POWER OF ATTORNEY

     Know all by these presents, that the undersigned hereby constitutes and
appoints Kathleen L. Mesel, the undersigned's true and lawful attorney-in-fact
to:

(1) execute for and on behalf of the undersigned, in the undersigned's capacity
as an officer, director and/or 10% stockholder of Ceres Group, Inc., a Delaware
corporation (the "Company"), Forms 3, 4 and 5 (or any successors thereto) in
accordance with Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the
rules thereunder, as may be amended from time to time;

(2) do and perform any and all acts for and on behalf of the undersigned which
may be necessary or desirable to complete and execute any such Form 3, 4 or 5
(or any successors thereto) and timely file such form with the United States
Securities and Exchange Commission and any stock exchange or similar authority;
and

(3) take any other action of any type whatsoever in connection with the
foregoing which, in the opinion of such attorney-in-fact, may be of benefit to,
in the best interest of, or legally required of, the undersigned, it being
understood that the documents executed by such attorney-in-fact on behalf of the
undersigned pursuant to this Power of Attorney shall be in such form and shall
contain such terms and conditions as such attorney-in-fact may approve in such
attorney-in-fact's discretion.

     The undersigned hereby grants to such attorney-in-fact full power and
authority to do and perform any and every act and thing whatsoever requisite,
necessary, or proper to be done in the exercise of any of the rights and powers
herein granted, as fully to all intents and purposes as the undersigned might or
could do if personally present, with full power of substitution or revocation,
hereby ratifying and confirming all that such attorney-in-fact, or such
attorney-in-fact's substitute or substitutes, shall lawfully do or cause to be
done by virtue of this Power of Attorney and the rights and powers herein
granted. The undersigned acknowledges that the foregoing attorney-in-fact, in
serving in such capacity at the request of the undersigned, are not assuming,
nor is the Company assuming, any of the undersigned's responsibilities to comply
with Section 16 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.

     This Power of Attorney shall remain in full force and effect until the
undersigned is no longer required to file Forms 3, 4 and 5 (or any successors
thereto) with respect to the undersigned's holdings of, and transactions in,
securities issued by the Company, unless earlier revoked by the undersigned in a
signed writing delivered to the Company and the foregoing attorney-in-fact.

     IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned has caused this Power of Attorney to be
executed as of October 17th, 2003.


                                        /s/ Mark A. Nielsen
                                        ----------------------------------------