Considerable interest exists in making a public option available in the Affordable Care Act (ACA) non-group marketplaces. A report from the Urban Institute analyzes commercial insurers’ experiences competing in marketplaces with managed-care organizations, which, prior to ACA implementation, only offered coverage within public programs (either Medicaid only or Medicaid and Medicare).
The report can be obtained at https://www.urban.org/sites/default/files/publication/101221/is_there_potential_for_a_public_option_to_reduce_premiums_of_competing_i_1.pdf.