Health Plan Strategies for the Individual Market

Table of Contents

Marketing and Growth Strategies

• Blues Plans Say COBRA Subsidies Drive Up Customer Interest in Individual Products
• Blues Plans Launch Individual Products as Market Segment Shows Continued Growth
• 2009 Product Outlook: Blues Add Individual Products, Brace for Employer Group Losses
• Blues Plans Introduce Individual Products
• Blues Build on Individual, Small-Group Lines in Effort to Retain, Add Members in 2008
• COBRA Subsidy Gives Health Insurers New Opportunity to Promote Individual Products
• Individual Market Is Emerging as Key Product Line for Health Plans
• Health Plans Set Sights on Individual Market As More Employees Lose Jobs, Benefits
• Blues Broker Service Improvements Make Quotes Process More Efficient

Financial Impact and Profitability

• Financial Crisis Could Bring Losses Across the Board
• BCBSMI Takes Several Cost-Cutting Steps to Offset Losses in Individual Market
• Horizon Cites IT Needs in Push To Switch to For-Profit Status, New Focus on Individual Market
• WellPoint Posts Membership Losses in Individual and Small Group Segment
• 25.5 Million Are Now Enrolled in Individual Plans, AIS Data Show
• Health Plans by Individual (Non-Group) Commercial Enrollment, as of 2008

Rate-Setting and Product Design Innovations

• Blues Plans Raise Individual Rates to Help Cut Losses for ’09
• North Dakota Blues Plan Appeals Commissioner’s Rate-Hike Denial
• Michigan Blues Plan Requests Rate Increases as High as 55% for 2009
• Alternate Package Planned on Bills Governing Mich. Blues Plan
• Expired Legislation to Benefit Mich. Blues May Be Reintroduced
• Blues Cope With New State Laws Focused on Private-Market Efforts to Expand Coverage
• Calif. Blues Plans’ Guarantee-Issue Rate Setting Is Under Scrutiny
• Insiders Offer Ideas for Aiding State High-Risk Coverage Pools
• New York Boasts Highest Monthly Premiums for Individual Coverage

Coverage Recission Issues

• Blues Plans in Calif. Go Under Fire for Coverage Rescission Policies
• Blue Shield of California Accused Of Illegally Dropping Coverage
• Blue Cross of California Fined $1 Million for Canceled Policies
• BSC Gets Fined $12.6 Million, Appeals Court Rescission Ruling
• Calif. Blue Cross Says It No Longer Will Ask Doctors to Review Individual Applications
• California Rescission Updates: April 2008 Through January 2009
• Anthem Blue Cross of Calif. to Pay Up to $15 Million for Rescissions
• Judge Disagrees With BCBSMI Rate Calculation
• Aetna Adds External Review Feature on Rescissions

Written By

This book was written by the editorial staff of AIS.

Written For

• HMOs, PPO and POS plans
• Insurers
• Hospitals and health systems
• Group practices
• Pharmaceutical companies
• Other health care organizations

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