U.S. virtual care provider Teladoc in June 2018 acquired Advance Medical, a virtual care provider with strong presence outside of the United States, creating a global virtual care platform. Advance Medical adds its suite of international clinical capabilities to Teladoc’s technology and scale. The new company is now equipped to meet the needs of U.S. multinational employers, for whom one-third of all employees live abroad. Advance Medical is present

Privately held broker Lockton in July 2018 announced posted record revenue of $1.57 billion in its recently completed fiscal 2018, a 9.9 percent increase above fiscal 2017. This is the 52nd consecutive year of revenue growth for Lockton. The company posted organic growth in the U.S. of $84 million, or 7.7%, with the employee benefits business leading the way with 14.1% year-over-year revenue growth. Lockton’s international operations grew 10.9

From automated check-outs in grocery stores to autonomous vehicles, automation and artificial intelligence (AI) is here to stay, prompting fears of robots replacing humans. The latest McKinsey Global Institute briefing note, which was published in June 2018 for the Tech4Good summit organized by the French government, addresses “both the promise and the challenge” of automation and AI in the workplace and provides a list of ten things we need

MassMutual’s international insurance holding company MassMutual International and Nippon Life, Japan’s leading life insurer, have announced the completion of the sale of 85.1 percent of MassMutual Japan, its Japanese life insurance and wealth management subsidiary, to Nippon Life. The transaction was first announced in March 2018. MassMutual International will retain 15 percent of the company and receive approximately JPY 104.2 billion (about USD 955 million) in cash. MassMutual Japan

Global broker Aon in June 2018 announced that Andy Marcell has been appointed as CEO of its new Reinsurance Solutions division. Aon recently announced a rebranding of its reinsurance broking unit Aon Benfield to just Aon and has split its operations into new Solutions divisions, one of which is the Reinsurance Solutions arm. Along with the change, Eric Andersen who was CEO of Aon Benfield was made co-President of Aon,

International Benefits Network – IBN in June 2018 added Dutch broker Van Lanschot Chabot / Mandema and Partners to its network as member for Netherlands. Van Lanschot Chabot / Mandema and Partners is the largest Dutch broker in risk and benefits management. They have access to national and international insurance markets with 250 employees (including lawyers, economists, engineers, risk analysts, actuarial advisors and trainers). Mandema and Partners work with clients

Gallagher in June 2018 named Todd Woodward as its head of global communications, where he will be responsible for developing, implementing, executing, and enhancing the global communications strategy for the entire Gallagher organization, both internally and externally. Woodward was most recently vice-president, corporate and brand marketing communications at Amway Global. He was also an associate vice-president, marketing communications for the University of Notre Dame from 2006 to 2011. Prior

Health insurance start-up Oscar Health in June 2018 announced it would sell Affordable Care Act (“Obamacare”) health insurance policies in six new markets as of 2019, adding three U.S. states – Florida, Arizona, and Michigan as well as three large metropolitan areas in Ohio, Tennessee, and Texas. Oscar offers individual products as well as a small group health plan targeted at small businesses of up to 100 employees, “Oscar

AIA in June 2018 announced the appointment of Daisuke Iwase as Group Chief Digital Officer (CDO) and a member of the AIA Group Executive Committee. Mr. Iwase currently serves as President of Lifenet, a listed digital direct life insurance company in Japan, which he co-founded in 2006 and took public on the Tokyo Stock Exchange in 2012. Lifenet provided over US$18.8 billion of insured capital and has more than

American International Group (AIG) and Munich Re in June 2018 announced that AIG Life Ltd. (AIGLL), a UK subsidiary of AIG Life & Retirement, has agreed to acquire Ellipse, a specialist provider of group life risk protection in the UK, from Munich Re. Ellipse’s group protection products, which include life, critical illness and income protection, along with its technology-enabled business model with high levels of straight through processing (STP),

AIG Life & Retirement, a division of AIG, in June 2018 announced the appointment of Adam Winslow as CEO, International. Winslow is now CEO of AIG Life Limited (U.K.), where he has led the business since its acquisition by AIG in 2015. In his new role, Winslow will lead AIG Life and Laya Healthcare in Ireland. He will also support potential further international expansion opportunities. Adam will continue to

Global broker Gallagher in June 2018 announced that Simon Matson will assume the role of CEO, UK brokerage and underwriting, leading a 4,500 strong team. Matson’s predecessor Grahame “Chily” Chilton will be stepping down later this year. Simon Matson is now head of Gallagher’s London Market and the founder of Alesco. He began his career in 1989 in the oil and gas division of a global insurance broker, eventually

