Actuarial firm Milliman in March 2017 released its annual report on the U.S. commercial health insurance market’s financial results . Based on medical loss ratio data submitted in 2016 to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the report provides a clear picture of health insurers’ financial experiences in each year, and provides a final accounting of insurers’ financial results after “3R” transfer payments have been completed. The report

One out of every six companies allows its travelers to stay at home-sharing properties such as AirBnB, reports a new study by the GBTA Foundation, the research and education arm of the Global Business Travel Association—but more than twice that number are under the impression that it is okay to do so. That means many travelers are booking and staying in properties unsupported by their travel policy—a serious duty

The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) in April 2017 published its monthly Composite Leading Indicator (CLI) with data from February 2017. Growth is anticipated to pick-up in the United States, Canada, and in Germany. In the United Kingdom, as in last month’s publication, there are tentative signs of growth gaining momentum, although the CLI remains below trend and uncertainty persists about the nature of the agreement the

Cartus, a provider of global relocation services, has published its 2016 Global Mobility Policy and Practices Survey that identifies four-year trends in where companies are sending their employees. As more companies establish presence in areas where labor and market conditions favor business growth, Cartus identifies trends by culling data from its worldwide client base, which includes more than 50 percent of Fortune 50 companies and approximately 163,000 corporate and

One thousand college-educated U.S. employees recently responded to questions about their bosses’ ability to handle stress, their contributions to the workplace, and their own work experiences, in a March 2017 study conducted by workforce consulting firm Life Meets Work. According to the survey site, “Managers provide direction, assessment, and motivation for the teams they support. If managers don’t have the skills to handle stress, then everyone working for that

In their Global Interim Economic Outlook for March 2017, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) notes that global economic growth should pick up modestly next year, thanks to continuing and expected combined fiscal and structural initiatives in the major economies – most notably China, Canada, and the United States. However, this growth is vulnerable to the multiple risks of rising protectionism, financial vulnerabilities, potential volatility from divergent

The plan to repeal and replace “Obamacare,” more formally known as the Affordable Care Act (ACA), which was put in place by President Barack Obama, experienced a rough week in late March 2017, as more Republican leaders sided with Democrats who are feeling reticent about passing the controversial American Health Care Act (AHCA). The defections come after Congressional Budget Office (CBO) reports that the bill would result in higher

The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) in February 2017 published its monthly Composite Leading Indicator (CLI) with data from December 2016. Growth is anticipated to pick-up in the United States, Canada, Japan as well as Germany and France. In the United Kingdom, there are tentative signs of growth gaining momentum, although the CLI remains below trend and uncertainty persists about the nature of the agreement the UK

The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) in March 2017 released its Worldwide cost of living 2017 survey. Using a cost-of-living approach, it compares the price of over 150 items in 133 cities around the world. It found that Singapore is the world’s most expensive city for the fourth year running and 20% more expensive than New York and 5% pricier than Hong Kong, which lies in second place. Asia now

Sweden has made a number of changes to their Anti-Discrimination Act as of January 1, 2017. These include extending the scope of an act requiring all employers to take active measures to bring about equal rights and opportunities in the workplace regardless of gender, ethnicity and religion to include transgender identity or expression, disability, sexual orientation, and age. Other developments include a requirement for comprehensive documentation of all employers’

The government of the United Kingdom in December 2016 published a revised version of the gender pay gap regulations that come into force in April, 2017. These regulations require private sector employers within the U.K. with at least 250 employees to publish certain information about the differences in pay between men and women. It is anticipated that 34 percent of the total U.K. workforce (7,960 employers and around 11

Egon Zehnder in March 2017 released the findings of its Leaders & Daughters Global Survey, which tracks working women’s motivations, ambitions, and their own definition of professional success. Findings highlighted seven countries – Australia, Brazil, China, Germany, India, the United States, and the United Kingdom – and shows global similarities between women at different stages of their careers. The findings indicate that while the majority of women in the

Remarks by President Trump in Listening Session with Health Insurance Company CEOs Source: The White House, Office of the Press Secretary February 27, 2017 THE PRESIDENT:  You are the big ones.  You are the biggest of the big, right?  (Laughter.)  That’s very impressive.  Thank you for being here.  We just had a great meeting with the governors on the horrible effects that Obamacare is having.  We’re going to change

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) in February 2017 published the 2016 edition of its yearly global insurance market trends report. Since the early 1980s, the OECD has collected and analyzed data on insurance in OECD countries. Since 2008, the Global Insurance Statistics project has extended the global reach of the database and expanded the data collected which now includes not only the number of insurance companies

Humanis, a large French group insurance carrier, since 2013 has published a yearly survey of French expatriates. Here are some key takeaways from the January 2017 edition: French expats like living abroad, and 95% of them would recommend that their friends give expatriation a try. 64% of French expats do not expect to return home in the next five years.   39% of French expats would like to create

Following the successful conclusion in January 2017 of the bilateral agreement on insurance and reinsurance between the European Union and the U.S., industry body Insurance Europe welcomed the deal, supporting in particular the removal of the discriminatory collateral requirements that E.U. reinsurers were subject to when placing business in the U.S.. This change is expected to support bilateral trade in insurance and reinsurance. However, the National Conference of Insurance

The U.K.’s High Court in November 2016 ruled that the British government could not trigger Article 50 of the E.U. Treaty, thereby setting off Brexit negotiations, without having Parliament voting on the matter first. The government has appealed the decision and the appeal will be heard in the U.K. Supreme Court in early December. The court stated it would deliver its judgment, which is final, “probably in the New

The Association of British Insurers (ABI) published an analysis of how EU legislation impacts on the U.K. insurance and long term savings industry after BREXIT. The analysis, titled EU Exit: EU Legislation Mapping Exercise, identifies legislation that ranges from key consumer protections, such as the European Health Insurance Card and Data Protection regulations, to EU-wide prudential regulations like Solvency II. The mapping exercise identified 80 “relevant” pieces of EU

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Employee benefits in France are provided by several types of insurance carriers, some of which are particular to that country—and that results in some confusion. Here is a brief overview of the main types of players. French English Translation Coverage Offered Applicable Laws and Regulations Institutions de Prévoyance (IP) Provident Institutions Paritarian Institutions Group health, life, pensions Social Security Code Groupe de Protection Sociale (GPS) Social Protection Group (grouping

MetLife in August 2016 published its first global whitepaper, Employee Benefits Generating Business Impact, identifying key benefits trends and solutions from around the world. Based on data from 12 markets, the research found that total rewards packages are key to employee engagement, productivity and retention. In fact, nearly 100% of employers in Mexico, Brazil, Australia and the US said that benefits are important for attracting and retaining talent. Key

IBNR means “Incurred But Nor Reported” and refers to claims that have occurred but where the paperwork has not been yet performed and the insurer is still unaware of them. As these claims still have to be paid out to victims or beneficiaries, insurers need to set aside money (“reserves”) to cover their soon-to-be-discovered costs, hence IBNR Reserves or simply IBNRs. Since the insurer knows neither how many of