Health Insurance Coverage
Access to affordable, high quality health insurance coverage improves access to care, boosts health care outcomes, and provides critical financial security. Yet such coverage is too often difficult to access or inadequate to fully meet people’s needs. Our team of nationally recognized experts investigates the impact of federal and state policies on whether and how health insurance does – or too often does not – work for people.

What We Do
Our experts at CHIR conduct research to assess the impact of federal and state policies to improve health care access and affordability and ensure that health insurance works for the people who need it most. We provide unbiased, relevant, and timely information, analysis, and technical assistance to policymakers, regulators, and stakeholders seeking a marketplace where consumers have access to affordable and high quality healthcare coverage.
What We’re Working On
- Publications
- Enhancing Essential Health Benefits: How States Are Updating Benchmark Plans to Improve Coverage
- If Expanded Federal Premium Tax Credits Expire, State Affordability Programs Won’t Be Enough to Stem Widespread Coverage Losses
- Clearing the Path: Streamlining Enrollment in Covered California for Californians Transitioning from Medi-Cal
- Enforcing Mental Health Parity: State Options to Improve Access to Care
- Blogs
- Early 2026 Rate Filings Show Marketplace Policy Changes Contribute to Eye-Popping Rate Increases
- New Administration Plans to Reinstate Cuts to Funding for ACA Outreach and Enrollment Assistance
- A New Rule to Limit ACA Enrollment Periods May Deter Sign-Ups and Worsen Risk Pools
- Health Insurance Transitions For Young People With Diabetes Can Be Life Threatening