Health insurer Medical Mutual of Ohio plans big Indiana expansion

The largest health insurance company in Ohio is looking to further its reach in Indiana, planning a 30 percent expansion next year in the Hoosier State.

Medical Mutual of Ohio expects to increase its coverage in Indiana to 21,000 members next year from a current 16,000, the Indianapolis Business Journal (IBJ) reported. And then the company is planning for even more growth in Indiana, expecting to boost membership by 40 percent the following year.

Medial Mutual has been selling health insurance in Indiana for the past decade, but had previously sold some of its policies under the brand “Consumers Life.” This year, it converted all of its business in the state to the Medical Mutual brand.

Part of the insurer’s Indiana growth can be attributed to a greater focus on larger employers. The 200 employees of WTHR-TV Channel 13 in Indianapolis represent a recent customer win for Medical Mutual.

Still, at this point, Medical Mutual is a small player in Indiana’s health insurance market. Indianapolis-based Wellpoint boasts 3 million members in the state, as well as two-thirds of the people in the state covered by employer-sponsored plans, the IBJ reported.

In addition to Indiana and Ohio, Medical Mutual sells insurance in Georgia, South Carolina and Michigan. The company was founded in 1934 and it bills itself as the oldest and largest health insurer based in Ohio.