Brookfield Wealth Solutions Ltd. is targeting the U.K. pension risk transfer industry with a planned US$3.17 billion acquisition of insurance firm Just Group, according to a U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filing. The transaction would provide a 75 per cent premium based on the closing price for Just Group shares on July 30, 2025. Read: […]
The Canadian annuity purchase market recorded $700 million in transactions during the first quarter of 2025, according to a new report by Telus Health. It noted a “notable deceleration” in the volume of transactions after what a record-breaking year, which isn’t uncommon for the first quarter of a new year. The last quarter of 2024 […]
The pension risk transfer market achieved a record-breaking demand with $11 billion in deals at the end of 2024, according to a new report from Telus Health. The year-end total from 2024 eclipsed the $7.8 billion total worth of annuities transaction volume seen in 2023 and 2022. The fourth quarter saw $5.2 billion worth of […]
Global benefits costs are projected to increase by 10.4 per cent in 2025, according to a new survey by WTW. The survey, which polled nearly 350 insurers, found in North America, costs are projected to rise to 8.7 per cent in 2025, up from 8.1 per cent in 2024. In the U.S., insurers projected a […]
In 2016, the Toronto Transit Commission sued its insurer for allegedly not having appropriate benefits fraud controls in place to detect unusual trends or patterns. The lawsuit was settled three years later. In the meantime, 10 people, including nine TTC employees, were convicted in relation to the scheme and more than 250 TTC staff resigned […]
Canada’s life and health insurers paid out a record $128 billion in health and retirement benefits last year, up from $114 billion in 2022, according to the Canadian Life and Health Insurance Association’s annual fact book. “The benefits that life and health insurers provide through workplace plans and individual policies contributed significantly to Canadians’ health […]
Sun Life Financial Inc. is appointing Jacques Goulet as executive chair and Jessica Tan as president of Sun Life Canada, effective Sept. 30. In his new role, Goulet will support a smooth leadership transition and help deliver on key elements of the company’s enterprise strategy. He’ll also continue as the chair of the board of […]
When considering whether to cover Wegovy, an obesity medication, it’s important for plan sponsors to weigh increased short-term costs with long-term savings, while considering alternative treatments that are also available, says Philippe Laplante, a principal at Eckler Ltd. Plan sponsors that decide to cover Wegovy, which launched in Canada last month, could see a significant cost […]
As more insurers turn to preferred pharmacy networks to decrease costs, their efforts are being met with some resistance by plan members who may be finding it difficult and inconvenient to switch pharmacy providers. In January, Manulife Financial Corp.’s move to a preferred pharmacy network with Loblaw Cos. Ltd.’s Shoppers Drug Mart was met with […]
While there are multiple opportunities for the use of artificial intelligence in the employee benefits space — including making the claims process more efficient and personalizing the plan member experience — one of the biggest advantages of the technology is the ability to streamline administrative tasks, allowing employees to focus on more value-added work in […]