Health Insurers Propose Subsidies but Shun Government Coverage

Health insurers are pushing Congress for more government help in the face of Covid-19—including near total premium subsidies for people who lose their jobs and stay on their employer-sponsored insurance—but they’re steering clear of the next step, full government-sponsored coverage.

The insurance industry has pushed back against Medicare for All or a public option to allow people to buy government health plans. They say the private market works better than a government system. But if insurer advocates succeed in their quest to get more subsidies in future pandemic aid packages, it may prove difficult to argue later against more government ...