One of the most contentious issues in American politics has always been health reform. For decades, HMOs, PPOs and self-directed plans have been the norm in the American health care landscape, and health insurance quotes have always been predicated on the assumption that a private plan was the only option available to consumers. While each type of private or employer-sponsored health insurance plan allowed a different way to interact with health professionals and provided either greater control over funds or a hands-off approach, health insurance companies across the country operated in a relatively similar manner. President Barak Obama, however, has taken aim at the way in which Americans have always had their healthcare delivered, and is close to having a new health reform bill written into law in the United States. Already, this new legislation is affecting health insurance quotes in a variety of ways.

Obama's new health care reform is aimed at creating an underlying standard of care for all Americans, one that all insurance companies will be bound to uphold. While the plan will not make America into another Canada - with universal healthcare for all citizens - it will create a government-funded option for those who cannot afford traditional private healthcare. In addition, the new legislation also aims to ensure that all health insurance companies follow the same rules when it comes to care, and will allow the government greater control in both ensuring that standards are met and effecting penalties if such standards are not achieved. This has caused no small amount of concern among private insurance companies, and provoked a number of reactions.

Some companies have chosen to raise their rates in hopes of staving off any loss of customers to the new type of health insurance which will be available on the market. While this new insurance will not provide the same level of access to specialists and services as a private healthcare plan, many insurance companies are worried about the long-term effects of the plan and a substantial loss of customers. Other companies are lowering their health insurance quotes in an effort draw in more customers and compete in what they believe will be a new marketplace for health insurance. Some of these insurers are changing their policies to match their new rates, while others are offering tiered plans in order to give all customers something they can afford.

The new health legislation is already affecting the landscape of health insurance in the United States, though it has not yet been implemented. Quotes are changing based on the predictions of insurance companies about their place in the new healthcare world, giving clients a chance to find new policies with a wide variety of prices.