The health insurance industry has gone through many changes over the last century, including:

• The development of an organized health insurance system in the early 1900s.
• The rise of employer-sponsored or group plans in the 1940s and 1950s.
• The emergence of governmental health care programs such as Medicare and Medicaid in the 1960s and 1970s.
• The growth of managed care plans such as HMOs and PPOs in the 1990s.
• The rapid increase in health care costs in the late 1990s and early 2000s.
• The growth of high-deductible health plans and limited-benefit plans in the 2000s.

Today, consumers have more health insurance choices than ever before, choices that have grown more complex over the years. This means consumers really need to understand the coverage they are getting and may need to shop differently than they have in the past.

Additional Information
Make sure to check out other important insurance topics, including:

• Coverage Types
• Tips for Choosing Coverage
• Industry Information
• Glossary of Common Insurance Terms