In November 2026, Aon published a survey of US hospital employers that showed how much of their medical spending was concentrated among members with very high claims. The release covers 170 health systems representing more than 1,800 hospitals and over 4.2 million covered employees. Aon did not give fieldwork dates in the release. The results describe participating health systems and should be read in that context. Among the surveyed

In November 2026, Munich Re reported a third quarter life and health reinsurance technical result of EUR 493 million, up from EUR 314 million a year earlier. The company published the segment detail on 12 November for the quarter ended 30 September. It attributed the performance to strong new business and favourable biometric experience, particularly mortality. The segment net result rose to EUR 340 million from EUR 286 million.

In November 2026, WTW published Swiss survey results showing that 38% of employees surveyed said financial problems negatively affected their lives, up from 25% in 2024. The Swiss findings from the Global Benefits Attitudes Survey were released on 11 November. WTW also reported that 47% of respondents found their benefits easy to access digitally, clearly explained and supported. The findings are employee responses and the survey does not address

In November 2026, Zurich Insurance Group reported that protection gross written premiums grew 11% in the first nine months of the year. The update for the period ended 30 September cites performance across individual and group products, strong renewals and new corporate protection wins. It does not report a separate growth rate for group protection. Total Life volumes increased 3% to USD 28.6 billion on a measure that combines

In November 2026, DecisionHR announced that former Artex global CEO Zeb Holt had been named chief executive, succeeding Peter Newman. The US provider of professional employer organization services and HR outsourcing made the announcement on 9 November. Newman is retiring from the executive role after nearly 25 years of leadership and will remain board chair and advise the executive team. Holt’s background includes insurance and risk management for PEOs,

In November 2026, the French government published two decrees governing how people can combine work and retirement income from 2027. The decrees were signed on 2 November, published on 3 November and explained in updated Service Public guidance on 10 November. The new framework generally applies when a person’s first basic pension takes effect on or after 1 January 2027. A retiree already receiving a pension in 2026 generally

In November 2026, Principal Financial Group released a US employer survey showing that most benefits stayed in place even as confidence weakened, with trade reporting on the survey finding that large employers added retirement benefits more often than small and midsize firms. Principal published the index on 11 November, following fieldwork from 14 September to 4 October among 1,000 US business decision makers. The headline sentiment measure fell to

In November 2026, Swiss Life reported that high single premiums in group life drove a 15% increase in its Swiss premium measure for the first nine months of the year. The insurer published its unaudited update on 11 November for the period ended 30 September. Swiss gross written premiums, policy fees and deposits reached CHF 9.424 billion, compared with CHF 8.199 billion a year earlier. What the increase measures

In November 2026, AM Best reported that accident and health made up 37% of Hong Kong’s non-life insurance premiums in 2025. Its 9 November market review recorded HKD 108.5 billion of gross written premiums across non-life, up 8% year on year. Direct insurance and inward reinsurance both contributed. Corporates and their advisers can use the AM Best report as context for a discussion about the market. The decision itself

In November 2026, Brokerslink launched ekko, a member platform for finding specialist expertise and coordinating work on multinational insurance programmes. The launch took place at the network’s Istanbul conference, held from 4 to 6 November. The platform is a marketplace for finding capabilities across the network and shared workspaces called Deal Rooms. It did not report how widely members are using the platform or identify results for employee benefits

In November 2026, Sterling Brokers announced that it had acquired Lucite, an AI platform built for Canadian group benefits brokers. Sterling’s November 6 announcement said the combined offering would bring its third-party administration platform to independent brokers for the first time. Lucite already supported more than 45 brokers serving over 20,000 clients, according to the announcement. Sterling did not disclose financial terms or quantified productivity gains. A shared back

In November 2026, Sun Life reported third quarter group insurance sales of C$619 million, up about 24 percent from C$498 million a year earlier. Group insurance sales for the first nine months reached C$1.85 billion, compared with C$1.61 billion for the same period in 2025. At the consolidated level, underlying net income rose to C$1.146 billion, while reported net income attributable to common shareholders fell to C$785 million. Those

In November 2026, the US Department of Labor’s final rule on pharmacy benefit manager fee disclosure appeared in the Federal Register, following the department’s October 29 announcement. The rule requires covered pharmacy benefit managers and affiliated brokers or consultants serving large self-insured employer health plans to disclose compensation to plan fiduciaries. It also gives fiduciaries a right to audit that information. November 2 was the publication date; sponsors should

In November 2026, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada published its 2027–2029 Immigration Levels Plan and a separate measure intended to help people already in Canada obtain permanent residence. The 5 November backgrounder sets annual targets of 380,000 permanent admissions and 370,000 new temporary arrivals. The additional measure concerns up to 200,000 people in 2027, divided between worker and humanitarian cohorts. For multinational employers, the practical starting point is to

