New Individual Health Insurance Report and Data Analysis Tool Announced By Mark Farrah Associates

With continuing high unemployment, expiration of COBRA subsidies, and opportunities in the group and government markets shrinking the individual health insurance market will continue to grow. Individual (Non-group) health insurance is already emerging as a diversified product line for many insurers with national plans exerting pressure on entrenched local plans. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act has insurers scrutinizing product portfolios to prepare for new business opportunities and modifying business practices to cover additional direct-purchase consumers. In its latest Business Strategy Report, Mark Farrah Associates (MFA) presents an analysis of the individual

market with insights about major players and product options. It also includes data on supplemental individual product lines, such as critical illness, and alternative distribution channels, like multiple-employer trusts and other association business.

Roughly 10 million people directly-purchased individual major medical coverage in 2009. Local Blue Cross and/or Blue Shield plans typically dominate this segment of the market. However, national plans are beginning to gain ground. Aetna, Humana and UnitedHealth have been moving in as the second or third tier carrier in many states.

About Mark Farrah Associates (MFA)

MFA is a leading data aggregator and publisher providing health plan market data and analysis tools for the healthcare industry. Committed to simplifying analysis of health insurance business, our products include Medicare Business Online, the new Medicare Benefits Analyzer, Health Coverage Portal, Health Insurer Insights and Health Plans USA