First few Article Sentences
For payers who have been struggling in a stagnant economy, the proposed health reform mandates will create much-welcome growth in the health benefits market. Estimates are that health insurance exchanges will expand coverage by approximately 32 million patients who are currently uninsured. Additionally, analysts predict that many of the newly insured will be individuals who are younger in age who had previously chosen to forego health insurance because they had few health issues.
One of the challenges for payers, however, is that they will have to alter their focus from employer-sponsored coverage to individual health plans. With new restrictions placed on pre-existing exclusions, payers will need to become more actively involved in promoting wellness initiatives among their customer base. They will need to provide tools to help patients understand what steps they can take to prevent various health conditions, and how they can better and more effectively manage existing chronic health conditions.