The Wall Street Journal has been doing a series of stories about a movement in the health insurance business that should be music to the ears of individuals. The industry has decided that its greatest profits will no longer come from giant corporations, but from individuals and small businesses. Many of the small companies are following Kaiser Permanente, one of the largest HMOs, into the individual health coverage market. The problem right now is that insurers are cherry picking people they want to cover. This move is a good one, but there should be a way to cover all people. The state of New York requires that everyone get insurance, but it doesn’t pinpoint plans for people depending on their health and age. Clark thinks that is too extreme. Kaiser, on the other hand, puts people into you’re in a certain category based on age. Every five years, people move into a higher risk category and the cost goes up. Clark thinks this is the way to go. It doesn’t solve the problem of lack of insurance for everyone out there. But it ensures that once people are in, they’re in.

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In other health news, Costco is now experimenting with providing insurance in Southern California. It’s a pilot program for self-employed people and students, and it’s designed to be 20 percent cheaper than traditional insurance for entrepreneurs. So, good things are starting to stir, but we need some ground rules for insurance companies that are cherry picking its members.