Comments on: INSURANCE: Less Competition Among Insurers, But More Competition From Banks? http://healthaffairs.org/blog/2006/12/05/insurance-less-competition-among-insurers-but-more-competition-from-banks/ The Policy Journal of the Health Sphere Fri, 20 Nov 2009 20:04:42 -0500 hourly 1 By: Self Health Today » ltimo laser Acne-Inc do Acne http://healthaffairs.org/blog/2006/12/05/insurance-less-competition-among-insurers-but-more-competition-from-banks/comment-page-1/#comment-322 Self Health Today » ltimo laser Acne-Inc do Acne Fri, 12 Jan 2007 11:32:58 +0000 http://healthaffairs.org/blog/2006/12/05/insurance-less-competition-among-insurers-but-more-competition-from-banks/#comment-322 [...] Health Affairs Blog » Print » INSURANCE: Less Competition Among Insurers, But More Competition From Banks? The health insurance industry will continue to consolidate, [1] WellPoint , Inc. chairman, president, and CEO Larry [2] Glasscock told me in an interview published November 28 on the Health Affairs Web site [2-week free access]. Glasscock also cautioned, however, that health insurers could face new. health insurance.? Traditionally, financial services companies ?have focused on the brokerage aspect of health insurance ? finding coverage for their individual and small-group clients ? and have stayed (more) [...] [...] Health Affairs Blog » Print » INSURANCE: Less Competition Among Insurers, But More Competition From Banks? The health insurance industry will continue to consolidate, [1] WellPoint , Inc. chairman, president, and CEO Larry [2] Glasscock told me in an interview published November 28 on the Health Affairs Web site [2-week free access]. Glasscock also cautioned, however, that health insurers could face new. health insurance.? Traditionally, financial services companies ?have focused on the brokerage aspect of health insurance ? finding coverage for their individual and small-group clients ? and have stayed (more) [...]

]]> By: Health Care Club » INSURANCE: Less Competition Among Insurers, But More Competition From Banks? http://healthaffairs.org/blog/2006/12/05/insurance-less-competition-among-insurers-but-more-competition-from-banks/comment-page-1/#comment-289 Health Care Club » INSURANCE: Less Competition Among Insurers, But More Competition From Banks? Sat, 16 Dec 2006 15:20:09 +0000 http://healthaffairs.org/blog/2006/12/05/insurance-less-competition-among-insurers-but-more-competition-from-banks/#comment-289 [...] Source: here [...] [...] Source: here [...]

]]> By: HealthBlawg http://healthaffairs.org/blog/2006/12/05/insurance-less-competition-among-insurers-but-more-competition-from-banks/comment-page-1/#comment-280 HealthBlawg Tue, 12 Dec 2006 04:15:40 +0000 http://healthaffairs.org/blog/2006/12/05/insurance-less-competition-among-insurers-but-more-competition-from-banks/#comment-280 <strong>Why haven't consumer-directed health plans taken off?</strong> A recent study conducted by The Commonwealth Fund and the Employee Benefit Research Institute reveals that enrollment in high-deductible health plans (HDHPs) and consumer-directed health plans (CDHPs) is up this year by a meager 1%. (Be sure to read the Why haven’t consumer-directed health plans taken off?

A recent study conducted by The Commonwealth Fund and the Employee Benefit Research Institute reveals that enrollment in high-deductible health plans (HDHPs) and consumer-directed health plans (CDHPs) is up this year by a meager 1%. (Be sure to read the

]]> By: John Iglehart http://healthaffairs.org/blog/2006/12/05/insurance-less-competition-among-insurers-but-more-competition-from-banks/comment-page-1/#comment-250 John Iglehart Fri, 08 Dec 2006 16:12:51 +0000 http://healthaffairs.org/blog/2006/12/05/insurance-less-competition-among-insurers-but-more-competition-from-banks/#comment-250 Matthew Holt's comment brings up what Larry Glasscock said immediately after the part of his comments quoted in the post above (the new material is in italics): "We are seeing some convergence of financial services and health care, driven in part by this whole notion of consumer-directed health plans, health savings accounts, and financial resources that will be dedicated to that. <em>So I think that the question then becomes, to what extent will insurers allow themselves to be disintermediated by the financial services enterprises? The Blue Cross and Blue Shield system has formed a bank called the Blue Bank, and WellPoint is one of the investors in that bank."</em> The Blue Bank would reportedly manage health savings accounts for its member insurers. Matthew Holt’s comment brings up what Larry Glasscock said immediately after the part of his comments quoted in the post above (the new material is in italics):

“We are seeing some convergence of financial services and health care, driven in part by this whole notion of consumer-directed health plans, health savings accounts, and financial resources that will be dedicated to that. So I think that the question then becomes, to what extent will insurers allow themselves to be disintermediated by the financial services enterprises? The Blue Cross and Blue Shield system has formed a bank called the Blue Bank, and WellPoint is one of the investors in that bank.”

The Blue Bank would reportedly manage health savings accounts for its member insurers.

]]> By: Matthew Holt http://healthaffairs.org/blog/2006/12/05/insurance-less-competition-among-insurers-but-more-competition-from-banks/comment-page-1/#comment-242 Matthew Holt Wed, 06 Dec 2006 19:40:07 +0000 http://healthaffairs.org/blog/2006/12/05/insurance-less-competition-among-insurers-but-more-competition-from-banks/#comment-242 That's funny, it's exactly the wrong way around--although Glasscock's right that they're getting closer together. In the last ten years insurers have gotten out of the business of managing risk precisely by using underwriting techniques to avoid risk, and the need for risk/medical management. So they're the ones moving into the bank's business of account management, and financial distribution. Nonetheless this academic point does not excuse John Iglehart for avoiding asking Glasscock any questions about his company's appalling behavior in the last year or so. Are you going to print the letter I submitted as a response to the article about that? <em>You can read Matthew Holt's letter <a href="http://content.healthaffairs.org/cgi/eletters/hlthaff.26.1.w13v1#1302" rel="nofollow">here</a>.</em> That’s funny, it’s exactly the wrong way around–although Glasscock’s right that they’re getting closer together. In the last ten years insurers have gotten out of the business of managing risk precisely by using underwriting techniques to avoid risk, and the need for risk/medical management. So they’re the ones moving into the bank’s business of account management, and financial distribution.

Nonetheless this academic point does not excuse John Iglehart for avoiding asking Glasscock any questions about his company’s appalling behavior in the last year or so. Are you going to print the letter I submitted as a response to the article about that?

You can read Matthew Holt’s letter here.

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