Assessing health plan ownership

In the emerging healthcare environment, providers will require many capabilities of traditional health plans simply to remain viable. Providers that are contemplating entering the health plan business should consider the likely strategic, structural, and cultural effects of such a strategy on their organizations. Providers that own health plans will need to determine how they will differentiate themselves in the markets to foster patient loyalty and which insurance lines of business they will pursue (e.g., individual, small group, large group, or other).