Merger mania hits all types of insurance companies.

• For Health insurance companies, the mega mergers of the major insurers were not approved, so the mergers are more creative/vertical in nature.
• In the property/casualty sector, AXA (France) moved to buy XL Group (Bermuda) for over $15 Billion.
• Walmart looking to get into the health insurance business by acquiring Humana.

Health Insurance

• There are four new exemptions for avoiding penalties for not having health insurance.  
• The percentage of uninsured Americans is on the rise.  Here are the details.
• Here is an article explaining why people choose to go without health insurance.  And here is a Bloomberg piece following up on input from 3000 readers who explain why they are going without.
• It’s rather confusing, but elimination of cost-sharing subsidies to insurance companies, driving up list price of plans.   However, citizens receiving subsidies on their premiums ended up paying less. (Higher costs=higher subsidies).
• For most people, health care premiums are expected to rise drastically over the next three years.  The WAPO breaks it down for us.

Auto Insurance

• When looking at the total cost of car ownership (price plus gas and maintenance), make sure you include INSURANCE.  Check this out BEFORE purchasing the car.
• Last quarter we took a look at lowering insurance through placement of a monitor.  Here is a more general look at how technology is changing the car insurance industry.

Gig Economy

• Ever wonder how/if your Uber driver is insured?  AllState announced a deal with Uber to insure their drivers.
• A study by Cake & Arrow has found that insurers are ill-prepared to serve the “gig economy.”

The study found that gig economy workers have three common issues: they tend to be underinsured, usually underestimate their own risk, and are undereducated about insurance and how it applies to the work they do.

“With nearly 40% of the US labor market now comprised of gig workers, the insurance industry is already very behind in satisfying the needs of this market,” commented Cake & Arrow VP of customer experience and design Christina Goldschmidt.

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