,The Illusion of Group Health Insurance: Discretionary Associations

The Illusion of Group Health Insurance: Discretionary Associations


 

Publication Date: March 2004

Publisher: Families USA

Author(s): Larry Kirsch; Sonya Schwartz

Research Area: Health

Type: Brief

Abstract:

Discretionary associations enable insurance carriers to market individual health insurance policies under the guise of group insurance to consumers seeking low-cost insurance that appears to offer group protections. This Issue Brief identifies problems in the discretionary association marketplace and suggests a number of regulatory and legislative solutions.