Understanding Your Insurance Carrier

Understanding how health insurance companies operate can help you realize how premiums are set. It can also help you appreciate the forces that influence the coverage and service you and your employees

While the structure of companies vary, departments generally include:

Executive and administrative. This department, headed by the company president, oversees the operations of the company. Decisions made at this level, such as whether to reorganize or move company headquarters, can indirectly affect your premiums. It's doubtful that you'll interact directly with an executive, but corporate culture is generally set by those at the top, and can trickle down to your experience as the customer.

Marketing. This includes product design, advertising, and public relations. You and your employees are affected by the health insurance plans that marketing departments create, plus any decisions they might make that change health plans in the future.