Coverage, Cost, And Coinsurance: How Do The American States Compare And What Determines Caliber Care?

Studies of employer sponsored health insurance plans often focus on single case studies, or single dimensions of coverage. For example, scholars have not considered how the states compare to one another, or whether or not these plans can be explained by internal determinants unique to a respective state. This study conducts the first comprehensive analysis of employer sponsored health insurance in the American states for state employees, while simultaneously examining the influence of political, social, and economic factors. The byproduct of this analysis is a series of ranked indices that compare the states across ten dimensions of health coverage and three dimensions of costs for in- and out-of-network services. Beyond this, the examination draws broader lessons for the relationship between federalism and health policy in the United States.