As everyone knows, the federal government is moving toward health care exchanges as one outflow of guidelines in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. As well, several states also have their own health exchanges active or in the pipeline for activation.

Another option being introduced into the marketplace is private health exchanges. There are currently a few that are active, and more are coming online as time progresses. Although this idea is not new, because of market expectations and initiatives, private exchanges are getting a lot of attention this year.

According to MCOL, "health insurance in the U.S. is at the cusp of a major transition from an employer-driven payer model to a model directly involving many more employees and consumers. Private health insurance exchanges with a defined contribution approach represent a significant step toward catalyzing this change. While public health insurance exchanges can ultimately serve markets beyond individual and small group, proactive stakeholders involved in the midsized and large employer marketplace have emerged with demand for private health insurance exchange solutions on a defined contribution basis.