Some States See in the Health Law a Chance to Pursue Unique Solutions

The federal health-care law was intended to create a uniform standard of health coverage across the U.S. But the law also is creating opportunities for states to pursue their own solutions.

For states like Vermont, that means pursuing liberal experiments that go further than the Affordable Care Act; for others, it means expanding coverage for the poor in a way that's more palatable to conservative lawmakers.

To date, Vermont has shown the greatest interest in taking advantage of a little-known provision in the ACA that allows states, beginning in 2017, to apply for waivers from some of the key elements of the federal health law, including the mandate that requires most people to carry health insurance or pay a penalty. To get an "innovation waiver," states have to show they have a plan that will cover at least as many people as the ACA, won't cost the federal government more, and won't leave people with more expensive or skimpier coverage.

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Source: The Wall Street Journal