Traditionally, health plans have be...

Traditionally, health plans have been structur as not-for-profit entities. Today, however, health plans take onward a variety of corporate conformations including publicly traded companies.

The manner of moving away from not-for-profit status is a direct reply to the competitive changes in the health-care industry and the restrictions placed onward the financial operations of not-for-profit health plans, including the inability to raise capital. The image of health-plan corporate structures ranges from an independent not-for-profit plan with specific lines of business serving an exclusive geographic area to a publicly traded company offering multiple returnss in several geographical areas.