By Daniel LeeRichard A. Collins once spent his days crisscrossing the world's oceans and seas. As a merchant mariner for nine years, he navigated cargo ships hauling everything from oil and ammunition to bananas.

Collins, 50, now works in much different environs. His workplace, Golden Rule Insurance Co., sits on the lip of I-465. His office lacks even an outside window. A model ship and photos of ships near his desk serve as reminders of his past.Although the threat from surging waves is gone, the chief executive of health insurer Golden Rule still faces formidable challenges, from powerful competitors to vocal critics who say health insurance is unaffordable and unattainable for too many Americans.So how did a mariner become an insurance guy?"When my second child was born, I promised my wife I would try to find a stable career," said Collins, who typically spent six months a year at sea. He was living in Connecticut at the time, so he sought employment in his state's most famous industry: insurance.He has worked his way up from an entry-level underwriter to a CEO.His company, a subsidiary of Minnesota-based health insurance giant UnitedHealth Group, sells health insurance for individuals, a market segment that is growing as fewer Americans are getting group coverage through their employers.Golden Rule has a big potential market. The company said 17 million Americans buy their own health insurance. More than 46 million Americans are uninsured.Collins, who recently marked his first year as Golden Rule's CEO, called his company's growth "robust." The company employs about 650 people in Indiana, having added about 40 positions in the past two years with 30 still open.Indianapolis-based Golden Rule has more than 500,000 members and expects to have about $1 billion in revenue this year. Golden Rule had about 400,000 members in 2003 when it was purchased by UnitedHealth, said Carl McDonald, an analyst with CIBC World Markets.

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