Symposium on Health Care Reform

The papers in this symposium focus on two major issues of health economics in the context of President Clinton's Health Security Act: cost containment and labor market effects of financing insurance. The act proposes to limit public and private spending; a key issue is the extent to which, without a limit but with a standardized basic plan, supplementary insurance will exist to allow scope for individual choice. The act's financing will have an ambiguous effect on labor supply but will encourage formation of small, low-wage firms. Several features, including community rating and standardization of dependent coverage, imply substantial redistribution.