United States Government Publishing Office publisher pbl distributor dst United States Government Accountability Office Human Resources Division author aut Government Organization text government publication eng GAOREPORTS Legislative Agency Publications gao legislative 2010-08-12 U.S. Government Printing Office 1993-11-22 monographic deposited born digital GA 1.13:HRD-94-40 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-HRD-94-40 P0b002ee1803979b5 f:hd94040 DGPO 2010-08-12 2011-03-23 GAOREPORTS-HRD-94-40 machine generated eng fdlp REPORT GAOREPORTS-HRD-94-40 HRD-94-40 Health insurance cost control Insurance premiums Employee benefit plans Health maintenance organizations Fringe benefit costs State employees Municipal employees State programs CalPERS Health Benefits Program (CA) CalPERS PERSCare Plan (CA) CalPERS PERSChoice Plan (CA) California National Health Care Reform Initiative Clinton Health Care Plan Health Security Act Letter Report HRD As part of the ongoing debate over health care reform, policymakers have been weighing the pros and cons of alternative ways to purchase care. The administration's health care reform package and other recent reform proposals call for purchasing cooperatives to manage competition among health care plans. One frequently cited example of a successful purchasing cooperative is the California Public Employees' Retirement System (CalPERS), which negotiates health premiums for many public employees in California. This report analyzes CalPERS' effectiveness in controlling health care costs for its members. GAO (1) examines CalPERS' cost-containment record, (2) identifies factors that have contributed to the trend in its premium rates, (3) assesses the impact of CalPERS' cost-containment efforts on its members' benefits, and (4) discusses the applicability of its Health Benefits Program as a model of managed competition--a system under which large purchasing cooperatives contract with a variety of competing health plans on behalf of employers and individuals. https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-HRD-94-40/html/GAOREPORTS-HRD-94-40.htm GAO/HRD-94-40 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-HRD-94-40 Letter Report GAO/HRD-94-40; Health Insurance: California Public Employees' Alliance Has Reduced Recent Premium Growth; Health insurance cost control Insurance premiums Employee benefit plans Health maintenance organizations Fringe benefit costs State employees Municipal employees State programs CalPERS Health Benefits Program (CA) CalPERS PERSCare Plan (CA) CalPERS PERSChoice Plan (CA) California National Health Care Reform Initiative Clinton Health Care Plan Health Security Act