Having a dependant’s income continue when an employee dies is, to my mind, a massively valuable benefit. But is the product and market understood by both purchasers and employees?

The 2016 IGP Regional Americas Seminar, held on September 15, 2016 at the Renaissance Hotel in São Paulo, Brazil, attracted over 100 registrants and offered a choice of 12 country-specific presentations focused on the Americas region that explained both the basics and the latest developments on social security, plan design, funding requirements, trends and legislative updates in those areas.

According to a December 2016 Reuters report, Aon is in the process of selling its employee benefits TPA business unit for $5 billion. Aon had in 2010 acquired most of this unit as Hewitt Associates for $4.9 billion. The negotiations with potential buyers, who are understood to include several private-equity firms, are expected to take more time. The unit’s EBITDA is estimated at close to $500 million, implying a

Amsterdam, The Netherlands-based sleep expert Els van der Helm, PhD,  in November 2016 launched her new website, www.elsvanderhelm.com, that includes resources such as videos, brief articles and Els’s academic research. Prior to her own consulting firm, Els worked as a management consultant at McKinsey & Company. There she combined her passion for leadership development and sleep management. She developed and facilitated training programs for both McKinsey consultants and clients.

Lockton Global Benefits is hosting its annual Global Benefits Forum in three locations in 2017: Washington, D.C., London and Manila. The theme of each Forum is “Employee Benefits in a Globally Connected World.” The American edition of the Forum is held over two days on April 10 and 11, 2017 in Washington, D.C.; additional workshops for employers are offered on April 12. The registration fee is USD 650 with

Lockton Global Benefits is hosting its annual Global Benefits Forum in three locations in 2017: Washington, D.C., London and Manila. The theme of each Forum is “Employee Benefits in a Globally Connected World.” The European edition of the Forum is held over two days on June 7 and 8, 2017 in London, UK. The registration fee is GBP 350 with an early-bird discount available until January 20, 2017. Additional

Lockton Global Benefits is hosting its annual Global Benefits Forum in three locations in 2017: Washington, D.C., London and Manila. The theme of each Forum is “Employee Benefits in a Globally Connected World.” The Asian edition of the Forum is held over two days on May 15 and 16, 2017 in Manila, The Philippines. The registration fee is PHP 12,500 with an early-bird discount available until January 20, 2017.

Generali Group’s new management under Group CEO Philippe Donnet and Frédéric de Courtois, CEO of Global Business Lines and International, in November 2016 confirmed their commitment to the business units in charge of global mobility and global employee benefits, and in particular to Generali’s network, GEB. De Courtois at the GEB Forum 2016 announced increased investments in GEB. The areas targeted for growth in the years ahead include:

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In his first all-Conservative budget, the U.K.’s Chancellor of the Exchequer announced that from April 6, 2017, applicants for Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) who are assessed as unfit for work but capable of work-related activity will receive a lower level of State Benefit, equivalent to Job Seekers Allowance. This means that the annualized value of benefits will fall from £5,312 to £3,801.

G.I.P. and U.K. State Protection  Paul Avis Being W.O.R.L.D Wise: Decision-making (5) Natalie Richter Sleep Deprivation Costs the Economy Dear and Reduces Longevity David Spencer A Health System Revolution to Cope with Ageing Patients Onil Bhattacharyya Bill Gates on HIV/AIDS in Africa and the Role of Philanthropy Unwinding Obamacare Miranda Yaver

The British economy loses £40 billion a year due to sleep deprivation, per a new study¹ . Beyond the loss of economic output, sleep-deprived Britons are shortening their lives. The study shows that people who sleep less than six hours a night have a 13% higher mortality rate than those sleeping at least seven hours.

All over the world, people are living longer. A large part of this is due to improved treatment for illness; we can see this in the reduction in death rates from cardiovascular disease and the 32% reduction in mortality from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease worldwide in the past 20 years.

