Pickleball is bad news for health insurance stocks, UBS says

A sport that is making many older Americans more active could be backfiring for health insurance companies, according to UBS. Pickleball is a tennis-adjacent sport that has exploded in popularity since the Covid-19 pandemic, attracting millions of new players and celebrity investors. But UBS analyst Andrew Mok said in a note to clients Monday that the sport’s growth and popularity among seniors could contribute to rising health-care spending. “After analyzing the growth in pickleball as well as the nature and frequency of related injuries, we conducted a bottom-up analysis of medical costs. In total, we estimate $250-500 mn of medical…

IMG Partners with MAGNUS Search & Rescue to Offer Travel Medical Insurance

INDIANAPOLIS, June 29, 2023 /CNW/ — International Medical Group® (IMG®), an award-winning global insurance benefits and assistance services company, has announced a new partnership with MAGNUS International Search & Rescue, a comprehensive emergency management and global on-ground search and rescue service provider based in Israel. With more than 30 years of experience serving global travelers, MAGNUS will now offer IMG travel medical insurance plans to travelers, exchange students, and global citizens along with a MAGNUS search and rescue membership. IMG insurance plans will allow MAGNUS customers to have proper medical coverage in the event of an illness or injury while…

The Dangers of the EHR

Electronic Health Records can be an incredibly helpful tool. However, they are not without fault. A recent warning highlights that electronic health records (EHRs) are a top target of cybercriminals. They can also lead to inappropriate billing if they are not set up correctly. We can help you stay on top of the latest news that affects your everyday life. Subscribe to stay up to date. (To subscribe to our blog click here). The Health Sector Cybersecurity Coordination Center (HC3) issued a warning to healthcare entities regarding EHR vulnerabilities and protections. Protected health information (PHI) continues to hold its value…

Japan PM faces resistance to replacement of health insurance cards with digital ID

The Japanese government’s troubled My Number digital ID program has done little to quell concerns about incidents of mishandled personal data, particularly those related to disability certificates. The issue has sparked objections over to the planned replacement of health insurance cards next year with My Number IDs. Japanese doctors have taken the government to court to fight the mandatory replacement of health insurance cards, arguing it is expensive to implement. Part of that unease arose when some residents discovered their ID cards linked to unrelated personal information. This has intensified pressure on Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, who has suffered a…

Top 5 Reasons Not to Have an Estate Plan

We often hear many reasons why people do not have an estate plan or why they are putting off creating their estate plan. We can help you stay on top of the latest news that affects your everyday life. Subscribe to stay up to date. (To subscribe to our blog click here). Here are the top five reasons why people don’t have an estate plan (and why these reasons shouldn’t prevent you from doing your estate plan today): I don’t have enough money, property, etc. Estate planning is not just about assets. Estate planning is a way to protect your…

PacificSource Health Plans Elevates Member Communications

PacificSource Health Plans Elevates Member Communications with Quadient Multistate US health insurer partners with Quadient to enhance the customer experience for its more than 600,000 members Paris, June 8, 2023 Quadient (Euronext Paris: QDT), a leader in helping businesses create meaningful customer connections through digital and physical channels, announces that PacificSource Health Plans have implemented Quadient Inspire to reduce manual processes and IT resources required for developing and maintaining renewals, member plan materials and related communications. With Quadient Inspire, PacificSource plans to reduce costs and increase efficiency through automation, increasing the speed of creating and managing thousands of blocks and…

Health and travel insurance for international students

Between applying to schools and sorting out travel visas and accommodations, moving to Canada as an international student can be quite daunting — especially once you start considering medical and travel insurance. While Canada prides itself on its publicly funded healthcare, it’s not always available right away for newcomers and international students. And the costs can mount for people who are not covered, as well as the stress of falling ill far away from your home country. Thankfully, most international students enrolled in a full-time program in Canada have some level of health insurance, either through their provincial health coverage…

How Can You Protect Your Children?

Many of our estate planning clients have children and want to protect their children. We can help you stay on top of the latest news that affects your everyday life. Subscribe to stay up to date. (To subscribe to our blog click here). While concerns vary, protecting children is a huge part of estate planning. When parents have minor children, estate planning is essential. It allows parents to pick guardians for their children. This will ensure that they have peace of mind knowing who will care for their minor children. This will also prevent court fights over guardianship. Parents with…