Report: CO-OP Health Plans

Source: RWJF

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) provides authority and funding to support the creation of non-profit health insurance plans in the individual and small group markets. Under the Consumer Operated and Oriented Plan (CO-OP) program, the ACA authorized $6 billion in grants and loans to support non-profit organizations in developing, marketing, and maintaining health insurance plans in the private marketplace.i Given the failings of the rural private health insurance market, some have envisioned the CO-OP program as an opportunity for expanding access to affordable coverage in rural areas. This brief:
 Provides an overview of the CO-OP program legislation;
 Identifies the challenges to obtaining private health insurance in rural areas; and
 Assesses the opportunities and challenges of using the CO-OP program to address the limitations of the rural private health insurance market.

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