Open enrollment — the annual window when employees can adjust their benefits — may deliver sticker shock this year. Workers are likely to pay between 6% to 7% more for their 2026 employer-sponsored health insurance, more than double the current rate of inflation, according to a new analysis from consultant Mercer. That means employees could pay about
Life insurance sales have climbed as growing numbers of families look for ways to safeguard their estates – with some experts suggesting inheritance tax (IHT) reforms could be prompting renewed interest in cover. Data from the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), analysed by TWM Solicitors, shows total life insurance premiums rose by 18% last year. The
Jessie Hewitson is a veteran money journalist and editor, and financial agony aunt for The i Paper. Nina, a reader, writes For the past three years I’ve been fighting Aviva over an “own-occupation” Total & Permanent Disability (TPD) claim. I woke up with sudden hearing loss — permanent and life-changing. One ear was already damaged;
Shadow chancellor Sir Mel Stride also said the party would abolish business rates for high street shops. National Insurance rule change could hand thousands £5,000 tax rebate The Conservative Party says they would give young people a £5,000 tax rebate in their first job, in a bid to help them buy their first home. The
Booking travel is expensive these days, from the cost of trains or planes to paying for your luggage, lodgings and more. It’s important to have a backup plan in case things take a turn for the worst. Booking your journey with a credit card that has travel insurance can ensure you’re covered in a number
Apivia Courtage recently announced it will implement SoundHound AI’s Amelia 7 agentic AI platform in its contact centers, following a successful partnership that previously boosted productivity by 20% using earlier versions of the technology. This deployment marks one of the first uses of agentic AI in the insurance sector, highlighting how advanced autonomous AI agents
Will Hannington plunged 40ft from the balcony at his hotel in Dubrovnik, Croatia, during a holiday with friends – and he “smashed” his femur, fractured his rib and vertebrae 05:38, 18 Oct 2025Updated 07:42, 18 Oct 2025 Will Hannington plummeted 40ft from a hotel balcony(Image: Kennedy News & Media) A desperate mother has had to
When it comes to insurance, veteran brokers always advise customers to look more at what risks are not covered – or, worse still, might not be covered – than what the policy states is covered. Insurers blithely pitch themselves as warm, cuddly and caring in their marketing and advertising. But the small print is where
With the red tape of health insurance already causing frustration for millions of Americans, doctors are helping to shed light on a common industry practice: downcoding. This occurs when insurance companies change claims to save money, and experts say it is yet another way in which health insurance plays into a rigged system. What is
In response to the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan CEO’s op-ed regarding the causes of rising health care costs and the need to reform the system, she makes many good points, but ignores some other important causes, mainly insurance providers themselves. As a health care provider myself, dealing with prior authorizations for drugs and