New Science Findings from University of Minnesota Discussed (Affordability trade-offs following a public option: learning from the Colorado Option): Science

2025 SEP 15 (NewsRx) -- By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at NewsRx Policy and Law Daily -- Investigators publish new report on Science. According to news reporting out of Minneapolis, Minnesota, by NewsRx editors, the research stated, “In 2023, Colorado implemented a public option, called the Colorado Option, and required all insurers in its Affordable Care Act (ACA) Marketplace to offer plans following a uniform benefit design. While the Colorado Option aimed to lower the cost of Marketplace coverage, it is unclear whether the policy has had its intended effect.”

Our news journalists obtained a quote from the research from the University of Minnesota, “In this study, I examine how the affordability of Marketplace coverage changed after the Colorado Option for both subsidized and unsubsidized enrollees. This descriptive analysis used the HIX Compare Individual Market datasets from 2020 to 2025 to measure changes in benchmark Silver plan premiums and premium spreads (the difference in premium between the benchmark Silver plan and lowest-premium plan) in Colorado following the Colorado Option. Between 2020 and 2025, benchmark Silver plan premiums in Colorado increased by $295.84 while premium spread increased by $79.53. These increases were greater than in comparison states. In the years following the Colorado Option, Marketplace coverage in Colorado became more affordable for subsidized enrollees but less affordable for unsubsidized ones.”

According to the news editors, the research concluded: “States considering public options should weigh this potential trade-off as they design and implement them to make sure the public option aligns with their policy goals.”

This research has been peer-reviewed.

For more information on this research see: Affordability trade-offs following a public option: learning from the Colorado Option. Health Affairs Scholar, 2025;3(8).

Our news journalists report that additional information may be obtained by contacting Andrew Shermeyer, Division of Health Policy and Management, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, United States.

The direct object identifier (DOI) for that additional information is: https://doi.org/10.1093/haschl/qxaf160. This DOI is a link to an online electronic document that is either free or for purchase, and can be your direct source for a journal article and its citation.

(Our reports deliver fact-based news of research and discoveries from around the world.)