In this A.M.BestTV episode, A.M. Best Senior Financial Analysts Bridget Maehr and Doniella Pliss speak about the factors behind several U.S. health insurers’ rise to a place among the top 10 largest global insurers, as part of A.M. Best’s annual rankings based on net premiums written (NPW) and non-bank assets. Click on http://www.ambest.com/v.asp?v=largest116 to view the entire program.

AXA S.A., with $965.4 billion in assets in 2014, took the number one position in the ranking by non-bank assets, with four U.S. health companies now holding one of the top 10 positions by NPW. UnitedHealth Group Incorporated took the top spot in the NPW ranking.

“The growth was primarily based on acquisitions by health companies, especially in the cases of UnitedHealth Group Incorporated and Anthem Inc.,” said Maehr. Maehr believes the impact of The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act on the industry will become more apparent, due to the expansion of Medicare and the individual exchanges; although, she doesn’t believe this will have any impact on the rankings of the top U.S. health companies.

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