Alex Chan’s working paper, Optimal Medical Liability for AI, is dated 9 June 2026 in the Harvard Business School version and was circulated by NBER in June 2026. The paper develops a theoretical framework for situations where AI acts as a doctor rather than only assisting a clinician. It examines how the available medical record affects the incentives and responsibilities that a liability arrangement can create. The argument is

Sun Life Asia released its third Financial Resilience Index on 9 June 2026, drawing on a May 2026 survey of more than 6,000 respondents in Hong Kong SAR, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Vietnam. The proportion classified as highly resilient fell from 32% in 2025 to 25% in 2026. The survey reports that 83% of respondents found monthly expenses harder to cover because of inflation. It also records

Allianz Partners announced on 5 June 2026 that it had signed an agreement to acquire a large portion of nib’s Australian and New Zealand travel insurance portfolio. The announced transaction includes the Travel Insurance Direct brand, a twenty-year white-label distribution agreement with nib Group in both countries, and a substantial portion of nib’s established intermediary relationships in Australia. At the announcement date, the transaction remained subject to regulatory approval

The version of NBER Working Paper 35275 circulated in the newsletter received on 1 June 2026 studies AI coding tools using data on more than 100,000 GitHub developers and their tool usage. Its matched event-study analysis finds substantial increases in coding activity, with smaller gains as the outcome moves from commits to projects and actual releases. This article concerns that archived version. The NBER page subsequently lists a September

NBER Working Paper 35265, issued in May 2026 and circulated in the newsletter received on 1 June 2026, revisits the employer size wage effect. Using linked German data on firms, establishments and employees, the researchers find that the usual relationship between establishment size and wages disappears across establishments within the same large firm after controlling for the firm. The result distinguishes two comparisons that can otherwise be confused: employees

Business Group on Health’s 2026 GLP-1 survey examines responses from 105 employer members collected in February and March 2026. The organisation reports that 67% of respondents cover GLP-1s for weight management. Among employers covering that use, 72% said they were likely to continue coverage in 2027, while 10% said they likely would not. The denominator and wording matter. The finding concerns the group already covering weight-management use, and describes

SHRM’s 2026 Mental Health Snapshot reports that 55% of surveyed US workers rarely or never used their organisation’s mental health benefits. The infographic also reports that 73% of workers and 87% of HR professionals agreed that organisations have a responsibility to support employee mental health. The worker sample comprised 1,101 people surveyed on 11 February 2026. A separate sample of 1,022 HR professionals was surveyed from 5 February 2026

Generali introduced Redion on 26 May 2026 as the brand for its global Care platform, bringing together Europ Assistance and Generali Employee Benefits. Antoine Parisi, the existing Generali CARE Hub chief executive, leads Redion as group CEO. The company says the businesses have operated as an integrated entity for nearly three years. Generali describes a platform spanning employee protection, medical and emergency assistance, travel insurance, health and mobility services.

Generali Group in May 2026 announced Redion: a new brand for its global Care platform, which brings together the activities of Europ Assistance and Generali Employee Benefits under a single identity and offering. Having operated as an integrated entity within Generali Care for nearly three years, Redion is the brand Generali Care deserves — one that honours the extraordinary work already accomplished and makes visible, to the world, what

Management of Health Care Facilities and Patient Attendance during Major Disruptions: Evidence from Kenya, NBER Working Paper 35223, links a management survey with administrative data. The May 2026 study covers 429 primary healthcare facilities and 73 hospitals and examines outpatient attendance during disruption that included COVID-19 and a public health workers’ strike. The authors report that attendance fell overall. Private facilities experienced a smaller decline than public facilities, consistent

Preference for Explainable AI, NBER Working Paper 35240 by Alex Chan, studies participants acting as loan officers on real $10,000 loans from a US lender. The May 2026 paper finds that explanations revealing demographic penalties made participants more likely to override the AI recommendation. When bonuses depended on repayment, participants sought predictions but avoided explanations under some experimental conditions. A secondary experiment examines difficulty recognising when explanations improve decisions.

ClearPoint Health announced Private Label Captives as a dedicated strategic offering on 20 May 2026. The company’s release, distributed through EIN Presswire, describes demand from organisations seeking health benefits infrastructure aligned with their industry, geography and long-term objectives. ClearPoint also posted a release page dated 26 May 2026 on its own website. The announcement refers to a 2026 partnership with a statewide public-sector association for a programme serving public

Allianz Partners in May 2026 appointed four senior executives across its Health line of business as part of a segment-led strategy to enhance client service and drive sustainable growth in global markets. Marco Fattori takes the role of Global Lead – Corporate Employee Benefits, bringing a decade of experience at Allianz including previous roles as Head of Account Management and Sales Director in Europe. He will oversee global strategy,

Endogenous Task Bundling, Skills and Automation, NBER Working Paper 35211 by Joshua S. Gans, examines how firms recombine activities after automation. The May 2026 paper argues that holding the pre-automation task bundle fixed can obscure which remaining human skills are rewarded. Its model shows that a wage regression based on a fixed bundle can misidentify the sign of an AI-exposure effect. This is a theoretical result, not a measured

Symetra announced on 12 May 2026 that Jeff Sealey had been named Vice President, Stop Loss Captives. The company positions the appointment within development and growth of its stop-loss captive business. It is a leadership announcement concerning financing structures relevant to employer health plans. The release does not establish client savings or changes to contracts. References to Symetra’s long history in stop-loss concern the business, not the appointee’s career.

Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger announced the signing of paid family and medical leave legislation on 11 May 2026. The official release describes a programme administered through the Virginia Employment Commission, with up to 12 weeks of paid leave for covered events. It states that benefits will begin in 2028. The announcement includes leave for serious health needs, a new child and qualifying family circumstances. It describes wage replacement of

A SHRM article published on 11 May 2026 reports findings from the organisation’s April 2026 pulse survey. It says 27% of US workers identified high out-of-pocket costs as their primary complaint about current benefits. Separately, 52% of HR professionals identified costs such as premiums and deductibles as the primary benefits issue affecting employees. Those percentages describe different respondent groups and questions. They are not a single prevalence rate and

The OECD launched its Longevity Readiness Tool on 11 May 2026. Available through the organisation’s website, it addresses employer readiness across recruitment, training, job quality, health and safety. It offers a structured starting point for examining how workplace arrangements respond to longer working lives. The tool is an assessment resource. Its availability does not demonstrate a financial return from an employer programme. Benefits teams can use it to connect

The US departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Treasury announced a proposed rule on 10 May 2026 to create a new category of limited excepted fertility benefits. The proposal was published in the Federal Register on 13 May 2026 as document 2026-09479. The proposal concerns a pathway for employers to offer fertility benefits under a distinct regulatory category. It follows the October 2025 joint FAQs explaining existing

Poland’s move to the MOS online process from 27 April 2026 changes preparation and submission of residence applications. Official government information explains the transition to electronic filing. Fragomen’s 7 May analysis highlights employer appendices and electronic signature requirements that can affect readiness to submit. The process should not be described as applying identically to every immigration procedure. Mobility teams need to check the application category and exceptions. The practical

From 6 April 2026, UK employers must keep adequate records of annual leave and holiday pay and retain them for at least six years from the date they were made. Acas explains the requirement, including leave taken, carried-over leave and relevant payments. The change follows section 35 of the Employment Rights Act 2025. Acas also states that records must be handled in line with UK GDPR. The requirement brings

The May 2026 NBER Digest presents Firm Data on AI, Working Paper 34836. The research draws on a survey of nearly 6,000 executives in four countries and examines AI use, reported effects and expectations. The paper was issued in February and revised in March; the Digest provides the May summary. Adoption and realised effects are distinct. Expectations about productivity or employment differ from reported changes over a past period.

The May 2026 NBER Digest discusses Competition and Fraud in Health Care, Working Paper 34802, issued in February. The study examines Medicare procurement of durable medical equipment after a move from administered prices to competitive bidding. The authors find that fraudulent firms gained market share as legitimate providers exited, reflecting a cost advantage for fraudulent operators. The findings concern a specific setting. They do not establish the same outcome

Executive Order 14403, issued on 30 April 2026, directs the US Treasury to establish TrumpIRA.gov by 1 January 2027. The website is intended to provide information about qualifying private-sector individual retirement accounts, with particular attention to independent contractors, self-employed people and workers without access to an employer-sponsored retirement plan. The order calls for comparison features concerning cost and quality. It refers to the federal Saver’s Match enacted through SECURE

Sweden’s Migration Agency announced on 30 April 2026 that Parliament had adopted new rules for researchers, doctoral students and students, effective from 11 June 2026. The agency describes wider possibilities for researchers and doctoral students to apply from within Sweden, permanent residence after three years in some cases, and up to 18 months to seek work or explore a business after completing research or doctoral education. Doctoral students with

Zurich published The Value of Mental Health on 29 April 2026. Its analysis covers Australia, Chile, Germany, Malaysia, the United Arab Emirates and the United Kingdom. The insurer reports that productivity impacts could approach 5% of GDP by 2030 in some countries, with much of the burden falling on individuals, families and employers outside formal protection systems. These are projections in an insurer’s report, not measured savings from an

The Prudential Regulation Authority stated on 29 April 2026 that protected cell company captives would not be included in the initial launch of the UK’s new captive regime, then expected in summer 2027. Legislative changes needed for PCCs to operate as insurers would not be ready in time for the planned consultation or launch. The PRA intended to consult on incorporating PCCs once legislation was in place. It describes