Build a fortified customer service position now? Or wait to be overtaken by the impending seismic shift in power to the consumer? That’s the stark question US health insurers now face, with only one viable answer. This report, based on recent Accenture research, uncovers seven surprising trends in customer relationship management (CRM) for the payer market and reveals the elements of winning CRM formulas in the future. A powerful confluence of trends—from health reform, the explosion in popularity of Consumer Directed Health Care options, and the unprecedented influence that social media imparts to the individual—has given rise to a customer base that is more diverse and demanding than ever before. Perceptive payers will recognize the implications, and move now to develop strong new customer relationships that position them far ahead of those caught in the upheaval unawares.