Health Insurance: California Public Employees' Alliance Has Reduced Recent Premium Growth

Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the effectiveness of the California Public Employees' Retirement System's (CalPERS) Health Benefits Program in controlling its members' health plan costs, focusing on the: (1) program's cost-containment record; (2) factors that contributed to its trend in premium rates; (3) impact of its cost-containment efforts on its members' benefits; and (4) applicability of the program as a model for managing health insurance premiums.