EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: As with the travel and real estate industry before it, the health insurance market is being transformed by technology and the Internet. But it's not just convenience that has driven more consumers to go online for their individual health insurance coverage. For more and more Americans, it's becoming a matter of necessity.

The 2006 U.S. Census Bureau study on "Income, Poverty and Health Insurance Coverage in the United States" estimated that more than 9% of all Americans (approximately 27 million) already purchase their own health insurance, and this number is growing. In addition, at least another 15% of the population is uninsured.

As health costs continue to rise, employers are forced to cut back or often not even offer health insurance coverage to their employees. The consequence is that they put the burden of obtaining adequate health insurance on the individual employee.

These uninsured and underinsured consumers are increasingly going online to find the coverage they need. The Pew Center's Internet and American Life Project reports that 28% of American Internet users searched for "health insurance" on the Internet in 2006.

Their findings are supported by a Celent Research study estimating that more than half of all individual health insurance purchases today are influenced by the Internet. By 2011, more than 9 out of every 10 health insurance policies will be purchased either partly or entirely through the web. The Internet is not only changing how consumers are shopping for health insurance. It has also changed how consumers are making their buying decisions.

This Norvax report examined Internet-generated health insurance leads during a three-month span in the summer of 2008. The analysis reveals several issues that successful producers and carriers must take into account as they market to the changing $115 billion health insurance industry.

By examining almost half a million online health insurance shoppers who voluntarily requested a quote or contact from insurance agents, this study revealed surprising trends about the growing online health insurance marketplace.

Understanding these trends and online insurance-buying behavior is crucial for any producer or carrier looking to serve this market.

Download Online Health Insurance Shoppers: Identifying The Consumers Going Online To Purchase Individual Health Insurance

PDF format, 1.27MB.

About Norvax
www.norvax.com

Norvax, Inc., is the leading developer of Web-based sales and customer communication tools that connect and help consumers, insurance agents, agents and carriers transact health insurance business more efficiently.

From tools for building Web sites to health insurance quote engines and email autoresponders that can automatically include updated health insurance quotes, Norvax’s health insurance technology lets agents increase sales, cut administrative time and reduce expenses by initiating customer contact faster and automatically maintaining around-the-clock communications with prospects.

In 2007 Norvax launched gohealthinsurance.com, an online consumer health insurance shopping web site built around their industry-leading technology designed to empower consumers with educational tools and a nationwide network of trusted advisors and carriers to assist in selecting the right health insurance plan.

Founded in 2001, Norvax was named among the top 20 fastestgrowing software companies in the U.S. in 2007 and 2008 by Inc Magazine.

Norvax is privately held and headquartered in Chicago.

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