During our first year Health & Protection has tackled the breaking news and major issues of the industry and analysed the key trends driving the market.
We have also interviewed the key players taking on significant changes and making big waves – here we rundown those interviews that highlighted the year.
Early in the year Aviva launched guided pathways for its private medical insurance (PMI) offering. In an exclusive interview, Dr Subashini M explained how it would work and the evidence base behind it.
There was also the news that Stuart Scullion would be stepping down as executive chairman of the Association of Medical Insurers and Intermediaries (AMII) after six years leading the trade body.
The international private medical insurance world has been hugely influenced by regulation changes around the world and Amber Musson-Thorp of Lifecare International discussed what this meant for intermediaries.
Changes at the top
Summer brought with it exclusive first interviews following changes at the top of two leading insurers.
First was Isobel Langton who came in as CEO of The Exeter, and this was quickly followed by Sneh Khemka who took over the top job at Simplyhealth.
June was pride month and Health & Protection spoke to two members of the sector about their experiences. Shaun White of OneFamily and Nigel Ranger of MetLife told how they had navigated their careers including the need to hide their true selves.
Howden Employee Benefits executive director Robbie Weston gave an in-depth review of how the corporate advice market was working, highlighting inconsistencies in PMI pricing, the need for insurer transparency on policies and a potential sleep monitoring benefit.
Healix International appointed Charlie Butcher as its new CEO and in his first interview discussed opportunities in the US and collaborating with the firm’s sister company.
Louise Colley went from A to Z overnight, after leaving Aviva to take over as head of retail protection at Zurich in 2021. Colley explained her plans to overhaul the insurer’s structure, reputation and adviser reach.
Aviva also made a change to the leadership of its protection arm – bringing the group and individual businesses under the control of protection managing director Fran Bruce.
Bruce highlighted the future of adviser commission may be under the regulator’s microscope and also discussed potential changes to Aviva’s pricing, distribution, product evolution and the expansion of its direct-to-consumer proposition.
To round out the year, Health & Protection spoke to ex-England cricketer Allan Lamb (pictured) who is continuing to raise awareness to men about the risks of prostate cancer. But his campaign now has a more powerful and poignant edge following his recent treatment for the condition.