A range of proposals are now being considered to reform the healthcare system, specifically to provide access to health insurance coverage for the uninsured. Proposals include a range of public-private approaches, typically called "building blocks" approaches, which build upon our current system of health insurance to provide access to health insurance for all Americans. This brief uses a RUPRI health insurance model to compare the effects of a building blocks approach on health insurance coverage and health spending, focusing on the geographic differences (by metropolitan and non-metropolitan) of this approach.