The Supreme Court says insurance companies can collect $12 billion from the U.S. government to cover losses in the early years of Obamacare.

This week, I’m rerunning some popular posts while I prepare for this Friday’s video webinar: Industry Update and COVID-19 Impact: PBMs & Payers.

Life was very different when I originally published today’s article. 2020 is not turning out to be quite what any of us expected. However, the pandemic has exposed some intriguing pros and cons of vertical consolidation. Click here to see the original post and comments from December 2019.

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The largest insurers, PBMs, and specialty pharmacies have now combined into vertically-integrated organizations. As I explain below, these companies have also been rapidly integrating with healthcare providers.

I also provide an updated look at these companies and highlight strategies that they are using—or could use—to control the channel. I believe that these insurer / PBM / specialty pharmacy / provider organizations are poised to restructure U.S. drug channels by exerting greater control over patient access, sites of care/dispensing, and pricing.

If they can effectively coordinate their sprawling business operations, they will pose a substantial threat of disruption to the existing commercial strategies of pharma companies.

Will they succeed by better managing care and costs, or merely by extracting higher profits from our convoluted system?
Read more »

The Department of Justice reached a settlement today with United Regional Health Care System of Wichita Falls, Texas, that prohibits it from entering into contracts that improperly inhibit commercial health insurers from contracting with United Regional’s competitors.

The Department of Justice today filed a motion to dismiss its antitrust lawsuit against Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan after the state of Michigan passed a law that prohibits health insurers from using most favored nation clauses in contracts with health care providers.

Allianz, which is one of the main insurers for entertainment companies, estimates that Hollywood studios paid $400 million in premiums last year to cover "unforeseeable events." Now the bill is coming due.

The current low interest rate environment poses a significant risk for the long-term financial viability of pension funds and insurance companies, as they seek to generate sufficient returns to meet promises, according to a new OECD report.

The current low interest rate environment poses a significant risk for the long-term financial viability of pension funds and insurance companies, as they seek to generate sufficient returns to meet promises, according to a new OECD report.

FCA warns failure to act could count against provider’s regulatory record

Sector faces existential moment as Trump wades into debate over Covid-19 claims

Hiscox expects $150m of claims while Beazley expects to pay out $170m

Pandemic could dwarf other disasters such as Hurricane Katrina, John Neal says

Euler Hermes has written to some brokers, saying it will offer less support in the UK if the government does not agree to backstop trade credit insurers. 

Private lawsuits are a vital tool for upholding standards in the free market system

Cyber risk, political interference, and macro-economic volatility rank among the top sources of anxiety for Australian insurers, according to a joint PwC and Centre for Financial Innovation (CSFI) report released today.

In recent weeks there has been a series of disagreements between firms forced to close due to coronavirus and the insurers refusing to pay out their business interruption claims.

Insurers have come under fire for refusing to pay out claims to companies which have been devastated by the lockdown. The Financial Conduct Authority plans to resolve this as quickly as possible.

After years, if not decades, of insurers routinely hiking customers' policy prices at renewal, many thought an end to the loyalty penalty was in sight.

Those who have the latest technology installed - could, in theory - pay lower premiums thanks to enhanced safety. But is this the view of the major insurers?

Households are more likely to claim for theft or loss of jewellery in the winter months. Lloyds is urging those with pricey jewels to take measures to protect their new jewellery as soon as they can.

All life insurers, both public and private, are committed to process any death claim pertaining to COVID-19 at the earliest,the Council said in a statement

In absolute terms, premium collected by general insurers was close to Rs 1.89 trillion in FY20, against Rs 1.69 trillion in FY19

Option can be a permanent feature of health policies or can be a temporary relief for policyholders for 12 months

Motor segment saw a 7 per cent decline in premiums, while health registered an 11 per cent decline in premiums