The State of Play: A Mid-Year Update on the Public Option at the Federal and State Level

This commentary examines how Washington implemented the nation’s first public option for the 2021 plan year, as well as how other states have made significant progress in advancing public option proposals. While progress is incremental, with some state laws reflecting long implementation timelines and additional studies, the legislative results suggest that the public option will continue to be an important health reform initiative at the state level.