Description: The editors preview the articles in the February 2010 issue of Health Watch.

Description: A proposal to reform current health care market, from a 'preferred payer' system, in which Medicare and Medicaid pay less than the true cost while others must then pay more, to a 'value for money' system. This would be achieved by requiring providers to bill all patients the same rate for the same services, with a standard bundling format to make all providers' rate differences transparent. Differences between billed charges and what Medicare pays would be made up by the Medicare patient, rather than subsidized by those outside of Medicare.

Description: Comments about new Brazilian reinsurance rules, with brief historical summary of the regulation developments since the opening of the Brazilian reinsurance market.

Description: An overview of reinsurance training class provided to the Bermuda Monetary Authority (Authority) and Central Bank of Trinidad and Tobago (Central Bank) covering all aspects of reinsurance. Article also provides an overview of initiatives that the two regulators (Authority and Central Bank) are involved with.

Description: Ten Years of the Brazilian Insurance Market - —Lessons and Perspectives. Legal and historical comments about the opening of the Brazilian reinsurance market.

Description: This article offers a big picture of PRNR research, and provides brief summaries of research on risks, decisions, financial wellness, advice, and software.

Description: Income i.e., immediate annuities are insurance products that benefit from mortality pooling, so they can generate the highest level of lifetime “income now” per dollar of retirement assets put to work. Including an income annuity as a portion of a retirement portfolio often results in an immediate increase in the level of income generated by that portfolio while at the same time ensuring that a portion of the total income is payable for a lifetime.

Description: A review of the book Abundance by Steven Kotler and Peter H. Diamandis.

Description: This is an article adapted from LIMRA's 'Is There Magic in the Middle Market'? - a survey exploring the financial security needs of the middle market and the need and role of life insurance in meeting those needs.

Description: This essay focuses on elements of success in a system linked to employment.