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WASHINGTON Monographs addressing individual mandates, tax exclusion and a public plan option were released today by the American College of Physicians (ACP). The new policy papers are:

• Individual Mandates in Health Insurance Reform
• Reforming the Tax Exclusion for Health Insurance
• A Public Plan Option in a Health Insurance Connector

"These monographs provide an evidence-based analysis of three key issues being considered by Congress as it crafts health reform legislation," noted ACP President Joseph W. Stubbs, MD, FACP. "They provide our perspectives on how to craft a requirement that all persons obtain health insurance coverage, on the advisability of limiting the tax exclusion for health insurance provided by employers, and how a public plan option might be appropriately structured to ensure choice and access to physician services."

All three monographs were developed and approved by ACP's Health and Public Policy Committee before being provided to its Board of Governors and councils for comments. Finally, they were adopted by ACP's Board of Regents at its July meeting.

The monographs answer such questions as:

• Should individuals be required to have health insurance coverage? If so, under what conditions and linked to other reforms?
• Should the tax exclusion of employer-provided health insurance be capped to provide revenue for health reform and achieve other policy goals? If so, how should such a cap be designed and linked to other reforms?
• Should the public be able to enroll in a "public plan" offered and administered by the federal government in addition to qualified private health insurance plans? If so, how should such a public plan be designed to be consistent with other ACP policies and linked to other reforms?

In the Individual Mandates monograph, ACP says it believes that every American deserves access to quality health care and supports individua
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