In November 2026, Canada’s Department of Finance proposed GST/HST relief for qualifying massage therapy services in the Budget presented on 5 November. The proposed application is to qualifying supplies after Budget Day. Practitioner qualifications matter, and the measure remains a legislative proposal. Tax treatment and plan eligibility are separate Benefits administrators should explain how any tax change interacts with existing claim rules. A service being tax-exempt would not, by

In November 2026, Canada’s Department of Finance proposed clearer tax consequences for pension deregistration in Budget 2026. The 5 November proposal combines a special revocation tax with conversion into a retirement compensation arrangement and a refundable-tax mechanism. It concerns revocations after 2026 and is not yet an enacted piece of legislation. Sponsors should identify who checks the conditions for maintaining registration, who reviews the evidence and how unresolved deficiencies

In November 2026, Employment and Social Development Canada announced a longer maximum period for low-wage Labour Market Impact Assessment applications submitted from 6 November. Early childhood educators also gain an exception in metropolitan areas with high unemployment. Separate regional changes proposed for March 2027 depend on provincial or territorial participation. Employers should record the filing date and the period actually approved. Recruitment communications and workforce budgets need to reflect

In November 2026, the OECD reported that annual consumer-price inflation across its member countries rose to 4.5% in September, from 4.3% in August. Its 6 November statistical release identifies energy as the main source of acceleration, with energy inflation reaching 17.4%, while core inflation remained broadly stable at 3.7%. These figures describe consumer prices in a past reference period; they are neither medical-cost trends nor forecasts of insurance renewals.

In October 2026, Vanguard published How America Retires, linking flexible withdrawal options with a greater likelihood that recent retirees keep savings in workplace plans. Its 29 October release also found that around 15% withdrew their full account as cash in their retirement year. The observations should not be read as proof that retention or a particular withdrawal feature improves retirement income. For employee benefits teams, the practical question is

In October 2026, Vitality released research in which 40% of respondents earning above £100,000 said they would feel financially unprepared if illness stopped them working, while 41% reported having income protection. Published on 29 October, the findings came from an Opinium survey of 2,000 UK adults conducted on 5 to 12 August. The overall sample was nationally representative; the release did not state the high-earner subgroup’s size. The findings

In October 2026, Healthcode reported that it processed 3.16 million private medical insurance funded invoices during July to September, up 9.1% year on year, while their value increased 12.2% to £1.5 billion. Its release, published on 29 October, also identified outpatient care as a stronger source of activity growth than admitted care. The figures describe transactions passing through Healthcode rather than a count of individual patients. For employee benefits

In October 2026, PLANSPONSOR reported that six employers had sued UnitedHealth over administration of their self-funded health plans. Its 29 October coverage concerned a complaint filed on 20 October in the Eastern District of Texas by Aramark, Kraft Heinz, Ralph Lauren, Sterling Jewelers, Grainger and Whirlpool. The employers allege problems with claims processing, fees, cross-plan offsets and access to data. UnitedHealthcare strongly disputes the allegations and says it will

In November 2026, Manulife published its third-quarter shareholder report, identifying a Canadian group long-term disability study on claim termination as the main driver of a C$39 million decrease in pre-tax fulfilment cash flows from mortality and morbidity assumption updates. The report was released on 4 November for the quarter ended 30 September. The figure combines several changes: it is not a standalone measure of Canadian disability reserves, claims paid

In November 2026, Swiss Re reported that Life & Health Reinsurance net income rose 43% to US$1.5 billion in the first nine months of the year, with US mortality experience remaining favourable. The release appeared on 5 November and covered the period ended 30 September. The nine-month result describes a reinsurance segment with multiple lines and markets. It is a useful signal for buyers of protection, but it cannot

In November 2026, the Workers Compensation Research Institute published a study of how the 2023–24 Medicaid eligibility unwinding affected workers’ compensation claims and medical spending. The study appeared on 3 November and draws on injuries occurring between October 2017 and September 2024 across 31 US states. The public study description establishes the design and research questions. Detailed estimates from the full report have not been independently verified for this

In November 2026, WTW announced the promotion of Kisha Tyrrell to lead its Captive and Insurance Management Solutions business in Bermuda. She previously was the Bermuda head of underwriting and claims. Confirm who owns the work A handover is a good time to check who is responsible for reporting, claims queries, reconciliations and escalation. Confirm whether contact routes, signing authority or access to documents have changed, and establish whom

In November 2026, the OECD published Global Insurance Market Trends 2026, a comparison of insurance markets in more than 50 OECD and non-OECD jurisdictions using 2025 data. The report draws on national insurance authorities and covers market size, premiums, claims, investment performance and profitability. It updates preliminary information released in June. Its publication date is current, but its observation period is historical. Use a market benchmark for the question