Core and Group Health

As employers face rising medical costs, brokers brace for a hit on their group benefits revenue. Meanwhile, Congress is taking a critical look at hundreds of health plans that have been able to dodge a new federal requirement.

File this under "no kidding." Nine months later, another federal court judge handed the administration's health care reform law another victory.

According to Aon Hewitt, health maintenance organization plans will have the highest premium increases in five years, as the average 2011 HMO rates increased 9.8 percent after plan changes, negotiations and terminations.

The National Association of Insurance Commissioners announced last week it has established a new task force to examine and address potential adverse impacts on the role of health insurance agents and brokers that stem from new health reform laws.

Industry groups will seek Congressional intervention to change MLR rules on agent compensation.

"Rein in costs." President Obama sounded that clarion call early on in his legislative offensive for health reform.

In the third quarter, whole life insurance sales improved 6 percent and increased by 15 percent in the first nine months of 2010, finds LIMRA's U.S. Individual Life Insurance Sales survey.

The Department of Health and Human Services announced Monday it has issued long-awaited final regulations on the medical loss ratio provision of the Affordable Care Act.