(PRWEB) March 13, 2015
Data in Atlantic Information Services, Inc. (AIS)’s new Directory of Health Plans show that enrollment in small-group plans grew 59% in 2014 from 2013 levels, reflecting in part results of plans offered on public exchanges for the 2014 plan year. Large-group and individual enrollment also increased last year. AIS’s Directory of Health Plans: 2015, the 12th edition of an annual resource of enrollment data and contact information for all health plans operating in the U.S., was released last month.
The increases, Directory editors say, also reflect greater standardization among insurers on how plans are identified. Prior to implementation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), the industry did not have standard definitions for group sizes, and many insurers did not categorize membership based on group size. Thanks in part to the adoption of standard definitions, the number of members attributed to the individual category increased by 44%, and the number attributed to the large-group (risk) category increased by 23%.
In conducting the research for the 2015 edition of the Directory, AIS’s exclusive in-house research team used the definitions defined by the ACA:
- Individual = one person or family;
- Small group = 2 to 50 employees plus dependents; and
- Large group = 51 or more employees plus dependents.
“These universally accepted definitions have helped provide enrollment data that is more thorough and comprehensive than was possible in previous editions of the Directory — a significant advantage for anyone looking to use the data to perform market share analyses,” says Susan Namovicz-Peat, director of AIS’s directories and databases division.
To produce the Directory, AIS’s on-staff researchers personally interview or survey a knowledgeable person at each health plan — including subsidiaries and parent companies — to get a clear picture of product offerings, contracts and markets, ensuring that each covered life is counted only once, and is categorized by plan models that are defined in a consistent and meaningful manner which reflect the current industry. By maintaining impeccable research standards and strict methodology through 12 annual editions, AIS’s Directory of Health Plans offers true year-over-year comparisons and extremely accurate and sensitive insight into developing trends.
For more information on AIS’s Directory of Health Plans: 2015, including tables of contents, data field lists and sample pages, visit http://aishealth.com/marketplace/aiss-directory-health-plans.
About Atlantic Information Services
Atlantic Information Services, Inc. (AIS) is a publishing and information company that has been serving the health care industry for more than 25 years. It develops highly targeted news, data and strategic information for managers in hospitals, health plans, medical group practices, pharmaceutical companies and other health care organizations. AIS products include print and electronic newsletters, websites, looseleafs, books, strategic reports, databases, webinars, and conferences. Learn more at http://AISHealth.com.