Indexed Annuity Sales Jump : LIMRA

May 22, 2018

Sales of variable annuity separate accounts also rose.

Lincoln Adds Indexed Variable Annuity

May 21, 2018

One index on the menu is Lincoln’s own Capital Strength Index.

Thirsty Life Insurers See Bond Yields Rise to Highest Level in Five Years

May 21, 2018

Corporations may have to pay life insurers more to borrow money.

MassMutual Executive Takes Over as MIB Chair

May 21, 2018

MIB data helps power many of the new automated and accelerated underwriting projects.

Health Care Reform |

3 ACA-compliance struggles of midsize employers

May 21, 2018

Some ACA rules have changed, but the IRS forms relating to them may not yet reflect those changes.

Advisor Questions Some High Annuity Return Projections

May 21, 2018

Annuities with high, stock-market-linked returns should be registered as securities, Anil Vazirani says.

Annuities |

PBGC Multiemployer Pension Guarantees Are Lousy: Hearing Revelation

May 18, 2018

For high earners, pension benefits could fall to 6% of what was promised, from 50% today.

Homeland Security Department Co-Creator to Lead ACLI

May 17, 2018

Before Neely worked at the White House, she was a top executive at HIAA.

U.S. Workers Rank Retirement Security First: Prudential

May 17, 2018

New survey results that suggest that the issue may be hotter than job security.

Medicare Supplement Use Rises Again: AAMSI

May 17, 2018

One fluffy cloud is the future of Medicare Advantage chronic care benefits options.

'Smart Toothbrush' Dental Benefits Firm Raises $22.5 Million

May 16, 2018

Beam Dental uses the brush to collect data on enrollees' brushing habits.

Health Care Record Hell Is Still a Problem: GAO

May 16, 2018

Most access cases reported to federal authorities took more than 50 days to resolve.

5 New Life Products for Spring

May 16, 2018

Term life may get the good press, but permanent life still has the buzz.

Midsize Employers Still Face ACA Hassles: Red Tape Wrangler

May 15, 2018

The IRS has been telling some employers to pay millions of dollars in fines.

New York State Fines Life Insurer Over Reinsurance Arrangement

May 15, 2018

The department said it needs to verify the fairness of an insurer's transactions with affiliates.

David Byers Takes Over at AALU

May 15, 2018

Marc Cadin wants the group to reach out to holistic advisors.

Core and Group Health |

Insurers to Trump: Let our drug price negotiators work

May 15, 2018

AHIP says it likes many of the new proposals but thinks some would increase prices.

Insurers to Trump: Let Our Drug Price Negotiators Work

May 11, 2018

AHIP says it likes many of the new proposals but thinks some would increase prices.

AXA Equitable Shares Debut on New York Stock Exchange

May 10, 2018

The company starts with a total market value of about $11 billion.

Official Gives Hints About Medicare Advantage LTC Benefits

May 10, 2018

Issuers can add new types of benefits based on two separate rule 'reinterpretations.'

New Drugs Cut 'Years' Lost to Cancer: Economist

May 10, 2018

Frank Lichtenberg says the average cost of a non-disabled year gained was about $1,600.

Health Insurance |

Issuers of 'Other Health' Products Hope for Trump Boom

May 10, 2018

Executives at IHC and Health Insurance Innovations expect short-term health limit relief.

Annuities |

MetLife and Prudential Win Big Pension Risk Transfer Clients

May 10, 2018

The companies' new deals will protect the benefits of 48,500 people.

Core and Group Health |

Ben tech having an impact on large-group deductibles, says Benefitfocus

May 09, 2018

At the large retailers, average deductibles for single PPO plan coverage fell 38 percent.

Life Application Activity Falls: MIB

May 07, 2018

Activity was lower for all age groups MIB trackers, but firmer for older applicants.

Texas Tells LTCI Issuers to Write Better Rate Hike Letters

May 07, 2018

Lone Star State regulators note that they can reject an increase that conflicts with state laws or rules.

Workers' Bones Look Better

May 07, 2018

New group disability claim numbers from Unum tell the tale.

