Manulife (International) based in Hong Kong and Munich Health, a unit of the global re-insurer Munich Re, have recently decided to form a long-term business partnership to capture a share of the group life and medical insurance market created by the ongoing government-driven medical reforms, plus other factors created by an ageing population, increasing medical costs and the effects caused by the global financial tsunami.

AXA PPP healthcare unveiled a new health insurance plan for the UK corporate health insurance market and targeted at larger corporations, the new plan is called Corporate Health Plan Pathways. Corporate Health Plan Pathways is designed to offer the same benefits as other AXA PPP corporate health plans available with reduced costs due to one important difference. When participants in the plan…

The response by investors to the first trading day of Prudential shares in Hong Kong and Singapore has been tepid, in part due to the current slump in the markets in Asia, the which augurs a possible undesired response to the big rights issue planned by Prudential with which to finance the US$35.5 billion (EUR 28.9 billion) takeover of AIA.

PowerPlace has struck a deal to add the commercial combined product for Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) business from Allianz to their online insurance marketplace. PowerPlace, based in the UK, has built a compelling model to do online distribution of insurance products and provide support to brokers through imarket.

Lloyd's China has received approval from the China Insurance Regulatory Commission to broaden its business activities, including a license with which to write direct insurance policies. Prior to obtaining approval for engaging in direct insurance business, Lloyd's was limited to reinsurance through Lloyd's Reinsurance Company (China). The new license allows Lloyd's to expand beyond their current…

With the aim of helping companies with a global presence improve the well-being of their employees, CIGNA is offering them a uniform health and wellness programme that is localised to the various countries where they have a foothold. Based in London, the CIGNA company vielife has bundled into the programme a health assessment and online health coaching courses for stress, nutrition, physical fitness and sleep. Overall, vielife develops global wellness and productivity improvement programmes.

Despite numerous foreign life insurance companies having left Taiwan in 2009, French financial services company, BNP Paribas, sees potential for growth in the mature Taiwanese life insurance markets with its bancassurance partnership with Taiwan Cooperative Bank. BNP Paribas initiated a life insurance joint venture company in April 2010, with the nation's largest provider of housing loans, Taiwan…

After having received the tacit approval of the Financial Services Authority in the UK, Prudential has now released details of the controversial US$21 billion (EUR 17 billion) rights issue offering 13.96 billion new shares to help funding the US$35.5 billion (EUR 28.8 billion) purchase of American International Assurance Group Ltd. (AIA) from American International Group (AIG).

HSBC Sri Lanka has entered into an agreement with Aviva Global Singapore to offer Aviva's international health insurance plan named Global Health Supreme to select HSBC customers in Sri Lanka. The agreement will see HSBC offer Aviva's Global Health Supreme Plan to HSBC Premier, HSBC Advance and HSBC credit cardholders who…

The Financial Services Authority (FSA) of the UK have given their approval in principle for Prudential to go ahead with the US$35.5 billion (EUR 28.3 billion) deal made with American International Group (AIG) to purchase American International Assurance (AIA), according to sources familiar with the latest situation on this most audacious deal since the financial tsunami started to be felt globally.