Compliance

With mid-term congressional elections bearing down, the government changed its regulation of Obamacare, which will give insurers more time to sign up customers.

The Obama administration, which has been deliberating the issue since November, is expected to announce today the extension of the health plans.

Health insurers such as WellPoint and Humana stand to gain $5.5 billion next year to cover losses from Obamacare in a program the law’s opponents label a bailout.

Application is designed to enable data to be submitted, validated, corrected and approved through a Web browser by a system based on AAISdirect.

Experts say the framework is ultimately likely to be cited in data breach litigation, other consumer claims and even by regulators as a baseline that all institutions must follow.

The Fed is working on how to tailor capital and liquidity rules to insurance firms, says Fed Gov. Daniel Tarullo.

A survey of financial services executives finds companies investing in technology, people and processes, yet readiness levels are low and stress levels are high.

Insurance CEOs are overwhelmingly optimistic about growth and hiring, but more than half are concerned about their ability to manage technological change and new market entrants, according to survey.

Mark Bertolini tells investors health plans allowed to continue in 2014 though they don’t comply with new Obamacare rules may be extended for as long as three years.

Health plans offered through government-run insurance exchanges may be required to cover 30 percent of "essential community providers" in each county in 2015, an increase from 20 percent this year.

Reforms, supported by Obama administration, would increase premiums.

HB 2662, introduced for the 2014 legislative session, would authorize insurers to conduct all transactions with policyholders over the Internet.

Two people with knowledge of the matter say any decision could be months away.

Obamacare has always depended, both operationally and politically, on an alliance between the administration and insurance companies. But that alliance is vulnerable.

Nearly all insurers also expect Congress will reauthorize the Terrorism Risk Insurance Act, according to I.I.I. survey, which revealed deeply divided economic outlooks.

Many will stop selling universal life with secondary guarantees and half expect to make major design and pricing changes; CFOs to make only moderate changes to staffing levels despite lack of in-house talent.

"Uncertainty" sums up the regulatory environment for insurers in all lines in 2014.

DTCC Automates Instruction for Corporate Actions Processing

ACA Premium Deadline Extended 10 days by Insurers

Industry associations and experts had a lot to say about the FIO report, even though there wasn’t much new information in it.