ACLI Economist Wants More Disability Data Slices

May 07, 2018

One wrinkle may be a change in who counts as 'retired.'

Individual Major Medical Use Dropped 10% in 2017: Mark Farrah

May 04, 2018

The number of people with Medicare Advantage coverage increased 12%.

Our Large Group Clients' Deductibles Are Shrinking: Benefitfocus

May 04, 2018

At the large retailers, average deductibles for single PPO plan coverage fell 38%.

Broker Regulation |

LIMRA aims to shape benefits data exchange standard

May 04, 2018

The insurance group hopes a deal with a tech group will fill a benefits data standards gap.

Firm Sees When Consumers Are Hungry for Life Insurance

May 03, 2018

A startup, iQuanti, is using local search data to chart trends in 'switchover moment' heat.

LIMRA Aims to Shape Benefits Data Exchange Standard

May 03, 2018

The insurance group hopes a deal with a tech group will fill a benefits data standards gap.

Individual Disability Sales Climb: Gen Re

May 03, 2018

Total U.S. individual disability insurance premium revenue rose at a moderate pace.

Delaware Sees Hidden Value in Genworth's Annuity Unit

May 02, 2018

Executives say New York's China Oceanwide deal review is going 'reasonably well.'

Molina Could Pull Out of Florida ACA Exchange in 2019

May 02, 2018

Executives said they are happy with the performance of their exchange plan operation in Texas.

Medicare Advantage Plans Can Pay for Many LTC Services in 2019: Feds

May 02, 2018

Plans could cover adult day care, respite care and in-home support services.

Annuities |

Federal Panel Puts Off Dementia Financial Burden Battle

May 02, 2018

An advisory council is recommending that researchers study how much dementia costs.

Your Practice |

To Boost Sales This Year, Talk to 27-Year-Olds

April 30, 2018

A new table from the Census Bureau shows that there are an awful lot of them out there.

Maybe Employers Are Ready to Be Aware of Disability Insurance

April 30, 2018

As Disability Insurance Awareness Month begins, insurers are talking about, weirdly enough, prospects.

What Could Slug Life and Annuity Investment Managers Next?

April 30, 2018

A KKR team says its base case 'now includes some form of a recession in 2020.'

Health Care Reform |

CMS's Verma pushes medical record data-sharing

April 30, 2018

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services is calling on insurers to follow Medicare's lead and give patients greater access to electronic health records.

Core and Group Health |

eHealth gives peek into per-enrollee commissions

April 30, 2018

Medicare supplement insurance is particularly lucrative for the web-based broker, earning it a commission of $1,029 per enrollee.

Maybe Medicare Providers Should Meet Data-Sharing Standards: CMS Chief

April 27, 2018

Seema Verma talked at a health tech event about what happened when her own husband's heart stopped.

Employers Want to Hear About 'Interesting New Benefits': Principal Executive

April 27, 2018

Amy Friedrich sees signs the labor market really is reaching full employment.

Aflac Execs Talk About U.S. Distribution Efforts

April 27, 2018

Executives said true group benefits sales have been growing.

Flu Shows Up in a Life Reinsurer's Earnings

April 27, 2018

RGA executives say this year's epidemic pushed up the number of life claims.

CNO More Optimistic About Long-Term Care Insurance Deal

April 27, 2018

Gary Bhojwani also talked about increasing the new-agent retention rate at Bankers Life.

Advisor Technology |

Retirement Industry Council sets out to protect plan and fund data

April 27, 2018

Spark Institute, is joining with the Financial Services Information Sharing and Analysis Center (FS-ISAC) to set up the council.

Web Health Broker Gives Peek at Per-Enrollee Commissions

April 27, 2018

The company, eHealth, gets much less for medical enrollees than for Medicare enrollees.

AALTCI Updates Tales of Long-Term Care Insurance Claims That Last

April 26, 2018

Anyone involved in LTC planning should think about the outliers.

Core and Group Health |

What Anthem, Centene and Cigna are up to this week

April 26, 2018

A look at some of what the companies have said this week, drawn from earnings releases and earnings conference call recordings.

