The following summary was derived from information released by AHIP:

AHIP's plan would expand eligibility for public programs, enable all consumers to purchase health insurance with pre-tax dollars, provide financial assistance to help working families afford coverage, and encourage states to develop and implement access proposals.

The plan is designed to expand access to health insurance coverage to all children within three years and 95 percent of adults within 10 years. AHIP estimates that full implementation of this proposal would cost the federal government approximately $300 billion over a 10-year period.

The AHIP plan calls for enactment of federal legislation that provides significant financial incentives to states and makes changes to federal tax policy to make health coverage more affordable. Key elements of the AHIP plan include:

• Expanding the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) to make eligible all uninsured children from families with incomes under 200 percent of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL).
  
• Improving and expanding Medicaid to make eligible all uninsured adults, including single adults, with incomes under 100 percent of the Federal Poverty Line.
  
• Establishing a Universal Health Account (UHA) to allow all individuals to purchase any type of health care coverage and pay for qualified medical expenses with pre-tax dollars, with federal matching grants for contributions made by working families to the UHA.
  
• Establishing a health tax credit of up to $500 for low-income families who secure health insurance for their children.
  
• Establishing a new $50-billion Federal Performance Grant to assist states in expanding access to coverage.
  
• The new reform plan follows seven months of analysis and deliberation among AHIP board members.
  

AHIP simultaneously released a set of principles for states to consider as they discuss access reforms. The state principles focus on practical steps states can take to reinforce the healthcare safety net and make private insurance coverage more affordable and accessible.

Source: Press Release (11/3/06)

To learn more, read A Vision for Reform and Principles for State Reform.