New HCFO-sponsored research findings identify interesting patterns of individual health insurance coverage. Researchers Andrew F. Coburn, Ph.D, and Erika Ziller of the University of Southern Maine and Timothy McBride of St. Louis University studied the duration of coverage for people insured in the individual market, the sources of coverage available before and after enrollment in an individual health plan, and the characteristics of those who rely on individual insurance coverage. The researchers found that most periods of individual insurance were characterized by people entering and exiting employer-based coverage, implying that individual health insurance was used primarily to bridge gaps in employer-based coverage. However, an important minority of those insured in the individual market maintained coverage there for more than two years, with small business employees and the self-employed having the longest spells. The authors note that ”[e]ncouragingly, only 15 percent of the individually insured ended up uninsured after exiting their individual plan. Of those who entered individual insurance as uninsured, nearly half gained employer-based coverage upon exiting their individual plans.”