Stats Show Growth Across The Board For The Industry Last Year

Compared with group life premium’s 20% growth, individual life premiums for the top 200 in that category grew a more modest 6% in 2006 over 2005. However, that growth was on a larger base. In 2006, individual life premiums reached $108.5 billion compared with $102.2 billion in 2005.

The top 10 companies’ share of the total for the top 200 was more in line with the individual annuity premium category. In 2006, the top 10 contributed 48% of total individual life premiums up slightly from 46% in 2005. And, the top 25 companies represented 66% of total individual life premiums in 2006 compared with 64% in 2005.

Individual life insurance in-force increased 6% to $23.6 trillion in 2006 compared with $22.1 trillion in 2005. Again, the base was smaller than group life insurance in-force, possibly explaining the more modest increase than the group in-force category.

The top 10 accounted for 35% of the total for the 200 in the category both in 2006 and in 2005. The top 25 companies represented 59% of the total group life premiums in 2006 and in 2005.

Total-in-force business reached $33.2 trillion in 2006, a 7% increase over 2005′s $31 trillion. The top 10 contributed 37% of this total in 2006 and 36% in 2005, while the top 25 represented 59% of the group’s total in 2006 as it did in 2005.

Net investment income increased by 5%, growing to $158.9 billion in 2006 for the top 200 compared with $151.1 billion in 2005.

The top 10 companies in the category contributed 36% of that total in both 2006 and in 2005 while the top 25 in the category contributed 58% to the total amount in both years.

The top 200 fared approximately the same for the Net gain after dividends category, growing 4% to $37.2 billion in 2006 from 2005′s $35.9 billion.

The top 10 companies represented 32% of the total net gain after dividends for the top 200 in 2006, up slightly from 2005′s 30%. The top 25 accounted for 53% of the total in 2006 and 49% of the total in 2005.

Results for Health Insurers showed sizeable increases in premium earned but a slightly larger increase in claims paid. Premiums earned for the top 200 in the All Health category totaled $137.7 billion in 2006, a 22% increase over $113 billion in 2005. Claims incurred in 2006 totaled $100 billion, a 25% increase over the $80.2 billion reported in 2005.

Group Health premiums increased 9% to $84.6 billion in 2006, up from $77.4 billion in 2005. Claims incurred totaled $64.7 billion in 2006, an 8% increase over 2005′s $59.7 billion.

Individual Health leaders posted premiums earned totaling $47.1 billion in 2006, a 60% change over $29.5 billion in 2005. Claims incurred for individual health leaders were $27.8 billion in 2006, a 67% change over 2005′s $16.6 billion.

The very large increase was due to the big getting big getting bigger. In the top companies, Humana Ins. Co., United Healthcare Ins. Co., Pacificare Life & Health Ins. Co., and, Unicare Life & Health Ins. Co. were major contributors to the growth in premium earned. In the top 25, Aetna Life Ins. Co. and First Health Life & Health Ins. Co. experienced major growth in premium earned.