WellPoint Inc., a health benefits provider in the US, is looking for a joint venture (JV) partner in China to set up a health insurance company by 2011. The president and CEO of the company has recently visited China to meet potential partners and the Chinese regulator in charge of this industry.

Ping An Life Insurance Company of China Ltd (PALICC) reported accumulated written premiums of US$7.47 billion (EUR 5.5 billion) for the first of this year. PALICC is the life insurance unit of Ping An Insurance, which is second only to China Life Insurance (CLI), the Number 1 insurer worldwide by market value.

Residents in developed cities in Continental China are starting to show less interest in buying insurance products and it is expected that the leading insurance groups will set their sights this year to capitalise in the development of the central and western regions of the country.

By selling about one third of its remaining stake in Industrial & Commercial Bank of China (ICBC) Ltd., Allianz SE the biggest insurer in Europe, has made a profit of US$545 million (EUR 400 million).

Last Thursday, the Shenzhen-based Ping An Insurance Group of China announced its group insurance premiums for the first two months of 2010 are up from the same time period last year. Ping An Insurance Group announced its results for its pension, property, life and health insurance businesses. Pension insurance for January and February…

The China Insurance Regulatory Commission (CIRC) has recently granted HuaKang Financial Services Inc. authorisation to consolidate its existing 17 subsidiaries under their subsidiary in Shenzhen, which in turn will allow all these subsidiaries to be upgraded into branches.

In early 2008, prior to the global financial meltdown of September, which caused the collapse of such esteemed institutions as Lehman Brothers, the Chinese government announced a series of reforms entitled "Healthy China 2020." The goal of these comprehensive healthcare reforms was to institute national medical coverage which…

The much-anticipated public consultation on "Healthcare Finance Reform" to be launched on the second half of this year is starting to generate attention towards some of the main issues to be addressed, among which is the possibility of the Hong Kong Government implementing a company to provide medical insurance for cases where private insurers may not be able to provide a "reasonable cover" to policyholders.

The Chinese government recently released a report which gives a better idea of the growing severity of the AIDS problem in the country. The figures from the central government's Ministry of Health show that HIV/AIDS was the leading cause of death by infectious disease last year, killing 6,897 people in the first nine months of 2008. While…