FACT CHECK: Competition and Choice
Posted by The Campaign on September 09, 2009 at 5:51 PM
There are eight or more insurers in each of the top 40 metropolitan areas plus additional independent third party administrators (TPAs) all competing for local business.
Even that underestimates the choices that are available; each of the insurers may offer competing HMOs, PPOs, POS plans, HSAs, and indemnity options, both fully insured and self-insured.
The average provider contracts with a dozen or more health plans in the area.
