MSH International, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Paris-based broker SIACI SAINT HONORE Group and supplier of expatriate insurance services worldwide, in September 2017 announced the acquisition of Imagine Financial and its travel medical assistance group, Intrepid 24/7. Both Imagine Financial and Intrepid 24/7 are housed under the umbrella of Ingle International, a provider of plug and play solutions that drive revenue and enhance customer engagement for the insurance, healthcare, special

The Nationwide Retirement Institute Consumer Social Security PR Study, released in August 2017 and conducted by Harris Poll, reveals a discouraging outlook for many Americans when it comes to retirement and Social Security benefits. According to the survey, only 21 percent of future retirees say life in retirement will be better, and 28 percent of recent retirees say life is worse in retirement. Retirees who say life is worse

The U.S. uninsured population is expected to decrease to 26.9 million individuals in 2021, according to a report recently released by Freedonia Focus Reports and titled Healthcare Insurance: United States. Factors contributing to the decline include continued improvements in the labor market, which helps individuals gain private coverage; uninsured persons reaching the age of 65 and qualifying for Medicare; continued gains in Medicaid enrollment; and some gains in the

According to the 2017 “Getting Paid In America” survey conducted by the American Payroll Association, 82 percent of employees across America have access to a self-service portal where they have the ability to view their pay and benefits information at their convenience. Most employers are also happy to use these portals, whereby the employee experience becomes more personalized with access to scheduling, time tracking, pay and other information at

Tokio Marine HCC in October 2017 acquired the medical stop-loss operations of AIG through its wholly owned U.S. subsidiary, HCC Life. The deal includes renewal rights, inforce business and employees.  The acquired operations produce gross written premium of approximately $350 million and increase Tokio Marine HCC’s medical stop-loss business to over $1.3 billion of premium, making it one of the top three largest players in the medical stop-loss industry,

Global insurance brokerage Hub International (HUB) in September 2017 announced that it named Marc Cohen, currently President of HUB, as President and Chief Executive Officer, effective January 1, 2018. He will also be a member of the Board of Directors. Cohen will continue to report to Martin P. Hughes, who will continue to serve as Executive Chairman. Cohen will be responsible for the financial strategy, including directing organic sales

UnitedHealth in August 2017 acquired Advisory Board’s health-care analytics, research and consulting operations for about $1.3 billion including debt. The merger is part of a two-way deal that will also see private equity firm Vista Equity Partners purchase Advisory Board’s education arm for $1.55 billion. Advisory Board will become a part of UnitedHealth’s Optum pharmacy-benefit and health-care services unit. That business has been a major source of revenue growth

HR software provider for mid-sized companies Namely has released the results of its open enrollment survey, which identifies what is most important to U.S. employees when it comes to benefits. Findings indicate that 36% of employees rate their HR departments with a “C” or lower when it comes to open enrollment. While 57% of respondents say that their employer has prepared them “pretty well,” only 27% give them an

Data breaches and cyber security are a significant concern with U.S. businesses expecting to see an all-time high of nearly 1,500 reported data breaches in 2017. Business owners need to be more vigilant than ever in order to avoid these near-certain attacks, and to protect their employees’ and customers’ personally identifiable information (PII). Generali Global Assistance, in cooperation with the Identity Theft Resources Center (ITRC), in August 2017 released

GeoBlue, the international health insurance provider of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, in August 2017 announced the appointment of Linda Cote to Vice President, Corporate Sales and Account Management. Linda Cote brings 13 years of international experience from Aetna International, where she held sales and leadership positions within the organization. Prior to her tenure at Aetna, Linda spent 14 years within the domestic health insurance market, where

GeoBlue, the international health insurance provider of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, in August 2017 announced the appointment of Jill Milliken to Vice President of Scholastic Sales. The Scholastic business unit for GeoBlue provides educational institutions the international healthcare and assistance services their schools need for both study outside of the U.S. and inbound programs. Jill Milliken comes to GeoBlue from Generali Global Assistance where she was Vice

David Wichmann, president of UnitedHealth Group, in September 2017 succeeds Stephen Hemsley as the company’s chief executive officer and becomes a director of the company. In his previous position, Wichmann oversaw UnitedHealthcare’s domestic and international businesses; he also served as group chief financial officer. Earlier, he held positions as president of UnitedHealthcare; president and chief executive officer of Specialized Care Services (now OptumHealth); and senior vice president, corporate development.

