A bill prohibiting health insurance carriers in the state from increasing premiums on individual health plans more than once a year was passed unanimously by the Maryland House of Delegates.

As Washington, D.C., considers its next legislative move regarding health care reform amid a myriad of choices, Pennsylvania’s top insurance regulator says his state has a clear focus for change: the small-group health market.

Aetna has added “The 15-Minute Health Insurance Guide,” an animated, online tool to its website to aid consumers in picking the proper coverage.

Insurers are embracing the individual market, spurred by reductions in the number of people covered by employer-sponsored coverage and the likelihood that many people receiving government assistance with their coverage are in the individual market.

A new report by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services on the employer-sponsored insurance market indicates that the industry is “riddled with holes,” according to its secretary.