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The adoption of guaranteed living benefits fell in the first quarter of 2011 to their lowest rate since the third quarter of 2008—and improved confidence in the stock market may be the reason.

An industry reunion is being planned for benefits brokers. The event, set for Sept. 8 and 9 in Las Vegas, will be an opportunity for brokers to reunite, share stories and take the time to remember colleagues who have passed away, says organizer Dan Jumonville. The Paris hotel and the adjacent Bally’s will be the headquarter hotels.

Medco Health Solutions Inc. will lose a major pharmacy benefit contract to CVS Caremark Corp. starting next year, sending Medco shares down almost 11% and CVS up nearly 4% Friday.

Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal (R) has signed into law a bill that allows state residents to purchase individual health insurance policies across state lines.

Vermont became the first state to lay the groundwork for single-payer health care on Thursday when its governor signed an ambitious bill aimed at establishing universal insurance coverage for all residents.

The recently released white paper from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners on the role of producers in state exchanges, while helpful, leaves many crucial questions unanswered.

Going into the Memorial Day weekend, before hundreds of you head out into the sun for beaches and backyard barbeques, the National Council on Skin Cancer Prevention wants you to know that today is Don’t Fry Day. Get it? Friday … Don’t Fry Day. Forgiving the kinda cheesy name, NCSCP’s motives are sound in trying to encourage sun safety awareness by reminding everyone to protect their skin while enjoying the outdoors this holiday weekend and every day. …

Attention to unclaimed property issues affecting life insurance companies – including issues relating to unpaid life insurance and annuity benefits – has significantly escalated in recent weeks, due to regulatory actions, media coverage, and public expressions of interest by the plaintiffs’ bar. This Legal Alert discusses those developments and puts them into perspective.

Restricting an employee’s activity while on leave is okay, a federal court ruled recently, stating that an employer may enforce work rules that require employees to "remain in the immediate vicinity" of their home while on sick leave.

Chief financial officers at some of the nation's largest banks and financial services firms are downright bullish on the U.S. economy's overall outlook but nagging concerns about health care reform and the uncertainty of those costs are tempering their optimism.