A new report shines light on the challenges and changes that health care sectors may see in 2014 all across the globe.

This week, Jeremy Hunt the Health Secretary, announced plans for a detailed investigation into the controversial 'Liverpool Care Pathway for the Dying Patient' program. The program is an NHS service which aims to offer special care and support for terminally ill patients who are assessed to be in the final days- or even hours- of their lives. But the LCP program has come under lots of…

The International Association of Insurance Supervisors (IAIS) recently published a consultation paper titled, "Assessment Methodology for the Identification of Global Systemically Important Insurers". In the paper, the IAIS proposed criteria which will be used to classify insurers as "global systemically important" and invited public comment until 31 July 2012.  The paper was endorsed for consultation…

Manulife Financial Corporation, Canada's largest insurance company, has signed a new two-year cooperation agreement with Bank of China in a bid to further strengthen their bancassurance distribution network and sell more insurance products in the world's second largest economy. The deal was announced at a signing ceremony in Bank of China's Beijing headquarters on Wednesday. The agreement will expand…

Canadian insurer, Sun Life Financial has launched a single premium, whole-life insurance product for its US-based clients with a new linked benefit rider that enables owners to contribute towards vital long-term care. The new policy, named Sun Care Whole Life, can be used to pay towards in-home/assisted-living care or nursing home facilities and will hope to address the substantial number of Americans…

Sun Life Financial Inc reported that life insurance sales had fallen by 25 percent overall in its key Asian growth markets.

Zurich Insurance Co. Ltd., a subsidiary of Zurich Financial Services AG, the Swiss insurer, has announced the acquisition of Compagnie Libanaise D'Assurances (CLA), a privately-owned Lebanese insurance company founded in 1951 that has branches in the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Oman.

American International Group Inc. (AIG) has recently announced it has reached an agreement with the US Government to repay the billions of US dollars it received during the credit crisis back in September 2008. The repayment plan could even return a profit to US taxpayers.

The Financial Supervisory Commission (FSC) of Taiwan has recently announced it has rejected the planned purchase of the life insurance unit of AIG in Taiwan by Primus Financial Holdings Ltd. It is believed the FSC had concerns about Primus, which is based in the Cayman Islands, may be backed by funds from mainland China, thus in violation of the Taiwan law that prohibits Chinese investment in the financial sector.

Allianz Group, the German insurer, has reported a profit of US$4.95 billion (EUR 3.9 billion) for the first-half of 2010, equivalent to a 22% increase over the same period last year. Revenues during the first half of 2010 increased to US$71 billion (EUR 56 billion) from US$63.4 billion (EUR 49.9 billion) during the same period in 2009.