Could A Public Option Boost Competition?

California’s insurance commissioner has said he supports a public option at the state level to potentially bolster competition and serve as a test for the controversial idea nationwide.

According to Covered California data, the state’s four biggest insurers control 90 percent of the market. The state exchange has also said that 7.4 percent of its 1.4 million enrollees will only have two health plans to choose from for 2017.

Read more about the possibility of a public option in California in Chad Terhune’s coverage.

KFF Health News is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues and is one of the core operating programs at KFF—an independent source of health policy research, polling, and journalism. Learn more about KFF.

<h1>Could A Public Option Boost Competition?</h1>
<div>		<time class="posted-on" datetime="2016-09-26T12:00:36-07:00">
			September 26, 2016		</time>
		</div>
<p>California’s insurance commissioner has said he supports a public option at the state level to potentially bolster competition and serve as a test for the controversial idea nationwide.</p><p>According to Covered California data, the state’s four biggest insurers control 90 percent of the market. The state exchange has also said that 7.4 percent of its 1.4 million enrollees will only have two health plans to choose from for 2017.</p><p>Read more about the possibility of a public option in California in <a href="http://californiahealthline.org/news/remember-the-public-option-insurance-commissioner-wants-to-try-it-in-california/">Chad Terhune’s coverage</a>.</p><ul><li><a href="https://californiahealthline.org/multimedia/could-a-public-option-boost-competition/?share=facebook">				Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)				Facebook			</a></li><li><a href="https://californiahealthline.org/multimedia/could-a-public-option-boost-competition/?share=linkedin">				Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)				LinkedIn			</a></li><li><a href="https://californiahealthline.org/multimedia/could-a-public-option-boost-competition/?share=x">				Click to share on X (Opens in new window)				X			</a></li><li><a href="mailto:?subject=%5BShared%20Post%5D%20Could%20A%20Public%20Option%20Boost%20Competition%3F&body=https%3A%2F%2Fcaliforniahealthline.org%2FMjExNzcz&share=email">				Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)				Email			</a></li><li><a href="https://californiahealthline.org/multimedia/could-a-public-option-boost-competition/#print?share=print">				Click to print (Opens in new window)				Print			</a></li></ul><em><a href="https://kffhealthnews.org/about-us">KFF Health News</a> is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues and is one of the core operating programs at KFF—an independent source of health policy research, polling, and journalism. Learn more about <a href="https://www.kff.org/about-us">KFF</a>.</em><p><a href="https://californiahealthline.org/morning-briefing/">Subscribe</a> to KFF Health News' free Morning Briefing.</p>

Some elements may be removed from this article due to republishing restrictions. If you have questions about available photos or other content, please contact NewsWeb@kff.org.