Brokers may agree or disagree with free-market approaches, but the one thing they can't do is ignore them.

Federal and state regulators find it hard to resist getting involved in the health care system. Although the effects of public sector participation are debatable, one thing is certain: Health-care costs continue to skyrocket, creating an opening for private-sector alternatives.

“What costs $1 today will cost $1.50 by 2022 if we follow the current trend and if we have to finance risk,” says Daniel Meylan, national sales director for Allied National in Overland Park, Kansas. “In 2012, we had one claim over $1 million per 17,000 population. By 2017, it was one per 9,100. That is almost a 90 percent increase in the frequency of million-dollar claims. If you project that to 2020, it's going to be a 232 percent increase over what it was in 2012.

“We are now sitting at 1,200 percent more $5 million claims than we had five years ago,” he adds. “Do you suppose unlimited lifetime maximums may have something to do with that?”