In 2001, California received HRSA SPG funds for the Health Care Options Project (HCOP). The purpose of HCOP was to guide the state in a systematic exploration of different approaches to achieve expanded coverage by engaging in an in-depth examination of a range of reform options which were analyzed and reviewed through a public process.

HCOP included four components:

• A synthesis of existing data and research;
• The development of coverage options, which involves the commissioning of options papers by health policy experts to describe and assess a full range of alternative approaches;
• The procurement of two independent contractors to analyze and compare the proposals across both quantitative and qualitative issues, answering important questions, such as: how much does the option cost, how many additional people does it cover, and what kind of coverage does it provide?; and
• The public discussion of coverage options through four statewide symposia.

Interim Report, September 2001

The California Health Care Options Project: Status Update, March 2002

Williams, C. "Cross-Cutting Analysis of Coverage Reforms: Qualitative Analysis," AZA Consulting, January 2002.

The Lewin Group, Cost and Coverage Analysis of Nine Proposals to Expand Health Insurance Coverage in California, April 2002.

Brown, E.R. et al. "SB 2 Will Extend Coverage to 1 Million Uninsured Workers and Dependents," UCLA Center for Health Policy Research, September 2003.

Brown, E.R. et al. "The State of Health Insurance in California: Findings from the 2003 California Health Interview Survey," UCLA Center for Health Policy Research, August 2005.

Brown, E.R. et al. "The State of Health Insurance in California: Findings from the 2001 California Health Interview Survey," UCLA Center for Health Policy Research, June 2002.

Brown, E.R. et al. "The State of Health Insurance in California: Long-Term and Intermittent Lack of Health Insurance Coverage," UCLA Center for Health Policy Research, November 2003.

Kominski, G.F. et al. "Cost of Insuring California's Uninsured," UCLA Center for Health Policy Research, May 2005.

Mendez-Luck, C.A. et al. "Health Status of the Uninsured: Opportunities for Improvement," UCLA Center for Health Policy Research, December 2004.