In 10 states, the number of health insurance carrier jobs increased dramatically from 2003 through 2013. Health insurer employers in these states increased the number of paid employees 27 percent to 129 percent over the period included in the data, which comes from the Census Bureau's County Business Patterns survey series.
We'll get to the list next, but keep some important warnings in mind.
One is that 2013 was a year in which many health insurers were preparing for the arrival of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act public exchange system. Maybe the ups and downs in the health insurance market that have taken place since Jan. 1, 2014, have changed carrier employment in ways not reflected, even a little bit, in the 2013 survey data.
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Another is that this data does not reflect changes in employment at health insurance agencies, independent wholesalers, benefit plan administrators, technology support companies, collection agencies and other companies involved in the health insurance market.
A third warning is that the raw statewide employment count we're publishing here does not necessarily show whether the jobs added were good jobs with benefits, or dead-end jobs, or if jobs moved from one region in a state to other regions in the same state.
But, during the period in question, health insurers throughout the United States managed to increase employment 11 percent, to 503,818, as overall insurance carrier employment fell 4.4 percent, to 1.4 million.
Now let's look at the states with what would appear to be the hottest health insurance carrier employment markets.
10. Utah
2003 health carrier employment: 2,792
2013 health carrier employment: 3,536
Change, from 2003 to 2013, in percent: +27%
Image: Goblin Valley, Utah
9. Georgia
2003 health carrier employment: 10,171
2013 health carrier employment: 13,022
Change, from 2003 to 2013, in percent: +28%
8. Texas
2003 health carrier employment: 22,372
2013 health carrier employment: 28,836
Change, from 2003 to 2013, in percent: +29%
See also: Uninsured rate is also bigger in Texas
Image: A car in Texas. (GI photo/Jill Miller)
7. Wisconsin
2003 health carrier employment: 12,268
2013 health carrier employment: 16,942
Change, from 2003 to 2013, in percent: +38%
6. Missouri
2003 health carrier employment: 7,760
2013 health carrier employment: 10,934
Change, from 2003 to 2013, in percent: +41%
Image: A grain elevator in North Kansas City, Mo. (LHP photo/Allison Bell)
5. Arizona
2003 health carrier employment: 8,719
2013 health carrier employment: 12,670
Change, from 2003 to 2013, in percent: +45%
4. Kansas
2003 health carrier employment: 3,763
2013 health carrier employment: 5,499
Change, from 2003 to 2013, in percent: +46%
Image: Horses in a pasture in Kansas. (GI photo)
3. Louisiana
2003 health carrier employment: 2,678
2013 health carrier employment: 4,752
Change, from 2003 to 2013, in percent: +77%
2. Hawaii
2003 health carrier employment: 1,937
2013 health carrier employment: 3,881
Change, from 2003 to 2013, in percent: +100%
See also: Where are the high-income thin people?
Image: The wild chickens of Kauai, in Hawaii. (GI photo/Boysen Hodgson)
1. Colorado
2003 health carrier employment: 3,327
2013 health carrier employment: 7,634
Change, from 2003 to 2013, in percent: +129%
See also: Colorado firm on PPACA compliance
And finally, if you're interested, see LifeHealthPro.com for a table showing supplemental all-state health insurer employment figures for 2013 and earlier.
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Allison Bell
Allison Bell, a senior reporter at ThinkAdvisor and BenefitsPRO, previously was an associate editor at National Underwriter Life & Health. She has a bachelor's degree in economics from Washington University in St. Louis and a master's degree in journalism from the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University. She can be reached through X at @Think_Allison.
