Issues related to state and employer innovations in insurance coverage

States and employers use a number of different programs and techniques to increase rates of insurance coverage. Successful strategies--whether based on Medicaid/SCHIP expansion, strengthening employer-based coverage, or regulating the individual market--require both flexibility to tailor approaches that best serve their residents and employees and basic protections to ensure that new programs do not leave vulnerable groups behind. In addition, continued financial, regulatory, and administrative support from the federal level is crucial for states and employers to explore innovative solutions to cover the uninsured.