History of Pooling at Allianz – Vaping and e-cigarettes – Hospital Price Transparency in the U.S. at Last? – To Lose Weight, Eat Less or Exercise More? – Exercise Before Breakfast Works Best – Controlled Breathing for the Rest of Us – Allianz Global Benefits Interview, Dirk Hellmuth, Cyril Samson

I tend to be overweight, and for the last few years my blood glucose levels have been putting me on the brink of Type 2 diabetes. I love my food, and it is often part of my social commitments. I’m a Spaniard, so there’s also the occasional tapas and glass of wine, or maybe a martini on Saturdays. As a physiologist, I know I need to take steps to control my blood glucose and weight. So early every morning, I spend a considerable amount of time pedaling away on a stationary bike.

New federal regulations finalized Nov. 15 require hospitals to make public all the prices they negotiate with insurers and health plans, starting in 2021. The aim is to untangle the hospital marketplace with a wave of consumer-friendly information that will promote competition that leads to lower costs. Hospitals are not happy, but advocates of well-informed, patient-centered health care should be cheering.

MAXIS Global Benefits Network (MAXIS GBN) in December 2019 announced it had chosen CareClix as its global partner for telemedicine services. CareClix is a leading telemedicine solutions provider headquartered in Alexandria, Virginia, USA and focused on technology-driven medical services to employers, governments, health plans and health systems. Beefing up the MAXIS Global Wellness Solution The partnership will allow MAXIS GBN’s clients, as a part of its MAXIS’ Global Wellness