Mike Tyler has in November 2016 been appointed Head of Lockton International Benefits and will also become Chair of the Global Benefits Leadership Group, which oversees the expansion of benefits capabilities around the globe. Tyler’s appointment does not change Lockton’s corporate structures, and senior reporting lines also remain unchanged. The new role will facilitate global co-ordination of initiatives and oversee new investments. Lockton’s benefits practice represents 30% of its

As we mentioned in the last article, innovation is the key to success in this fast-moving global market, and companies need to create cultures that allow people to bring their best brains to the table. Whether it is coming up with new ideas or dealing with day-to-day problems in new ways, interpersonal interactions play a very important role in creating innovative and successful global company cultures.

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump has repeatedly vowed to “repeal and replace Obamacare.” A logical question is: With what? The announcement of member of the U.S. House of Representatives Tom Price (Republican-Georgia) as Trump’s nominee for secretary of health and human services provides some answers.

Microsoft co-founder and philanthropist Bill Gates is the founder and co-chair of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. It has committed more than US$3 billion in HIV grants to organizations around the world and more than US$1.6 billion to the Global Fund to fight AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria. Gates answers questions from several African academics about HIV/AIDS on the continent.

Stevan Bernard, an expert in global security management, and Executive Vice President at global media and entertainment company, in November 2016 has been appointed as non-executive director at Healix International and its U.S. subsidiary, HX Global. Bernard comes to Healix, a leading provider of international medical, security and travel assistance services, with over 30 years’ experience in the security industry, including a career in the U.S. Army and law

Arthur J. Gallagher & Co., an international insurance brokerage and risk management services firm headquartered in Itasca, Illinois, in November 2016 announced the acquisition of Argentis, a financial planning and employee benefits firm based in London, England. Founded in 2005, Argentis is a financial planning and employee benefits consultant, specializing in corporate employee benefits consulting and individual wealth management services to private and corporate clients throughout the United Kingdom. Their

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 International Employee Benefits Association (IEBA) organizes its 17th annual conference on March 1 and 2, 2017, in Brussels, Belgium. Attendance is limited to two paying delegates from each provider (insurance company, consultant, broker, etc) and not limited for corporate delegates. If past experience is any indication, this policy should again result in a quite remarkable 50/50 balance between providers and corporates. Registration will open in late 2017. Global

The 2017 edition of the World Captive Forum will take place from January 29 to 31, 2017, in Boca Raton, Florida. The two-day main program includes several sessions on employee benefits captives, including “Adding Benefits to Your Property/Casualty Captive”, “Medical Stop-Loss: Single-Parent and Group Captive Solutions”, “Medical Stop-Loss: Single-Parent and Group Captive Solutions”, “Benefits Data: Its Role in Rating and Reserving”, “Legal and Regulatory Update for Benefits Captive Programs”

The European Commission in October 2016 conducted hearings with pension funds, asset managers, insurance undertakings, individuals, consumer associations, and public authorities  to debate the need for a pan-European pension product. The panel debates allowed stakeholders to determine if EU action fostering the emergence of European personal pension products is appropriate as well as proportionate. At stake are simple, affordable, and transparent pension plans that provide better returns. More investment

AIG Global Benefits Network announced that AlfaStrakhovanie Group has joined its network of 42 insurers. AlfaStrakhovanie offers medical, life, accident and disability coverage in Russia, where all but medical can be pooled. Alfa-Health Center Clinics, a project of AlfaStrakhovanie Group, provides high quality medical services to customers in 12 regions of Russia. One of the largest Russian insurance companies with a full range of services for corporate and private

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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

Hub International Limited (HUB), a global insurance brokerage, in October 2016 announced the appointment of Tina Osen as President of HUB Canada, reporting to Marc Cohen, recently appointed President of HUB International. Osen is to drive “organic growth and continued expansion through mergers and acquisitions” in Canada. Currently President of HUB TOS in British Columbia, Canada, Osen replaces newly appointed Executive Vice President of HUB International Larry Lineker. She