Bleisure Travel and Corporate Liability Issues – A Debate Moving Around Has Big Health Benefits Three Things That Should Be Part of Any Weight Loss Efforts New Medical Advances in Fighting Obesity Why GPs May Not Be Able to Help You Lose Weight Benefits in Brazil – WBN Series – Ana Carolina Conduta Losco, Priscila Maria Lima Conduta Elias WBN – Worldwide Broker Network – San Antonio Conference Report

MAXIS Global Benefits Network in June 2018 launched ‘MAXIS Global Wellness’, a centralized wellness proposition based on comprehensive health analytics to help multinational organizations mitigate the soaring costs of healthcare. The solution is delivered via corporate employee benefits plans. It allows multinationals to target country-specific cost drivers identified via analytics to deliver focused wellness solutions to employees. The new product is underpinned by over four years’ global health data

Ardian and Edmond de Rothschild in June 2018 announced they would transfer control of French brokerage Siaci Saint Honoré (SSH) to its management with the support of investment fund Charterhouse. Investment fund Ardian now owns 51% and Edmond de Rothschild 19% of the company. The value of the deal, which is expected to close in September 2018, has not been disclosed but is understood to stand at a little

UNCTAD in June 2018 released a simulation of the impact of an all-out trade war on tariffs based on classical economic theory as validated by past observations. UNCTAD stands for United Nations Conference on Trade And Development. According to the report, the U.S. would impose average tariffs of 30% (vs. 7% now); the E.U. would increase its own average tariffs from 3% to 35%; Canada from 3% to 53%;

RSA Insurance Group in June 2018 said it received regulatory approval for its new insurance subsidiary in Luxembourg from the Commissariat aux Assurances (CAA). RSA, a P/C carrier, previously operated outside of the UK by way of an EU branch, focusing on large commercial clients. It writes approximately £350m in GWP and has over 5,000 commercial policyholders including the UK. Richard Turner, who currently oversees EU business from the UK

Daniel Dubach in June 2018 joined Liberty Pension in Schwyz, Switzerland, as Director of Operations. He joins Liberty Pension from Swiss Life Global Solutions, where he was Vice President responsible for Germany and Latin America. He has 17 years of experience in international employee benefits, 6 years as reinsurance underwriter and 6 years in non-life insurance. He holds a BSc in Business Administration from the Lucerne University of Applied

OECD, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, in June 2018 issued a new report, A Broken Social Elevator? How to Promote Social Mobility, that provides new facts on social mobility in the context of increased inequalities of income and opportunities in OECD and selected emerging economies. It looks at the issue across and within generations, in income, education, health and occupation, and at how these are linked to

AXA in June 2018 announced it had sold its UK whole-of-market intermediary, The Health Insurance Group (THIG), to U.S. private equity firms Highbridge Principal Strategies and Madison Dearborn Partners. Acquired by AXA in 2008, The Health Insurance Group provides individual and corporate health and well-being products. Highbridge Principal Strategies and Madison Dearborn Partners already own several UK broking brands, including The Ardonagh Group. A “whole of market intermediary” is

For many years, the long-term success rates for those who attempt to lose excess body weight have hovered around 5-10 percent. In what other disease condition would we accept these numbers and continue on with the same approach? How does this situation sustain itself? 

Imagine that you are running a company, but you cannot get to your goal because all of your good workers keep quitting. For 30 years, your response to this problem has been to criticize the workers and say they are stupid and weak for quitting. As a result, you never reach your goal. You don’t change your formula or alter your plan, just keep blaming and shaming the workers for quitting.

Pretty much everyone knows that taking exercise helps people stay in good health. It staves off chronic ailments like type 2 diabetes and heart disease and – maybe – helps us live longer.

Mixing work and pleasure in one trip abroad can raise serious issues. Five experts from the Asia-Pacific in April 2018 debated how to stay on the safe side.

The Worldwide Broker Network (WBN) held its 58th Global Conference April 11th through the 13th, 2018, in San Antonio, Texas. Over 330 WBN members, associate members, sponsors, and some clients attended, with EPIC serving as the member host. The 58th Global Conference had record attendance from the Employee Benefits field, with 65 Employee Benefits focused attendees coming to San Antonio. Sessions were regularly packed, and an enthusiastic audience gave a special energy to this rapidly growing part of WBN.

In terms of land mass Brazil is the largest country in Latin America and the 5th largest in the world behind Russia, Canada, China, and the USA. Despite its vast territory, Brazil’s population is concentrated in the major cities of each state, mostly on the Southern coast. Being the only Portuguese- speaking country in the region, Brazil is also different in many aspects including cultural, and economic challenges, and the way of doing business in the marketplace. These are the reasons why operating in Brazil brings inherent and unique challenges to the HR team.

Obesity was designated a disease in 2013 by the American Heart Association and American Medical Association. Obesity, defined as a body mass index of 30 or higher, had long been identified as a health condition, but its designation as a disease underscored its role as a risk factor for leading causes of death, such as heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, stroke and many cancers.