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• UPDATE 1-Humana quarterly profit falls, but beats expectations

  Feb 4- Humana Inc reported lower fourth-quarter earnings that still exceeded its own and analysts' expectations as the health insurer kept control of rising costs.

• Humana says fourth-quarter profit falls

  Feb 4- Health insurer Humana Inc said on Monday that fourth-quarter earnings had fallen as a rise in operating expenses outpaced its increase in revenue. The company reported net income of $192 million, or $1.19 a share, down from $199 million, or $1.20 per share, a year earlier.

• Hong Kong shares end lower, China hits multi-month highs

  *China insurers slide after HSBC's Ping An stake sale approval. HONG KONG, Feb 4- Hong Kong shares reversed early gains to end lower in choppy Monday trade, as investors took profit on the Chinese insurance sector after mainland regulators approved HSBC's sale of its remaining stake in Ping An Insurance.

• Hong Kong shares close down 0.2 pct, Chinese insurers drag

  HONG KONG, Feb 4- Hong Kong shares reversed early gains on Monday, as investors took profit on Chinese insurers after mainland regulators approved HSBC's sale of its remaining stake in Ping An Insurance. *Ping An Insurance dropped 2.8 percent to HK $68.90 in an intra-day reversal, but stayed above the HK $59 per share level that HSBC had priced its stake sale.

• Hong Kong shares to open up 0.6 pct, Ping An Insurance jumps

  HONG KONG, Feb 4- Hong Kong shares are set to start the week stronger on Monday, helped by a 2.5 percent jump in Ping An Insurance after China approved the sale of HSBC's remaining stake in the mainland's second-largest insurer. The Hang Seng Index was set to open up 0.6 percent at 23,866.8.

• Insuring Against Severe Weather 

  

  Shivan Subramaniam, CEO, FM Global explains how his company insures commercial real estate. He discusses his firm's, and the sector's response in the face of Hurricane Sandy & Cyclone Oswald.

• BAY STREET-Rich valuations pose risk to Canada insurer shares

  TORONTO, Feb 3- After ringing up share-price gains last year that led the market, Canada's life insurers look ripe for a setback even if they post blockbuster quarterly results over the next couple of weeks.

• UPDATE 4-Obama offers compromise on birth control health coverage

  WASHINGTON, Feb 1- The Obama administration on Friday sought to settle a dispute with some religious leaders over the inclusion of contraceptives in employees' health insurance plans by proposing to separate birth control from other benefits.

• UPDATE 2-White House strikes compromise on birth control coverage

  WASHINGTON, Feb 1- The Obama administration on Friday offered a compromise on controversial new health care rules that would allow religious employers to exclude contraceptives from health insurance for their employees, but would still guarantee those employees access to free coverage for birth control.

• Abortion insurance bill creates Wash. state debate

  OLYMPIA, Wash.-- Abortion rights supporters and opponents packed a Washington state House hearing Thursday and debated a measure that would require insurers to pay for the procedure.

• Blame Climate Change for Insurance Rate Hikes: Travelers CEO

  

  Travelers has been raising insurance premiums for three years because of severe weather patterns, said Chairman and CEO Jay Fishman told CNBC.

• UPDATE 2-China approves HSBC sale of remaining $7.4 bln Ping An stake

  Payment for shares made in cash- HSBC. HONG KONG, Feb 1- China has approved the sale of HSBC's remaining $7.4 billion stake in Ping An Insurance to a group controlled by Thailand's richest man, allowing completion of the biggest equity purchase in the country by a foreign investor.

• Travelers' CEO on America's 'Overdraft' Crisis 

  

  Jay Fishman,The Travelers Companies chairman & CEO, talks about his company's growth plans, and sheds some light on the depth and impact of the nation's debt crisis.

• UPDATE 1-China approves HSBC sale of remaining $7.5 bln Ping An stake

  HONG KONG, Feb 1- China has approved the sale of HSBC's remaining $7.5 billion stake in Ping An Insurance to a group controlled by Thailand's richest man, giving the green light to the country's biggest inbound M&A deal.

• China approves HSBC sale of remaining $7.5 bln Ping An stake

  HONG KONG, Feb 1- China has approved the sale of HSBC's remaining $7.5 billion stake in Ping An Insurance to a group controlled by Thailand's richest man, giving the green light to the country's biggest inbound M&A deal. Ping An announced the approval in a filing on the Shanghai stock exchange just hours before a deadline for a decision.

• China shares post best week since October 2011, outshine Hong Kong

  *China brokers, insurers lead afternoon A-share climb. *China property weak on fears of more curbs. HONG KONG, Feb 1- China shares closed out their best week in 15 months, helped by an afternoon surge on Friday that also lifted the Hong Kong market from earlier losses rooted in news an official survey of manufacturing activity in China lagged expectations.

• UPDATE 1-US proposes contraceptives rules for religious nonprofits

  WASHINGTON, Feb 1- The Obama administration laid out its blueprint for providing contraceptive coverage for employees at nonprofit religious organizations on Friday, proposing rules that would contain benefits within separate individual insurance plans without cost to the employer.

• Report warns of US state inactivity on consumer health reforms

  WASHINGTON, Feb 1- Only 11 of the 50 U.S. states have moved to implement new consumer safeguards under President Barack Obama's healthcare law, raising questions about how major health insurance reforms will be enforced, a report released on Friday says.

• Chubb's Q4 profit drops on big Sandy costs

  WARREN, N.J.-- Property and casualty insurer Chubb Corp. on Thursday said fourth-quarter net income dropped 77.4 percent as it suffered heavy costs related to Superstorm Sandy. Chubb bought back 369,900 shares at a total cost of $28 million, or an average cost of $76.54 a share, during the fourth quarter.

• On the Call: Aetna Chairman, CEO Mark Bertolini

  Goldman Sachs analyst Matthew Borsch asked Aetna officials about this possibility during a Thursday morning conference call to discuss the insurer's fourth-quarter. The insurer earned $190.1 million, or 56 cents per share, on $8.96 billion in revenue, not counting one-time items. Aetna Chairman and CEO Mark Bertolini responded to Borsch.