Report Examines What States Did to Avoid Bare Counties

The Georgetown University Center on Health Insurance Reforms (CHIR) along with the Urban Institute have released a new report which examines what states and insurance companies did to prevent consumers to go without an option for coverage on the 2018 marketplace. “Stepping into the Breach: How States and Insurers Worked Together to Prevent Bare Counties in 2018” looks historically at the trends for coverage in counties across the country and how the risk for certain counties to have no insurers offering coverage has increased over the last five years. The report then reviews the actions taken by some states along with insurance companies to ensure that no bare counties existed in 2018. The report also includes summaries for six states that were at significant risk for having bare counties: Iowa, Nevada, Ohio, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Washington.