There is still a lot more that these big, powerful companies could do to make products that lead to healthy profits and even healthier customers.

For example, helping the sick get coverage could raise rates and drive healthy customers away.

Commercial insurers are allowed to offer discounts, which they use to pick off healthy customers.

This allows insurers to offer the lowest rates to the healthiest customers.

For less healthy customers whose risk category does not change, prices would fall only about 5 percent.

The medical savings plans mainly attract healthy customers who cost insurers little or nothing, the critics add.

It denies insurance companies the right to pick and choose to get healthy customers.

And these were the healthiest customers, according to the company.

The heart of insurance underwriting, he said, is risk selection, which means going after the healthiest customers.

And it has long been hurt by the ability of the commercial insurers to draw away its healthier customers.