Insurers poised to reap benefits from healthcare overhaul

As President Obama's push for a healthcare overhaul moves toward its final stages, the health insurance industry is on the verge of seeing a plan enacted that largely protects its financial interests. There is broad agreement that the final plan will, for the first time, require Americans to buy health coverage, with taxpayer subsidies for millions who cannot afford it. For the health insurance industry, that means millions of new paying customers. In addition, there are likely to be no limits on what insurers can charge, while at the same time the plan is expected to limit competition from any new national government insurance plan that lawmakers create.