cooperative Healthplan Purchasing Organizations (December 1996)
Harnessing the Power of Consumer Choice (July 1995)
Tailoring Healthplan Purchasing and Choice Strategies for Your Market (December 1995)
Purchasing Strategies for Better Value, Service and Accountability (December 1994)
Putting Health Purchasing Alliances into Action (June 1993)
Implementing Alliances and Cooperatives: What to Do and How to Do It (May 1994)

Contact IHPS for additional information.