Periodically, a dramatic change in an industry enables chief information officers to step up and play a decisive role in corporate affairs. We see such a seismic shift in the U.S. health insurance industry, which faces the most sweeping changes in its half-century history. The ranks of the healthcare payers comprise more than 350 companies, with combined revenues of $500 billion and combined information technology spending of $13 billion annually. These businesses range from statewide organizations, such as some of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield companies, to multistate companies, such as Aetna and Cigna.
