|
Tuesday, 09 March 2010 14:04 |
|
Richard Scott
More areas of the country are being served by fewer insurers this year, according to the American Medical Association.
The trend toward limited options for the average insurance purchaser in many areas has escalated to a state of quashed competition. In 24 of 43 states studied, at least 70 percent of the market was controlled by the two largest local insurers. The previous year saw 18 of 42 states with the same percentage of dual market presence.
AMA’s new study, “Competitions in Health Insurance: A Comprehensive Study of U.S. Markets,” looked at more than 300 metropolitan regions and found that nearly all—99 percent—are “highly concentrated,” resulting in a situation “where insurer consolidation may have harmful effects on patients, physicians, employers and the economy.” The study analyzed patient use of private insurers like health maintenance organizations (HMOs) and preferred provider organizations (PPOs).
|
|
Read more...
|
Stay Informed 
