While Congress debates a national health policy, states are experimenting with programs to expand access to health care and contain its rising costs. Many hope that state innovations will point the way for Congress, producing agreement on a new policy. However, innovations may also diffuse support for change across a wide variety of state models. That would delay action by Congress until a compromise forms around legislation that permits interstate variations in health care delivery. A patchwork of programs would result, generating questions of equity in future debates about health care reform.
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