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States eyeing insurance mandates; some insurers worried about new health venture

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States eyeing insurance mandates; some insurers worried about new health venture

California, Connecticut, Hawaii, Rhode Island, Washington, Minnesota, New Jersey, Vermont and the District of Columbia are weighing implementing measures to require residents to carry health insurance, The Wall Street Journal reported. The nine states are looking to replace the Affordable Care Act's individual mandate, which was repealed by Republican lawmakers in December 2017.

Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar gave Indiana permission to begin requiring Medicaid patients to work or engage in a similar activity like volunteering in order to qualify for health coverage. Indiana became the second state allowed to impose a work requirement after CMS' approval of Kentucky's waiver. A total of 11 states, headed by governors "on both sides of the aisle," have discussed imposing the work requirement with the department, Azar said.

Pursuant to a longevity reinsurance agreement, Prudential Financial Inc. unit Prudential Insurance Co. of America agreed to assume the longevity risk for approximately $1.8 billion of annuity liabilities held by Lloyds Banking Group Plc unit Scottish Widows Group Ltd.

Ambac Financial Group Inc. provided a preliminary estimate of between a net loss attributable to shareholders of $57 million and net income of $12 million for the fourth quarter of 2017. The company also expects to report a total comprehensive loss between $103 million and $184 million.

A new healthcare venture between JPMorgan Chase & Co., Amazon.com Inc. and Berkshire Hathaway Inc. aimed at reducing healthcare costs for their employees is causing concern for some clients of JPMorgan's investment banking arm, according to a report in The Wall Street Journal. Sources for the publication said a few large insurers aired their concerns to the bank's officials after the companies made the announcement and JPMorgan CEO James Dimon began working the phones on Jan. 30 in an effort to allay those concerns.

Total catastrophe bond issuance in 2018 is expected to be at least $10 billion, Artemis reported, citing Cory Anger, managing director, global head of insurance-linked securities origination and structuring at Guy Carpenter unit GC Securities.

A S&P Global Market Intelligence analysis shows that Liberty Mutual Holding Co. Inc. has since the recession shrunk its investments in cash and short-term properties by more than half while growing its stake in mortgage loans.

A common theme emerged when the National Association of Insurance Commissioners asked the industry to comment on possible revisions to its regulation for ensuring annuity transactions are in the best interest of customers: Stakeholders want to see harmonization across regulatory bodies.

Featured news

Bristol-Myers profit up; Pfizer unit attracts bids; Azar targets drug costs: The number of hospitalizations of Americans with the flu has reached the highest rates the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has ever recorded, Anne Schuchat, acting director of the agency, said in a media briefing. Schuchat also said there had been an additional 16 reports of children dying from the flu, bringing the total number of influenza-related pediatric deaths in the U.S. to 53.

Financial news in other parts of the world

Asia-Pacific: China fines 19 banks over loan fraud; Union Bank of India posts Q3 net loss

Europe: Deutsche's Postbank lawsuit drags on; Allianz bets on Sri Lanka

Middle East & Africa: CI Ratings downgrades Oman; South Africa fines Chinese bank branch

Latin America: 2 Bradesco execs face charges; bankruptcy filings in Brazil down 26.1% YOY

The day ahead

Early morning futures indicators pointed to a lower opening for the U.S. market.

In Asia, the Hang Seng was down 1.09% to 32245.22. The Nikkei 225 slid 2.55% to 22,682.08.

In Europe as of midday, the FTSE 100 declined 1.19% to 7,354.66, and the Euronext 100 was down 1.27 % to 1,030.28.

On the macro front

The U.S. Services Purchasing Managers' Index and the Institute for Supply Management non-manufacturing index are due out today.