A woman from British Columbia, Canada, was issued a lifetime ban at the U.S. border after U.S. Customs & Border Protection (CBP) officials found an email conversation with her doctor on her smartphone that indicated she had survived a fentanyl overdose. Fentanyl is a powerful opioid pain medication that sometimes is illicitly manufactured and used as a recreational drug, causing many overdose deaths. The 28-year-old woman did not have

U.S.-based Wamberg Genomic Advisors and Global Healthcare Resources in July 2017 announced a new partnership designed to bring genomic testing to insurance professionals and employer groups. This partnership proposes to educate insurance professionals about the potential of genetic testing and integrating these tests into employee benefit packages, thereby creating a healthier workforce that is engaged in, and informed of, their health. Advanced cancer genomic profiling uses techniques such as

A July 2017 report by Research Nester indicates that the corporate travel insurance market expects to see robust growth from 2017 to 2024 at a rate of 8.6% per year (CAGR  – Compound Average Growth Rate) over the forecast period, thanks to an increase in business travel. The European region accounts for the largest market share in the global corporate travel insurance market, followed by Asia-Pacific, while Europe is

Arthur J. Gallagher in August 2017 announced the acquisition of Michigan, U.S.A.-based Ballard Benefit Works, a boutique employee benefit and health care finance brokerage, consulting and insurance agency. Ballard Benefit Works, founded in 2009 by Justin Spewock, serves public, private and not-for-profit clients primarily throughout , Washington, D.C. and Florida. It specializes in the development of alternative models for healthcare delivery. Ballard will operate under the direction of John

U.S. insurer Country Financial in July 2017 published its tenth Country Financial Security Index survey. Ten years after the beginning of the 2007 financial crisis known as the Great Recession, nearly 30% of Americans believe they have yet to recover financially or that they never will, despite signals from the Federal Reserve that the U.S. economy is growing. The survey reveals that this is due in large part to

U.S. healthcare organizations are finding it increasingly difficult to transition from fee-for-service to fee-for-value care because of competing priorities and uncertainty over regulations according to a report released in July 2017 by Ernst & Young’s Health Advisory Services.  The survey queried 700 U.S. healthcare professionals. Among the findings are four key factors that challenge the shift to value-driven care: System inefficiencies that escalate the cost of care delivery Clinical

Managing regulatory and compliance risk in the face of constantly evolving rules and guidelines is a significant challenge for both the payers and the providers who make up the United States’ healthcare industry, creating a market need for systems that can consistently support regulatory, reimbursement and compliance professionals. A June 2017 white paper from management consulting firm Frost & Sullivan, The Increasing Challenge of Managing Regulatory and Compliance Risk,

Workers are getting better at balancing work and home life, according to a Robert Half Management Resources survey published in June 2017 that revealed that the majority of professionals (52 percent) believe their work-life balance has improved from three years ago. Employers and employees alike are emphasizing work-life balance, and managers contribute by giving their teams more freedom over where and when they work, if possible, and providing greater

U.S. health insurance comparison platform HealthCare.com in June 2017 announced the launch of The CheckUp, a new online blog meant to equip Americans with the knowledge and insight to make better-informed decisions about their healthcare. More than one-third of Americans are unaware that “Obamacare” is another name for the Affordable Care Act, according to a poll conducted by Morning Consult earlier this year. Led by Ronald Barba, a veteran

Private insurance claim lines with opioid abuse and dependence diagnoses were found in every age group from 13-18 years to over 80 years, and in urban areas, in every age group from 13-18 years to 71-80 years. Further, claim lines with opioid abuse and dependence diagnoses were more concentrated among middle-aged people in rural settings, and young and middle-aged people in urban settings. These findings are based on a

American International Group (AIG), IBM, and Standard Chartered Bank, in June 2017 announced they have successfully piloted the first multinational “smart contract”-based insurance policy using blockchain, a distributed ledger technology. The three parties chose to execute this initiative in one of the most complicated areas of commercial insurance – multinational risk transfer – to better understand blockchain’s potential to reduce friction and increase trust in other areas of the

The Provider Data Action Alliance, a U.S.-based non-profit cross-section of healthcare leaders, in July 2017 began work on a wide-ranging effort to improve the accuracy of provider data for industry stakeholders and patients. The alliance, which represents health, dental and vision plans; provider organizations, health systems, government and health information exchanges, has developed a roadmap that articulates actionable strategies and vision for obtaining and sharing high-quality provider information that

Pan-American Life Insurance Group (PALIG) in June 2017 acquired HolaDoctor, the leading digital provider of health and wellness solutions for Hispanic audiences, in a significant strategic initiative by PALIG that both expands its presence in the U.S. Hispanic market and strengthens its position as a healthcare leader in Latin America. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. Founded in 1999, HolaDoctor is an online resource for Hispanic consumers interested

Lockton Chairman David Lockton in July 2017 announced that Vice Chairman Ron Lockton will expand his role to become President and CEO of Lockton. He succeeds Glenn Spencer, who has resigned effective immediately. Ron Lockton will work closely with David Lockton, U.S. President Peter Clune, International CEO Neil Nimmo, and Lockton leaders around the world. Ron Lockton joined Lockton Companies in 1990 after working with Aetna as a casualty

Cheryl H. Johnson in July 2017 was appointed Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO) and a member of the executive office at Caterpillar, reporting to CEO Jim Umpleby. Johnson has more than 20 years of experience in HR leadership positions. Most recently, she was executive vice president of human resources for Textron, a very large global and diversified manufacturing company. Her 20-year career with Textron has included a number of