Health Insurers Go Global

A third trend fueling growth could be reforms or changes to existing government-run healthcare systems. For instance, Britain’s National Health Service is preparing to outsource some services to private companies in an attempt to slash spending and increase government efficiency. Humana, UnitedHealth, Aetna and MCCI are already lining up for contracts. (Opponents of this change warn about inheriting the insurance fraud and abuse seen in the U.S., much like how opponents of healthcare reform here vilified the NHS not long ago).

For the most part, these global opportunities are going to be limited to the largest of the health insurers. But as emerging economies around the world continue to see rapid growth, the opportunities for health insurers may expand as quickly as these developing markets.