In September 2026, the European Commission adopted a proposal for a Council recommendation on evidence-based, targeted cardiovascular health checks. The proposal sits within the Safe Hearts Plan announced in December 2025. Member States would adapt any approach to their own health systems. It is not a binding screening programme, an employer mandate or proof that screening reduces clinical events. The distinction matters for multinational employers comparing public provision and

According to a publication issued in September 2026, Marsh Re sees greater buyer choice and more bespoke cyber reinsurance structures. It expects European premium growth close to 10% in 2026 despite double-digit rate reductions. These trends can coexist as insured exposure, limits and take-up change; the figures remain a market outlook, not a guarantee. AI adds urgency because automated tools can shorten the period between discovery of a vulnerability

The OECD published The Health and Economic Benefits of Tackling Non-Communicable Diseases on 15 April 2026. The report considers prevention in the context of ageing populations and the burden of conditions including cancer, cardiovascular disease and diabetes. It offers a broader perspective than a programme organised around one diagnosis or one screening campaign. For benefits teams, the question is how that perspective should inform programme design. Economic estimates from

MAXIS Global Benefits Network (MAXIS GBN) in June 2022 announced its partnership with HUMANOO, a Berlin, Germany-based provider of automated digital wellbeing solutions. MAXIS’ multinational clients will now be able to choose to work with HUMANOO and help improve the overall health, wellbeing and engagement of their people. According to the company, “HUMANOO’s app is designed to help improve employees’ physical and mental health with customised, on-demand fitness, physio,

Obesity-related diseases will claim more than 90 million lives in OECD countries in the next 30 years, with life expectancy reduced by nearly 3 years. Obesity and its related conditions also reduce GDP by 3.3% in OECD countries and exact a heavy toll on personal budgets, amounting to USD 360 per capita per year, according to a new OECD report published in November 2019. The OECD’s The Heavy Burden

When “Jeopardy!” episode 7059 aired on April 30, 2015, the category was “The Human Body,” the price was $2,000, and the clue was “This gland’s main duct, the duct of Wirsung, collects its juices & empties into the duodenum.” The question was “What is the pancreas?” Unbeknownst to Alex Trebek, the show’s beloved host, the cells that line the duct of his pancreas would develop into pancreatic cancer, or pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. Trebek announced on March 6, 2019 that he has pancreatic cancer, but that he will fight the disease and keep hosting the show. And in fact, he was back at work March 12.

Suicide rates in the United States have increased by 25-30 percent since 1999. This is particularly true for youth ages 12-24, with increases of approximately 30 percent over the same period. In Alachua County, Florida, where I teach and practice at the University of Florida, the base rate for suicides among youth ages 12-17 had been about five per 100,000 for many years, below the base national rate of 13 per 100,000. However, in the year 2017 that rate of completed suicides increased to 27 per 100,000, and for 2018 we are at a pace that will likely equal 2017.

I would like to share some insights with you about new innovative healthcare service design and how technological solutions (eHealth) can help address prevention matters.eHealth & prevention programs

Vaccines manufacturer Sanofi Pasteur in July 2017 announced that its first doses of its range of influenza (“flu”) vaccines for the 2017-2018 flu season have been released by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Shipments will begin in early August to support fall immunization campaigns. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the single best way to prevent the flu is to get an