Retirement Services Group Forms Data Security Alliance

April 25, 2018

Spark's data security panel will team up with FS-ISAC's securities risk panel.

Global Atlantic Wants to Talk

April 25, 2018

The company will find ways to connect, even if you'd rather not let wholesaler reps into your office.

Health Insurance |

Some ACA Exchanges Discover They, Um... Need You...

April 24, 2018

The public exchange programs seem to be following in the footsteps of many private web-based insurance supermarkets.

Watch Indexed Annuity Rate Caps: Cannex

April 23, 2018

Firm analysts found loose limits on gains had a big effect on performance.

Share of LTCI Claims Starting With Nursing Home Care Falls: AALTCI

April 20, 2018

The percentage of new claimants who are living at home is also falling.

Firm Sizes Market for Multi-Location Medicare Plans

April 20, 2018

Retirety's automated advice system has found only a modest need for Medigap coverage.

Income Planning |

Consumers Expect You to Know About Taxes: MDRT

April 20, 2018

No word on whether clients expect you to know how to bake a cake, or how to patch a flat.

NAIFA Puts Tom Michel on Track to Top

April 20, 2018

Michel worked at UNIFI and New York Life before branching out on his own.

FGL Set to Issue $550 Million in Notes

April 19, 2018

The company says it helps middle-income Americans prepare for retirement.

Guardian Starts Moving 300 Workers to Old Bell Labs Site

April 19, 2018

The Bell Works site was once the home of a research center that helped give birth to modern technology.

AXA Equitable Gets Closer to IPO

April 19, 2018

The company says it will use senior note financing to get itself in shape for a more independent existence.

Core and Group Health |

States settle with short-term medical issuer as fight in D.C. looms

April 19, 2018

The deal comes as the Trump administration is thinking of killing an Obama-era short-term medical regulation.

New SEC Proposal Should Even Out Your Best Interest Playing Field: ACLI

April 18, 2018

The life insurer group's president says the same best interest standards should apply to all sales professionals.

Cognizant to Use Blockchain Tech to Rewire Life Industry in India

April 18, 2018

Any system Cognizant develops in India could serve as a model for similar systems in the United States and Europe.

Health Insurance |

Transamerica's New Administrator Sets up Iowa Offices

April 18, 2018

Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) —  a company that will be administering many U.S. business lines for Transamerica — has set up a North America…

UnitedHealth Leaves You Off Its Emphasis List

April 17, 2018

The company will, however, emphasize sales of health insurance outside the United States.

Nationwide Agency Shift to Have Little Effect on Life and Annuity Distribution: Spokesman

April 16, 2018

Nationwide already uses independent distributors to distribute most of its life and annuity products.

HSA Coverage Use Grows — But Only at Large Employer Groups

April 16, 2018

The number of people with HSA-compatible individual coverage fell to the lowest level since 2006.

Core and Group Health |

Fewer taxpayers claim ACA subsidy, but those who do claimed more

April 16, 2018

The average subsidy amount used may have increased 35%.

Annuities |

Annuities Boost Single Women’s Retirement Confidence: LIMRA

April 13, 2018

The effect on single men isn't as pronounced, LIMRA finds.

Core and Group Health |

Individual major medical plans could still exist in 2019

April 13, 2018

If the current regulatory environment stays reasonably stable, prices could even be somewhat more stable in 2019 than they were this year.

Individual Major Medical Plans Could Still Exist in 2019: Actuary

April 12, 2018

Dave Dillon is predicting that typical rate increases could be smaller than in 2018.

Health Insurance |

CVS, Aetna Increase Medicare Drug Plan Enrollee Share: Mark Farrah

April 12, 2018

The firm found that overall enrollment increased just 1.6%.

Health Insurance |

States Settle With a Short-Term Medical Issuer As Fight in D.C. Looms

April 12, 2018

The deal comes as the Trump administration is thinking of killing an Obama-era short-term medical regulation.

Life Insurance Strategies |

Life Insurers Still Want Sticky Policyholders

April 12, 2018

Sandeep Kharidhi says clients want ways to increase sales to current customers.