Several multinational property and casualty insurance companies have had their first-quarter earnings significantly impacted by the catastrophic losses due to earthquakes in Japan and New Zealand and the severe floods in Australia.

Bupa Asia Pacific, Australia's largest privately owned health insurer, has delivered exceptional results for 2010. The company reported a 26 percent rise in after-tax profits as a result of pronounced increase in premium revenue coupled with a recovery in investment income.

Last Sunday, the UAE 's Ministerial Service Council, chaired by Shaikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs, announced that expatriate workers who want to work in the UAE must get medical tests done in both their home countries and in the UAE prior to receiving a work visa for the emirate. Many expatriate workers try to cheat the system by providing…

In Dubai, public healthcare costs are rising at a significant rate, which has become a major concern for expatriates, especially those without private health insurance. Dubai residents can apply for health cards that are supposed to grant them access to public health facilities at a discounted rate. However, with the rising costs of treatment, those health cards essentially offer no discounts now.…

Major players in the Australian insurance industry are fighting tooth and nail to halt the rise of price comparison services for customers seeking to better evaluate their coverage options in the country.

A coalition of 18 international insurance associations from Europe, Asia and the Americas have drafted a letter to the Brazilian government, petitioning them to reconsider two recently enacted reinsurance regulations that could threaten the market and severely reduce the availability of insurance in Brazil, including coverage for the upcoming 2016 Olympics and 2014 FIFA World Cup being held in the country.

A new study conducted by Great Britain's second largest insurer, Aviva PLC, reveals interesting developments on the changing attitudes of British workers when considering possible emigration from the UK. The study, facilitated by market researchers OnePoll, surveyed 1,000 British employees nationwide aged 18 to 45 from 31 March…

Medical insurance annual premiums are expected to increase by around 10 to 20 percent this year to catch up with rising healthcare costs in the UAE. This annual increase is expected to continue for years to come. Many factors have contributed to this price hike, including ones caused by insurers, healthcare personnel, impending legislation, and from individual medical insurance policyholders themselves.…

A new report issued by Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM), Malaysia's central bank, demonstrates the continued growth in demand for takaful products and the country's overall continued prominence in the global Islamic insurance industry. The takaful industry in Malaysia was established in 1985 after the enactment of the Takaful Act 1984. The Malaysian government has played a prominent role in supporting the…

US President Barack Obama has expressed an interest in curbing the amount of Americans looking to go abroad and receive medical treatment.