Health Plan Strategies for the Individual Market contains valuable insight on the benefit design innovations, marketing tactics and legal challenges being faced by leading health plans in the individual (non-group) commercial health plan market.

For the average health plan participating in the commercial individual market, this business represents a growing percentage of its total medical enrollment — recent data show that 25.5 million Americans are enrolled in individual plans.

This report features recent enrollment data on individual/non-group plans, exclusive insight from executives at Blue Cross and Blue Shield plans, Aetna, CIGNA and others on balancing premiums against rising medical costs, and detailed analysis of coverage rescission issues.

Boost your own market share and bottom line by staying on top of the products and activities of industy leaders. Order Health Plan Strategies for the Individual Market today!

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