First Government-Run Health Plan Portends Rocky Start for Biden

A central component of President-elect Joe Biden’s health plan—a government-run insurance system that would compete with private plans—augers a rocky start based on one state’s experience with such a scheme.

Washington state’s first-in-the-nation program is resulting in higher premiums than private-sector plans in many instances, the opposite of what was forecast about a “public option” by proponents.

The Washington-sponsored Cascade Care Select plans that go into effect Jan. 1 feature standardized benefits that reduce deductibles and other out-of-pocket costs more than traditional private plans. But monthly premiums are the gold standard for measuring the health of an insurance market, and ...