Insurers develop new products, brace for overhaul's impact

Houston Chronicle: Insurers Sell Products To Fill The Gap
As employees face higher co-pays, deductibles and health care premiums, a relatively new insurance product has become increasingly popular. It's known as "gap" or "bridge" insurance, and it covers some of the out-of-pocket health care costs that are becoming more difficult for employees to shoulder, such as annual deductibles that are rising to $1,000, $2,500 or even $5,000 (Sixel, 12/8). 

San Francisco Chronicle: Some Health Insurers Raising Rates Again
Some health insurers are bumping up rates yet again to reflect changes mandated by the new federal health overhaul law as well as state reforms that will go into effect Jan. 1. Blue Shield of California, for example, has sent letters informing customers with individual policies that their premiums will go up in the low single digits because of the federal law (Colliver, 12/9). 

The Philadelphia Inquirer: Insurance Brokers Seek Way Out Of Rules Squeeze
Health-insurance brokers, the conduits between medical insurers and the customers who seek coverage, are feeling a squeeze in the marketplace. Whether that squeeze turns into a full throttle depends on whether brokers can successfully lobby in Washington for changes in new regulations related to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, passed in March (Von Bergen, 12/8).