Latest news with #Eastbridge
Yahoo
22-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Latest Eastbridge report examines market potential for voluntary sales
Large percentage of employees in many highly populated states lack voluntary coverage AVON, Conn., July 22, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Large states already generating high voluntary benefits sales may still offer strong market opportunities, according to Eastbridge Consulting Group's new "U.S. State ESI and EPI Data for 2024"report. The report shows many states producing some of the country's highest sales and in-force premium are still relatively under-penetrated due to the large number of workers in those states. "Some of the largest, most highly populated states can still offer some of the greatest potential to voluntary carriers," said Danielle Lehman, Eastbridge senior consultant. "For example, California and New York were in the top five in the country in new sales premium last year, but still rank relatively low compared to the number of people employed in those states." The "U.S. State ESI and EPI Data for 2024"report uses state-by-state data on sales and in-force premium reported by voluntary carriers that participate in Eastbridge's survey for its annual "U.S. Voluntary/Worksite Sales Report." The latest version includes state sales data for 42 carriers representing 88% of all voluntary sales last year, and two indexes: Eastbridge Sales Index (ESI) — A state-by-state measure of sales coverage that offers a useful picture of relative sales penetration in contrast to raw sales numbers. Eastbridge Premium Index (EPI) — An overall penetration measure based on in-force premium per employed person by state. The report also includes data by product and employer size. Carriers can use this information to compare their own sales and in-force results to the industry and help identify potential opportunities for growth. The "U.S. State ESI and EPI Data for 2024"report is offered at no charge to all companies that provide annual results by state. All carriers involved in the voluntary/worksite industry are eligible to participate. More information is available on Eastbridge's website or by contacting Eastbridge at info@ About Eastbridge Consulting GroupEastbridge Consulting Group, part of NMG Consulting, specializes in research, consulting and insights for companies in the voluntary/worksite benefits market in the United States and Canada. Follow Eastbridge on LinkedIn at NMG is a consulting firm providing strategic insights and analytics across insurance, wealth management and asset management. It operates internationally offering expertise in business strategy, performance benchmarking and distribution strategies. CONTACT: Ginger BatesEMAIL: gbates@ View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Eastbridge Consulting Group Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Telegraph
18-06-2025
- Politics
- Telegraph
Labour's nuclear dream has destroyed my home: inside the Sizewell C planning row
Eastbridge, a small Suffolk village two miles inland from the coast, surrounded by marshland, has looked much the same for centuries. Over the past year, however, it has been transformed. Huge swathes of the surrounding countryside have been dug into a strange lunar landscape of sand and soil to make way for construction associated with Sizewell C, including a vast accommodation campus for workers on the outskirts of the village. The scale of the site is only really clear from aerial photographs, which shows a patchwork of grey, orange and brown where there once was lush green. And this is just the beginning. Last week, the Government pledged £14.2 billion for the project at Sizewell, which will eventually provide low-carbon electricity for six million homes for a lifespan of 60 years. The only published overall cost for the scheme was £20 billion in 2020, but it has reportedly now ballooned to over £40 billion. Still a fair price, many argue, for a source of 'clean, homegrown power' – as Ed Miliband says – to future-proof Britain's energy security. Inevitably, however, it has faced fierce opposition from residents in the surrounding area, with some locals arguing the Government hasn't counted the true cost of the lengthy construction period and the damage to the natural landscape and neighbouring communities. Alison Downes, the director of Stop Sizewell C, began campaigning against the project in 2013 on the grounds of the impact on the local area. 'In the early days we were trying to persuade the project to amend its proposal, including the location of the [accommodation] campus at Eastbridge,' she says. 'It was of grave concern that it was proposed for 3,000 people – it's gone down a little bit, but not much.' Then, she says, as she learnt more about the project, 'all these other issues [came] to the fore.' Downes, a career campaigner, has wisely focused on scrutinising Sizewell on issues of national, rather than localised, importance. Stop Sizewell C argues that the project is bad value for money, will be too slow to address climate change (it will take at least 10-12 years to build, according to the EDF), and will ultimately load too much risk onto the taxpayer. Sizewell C is supposed to be built to almost exactly the same specifications as Hinkley Point C – which has spiralled in time and budget – using European pressurised water reactor (EPR) technology. 'It was very clear that the EPR reactor specifically had this terrible track record wherever it's been built,' says Downes. 'The local issues are still of great concern. But the main thrust of our campaign has been about those macro issues in terms of sizes, role in the UK's energy mix, about the sort of unpredictability of the delivery track record, cost over funds and budget, schedule overruns…' For others, the local impact still looms large. Peering through the metal fencing that encircles the 900-acre site are Chris Wilson and Jenny Kirtley, two other residents who have protested against the construction of Sizewell C for more than a decade. They are both part of the Together Against Sizewell C (TASC) group, the other of the local campaign groups. Kirtley, who grew up in nearby Leiston, says the site chosen for the project 'is not fit for purpose,' due to the country roads, the rapidly eroding coastline, and fact that the site is within the Suffolk Coasts and Heaths National Landscape and so should be protected. The RSPB has joined in protesting against the site on the basis of its proximity to the Minsmere nature reserve, saying last year that: 'We believe that wildlife will be damaged during the lengthy construction period and will be in a worse state once development is completed.' Kirtley hoped the change in government would mean a change in approach to the Sizewell C. It was granted planning permission under the Conservative government, by then-business secretary Kwasi Kwarteng, in July 2022 (despite the Examining Authority recommending it not be approved due to water supply and nature concerns). However, no such change has been forthcoming – instead, Labour have doubled down. In the words of Miliband, Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, Britain will enter a 'new golden age for nuclear' with the 'biggest building programme in a generation'. The scheme will ultimately be paid for by households and businesses through their electricity bills – this includes levies that will begin during the construction phase. 'Some of us have waited years for Labour to get in,' says Kirtley. 'Our last MP [Thérèse Coffey] was really the cause of all this, because she promoted East Anglia as the energy coast. So, I'm afraid Labour will never get in [here] again.' Wilson adds: 'They're just not protecting the area.' Last week's announcement of government funding has not deterred them; TASC have launched a new legal challenge against Sizewell C on the basis that large additional sea defences stretching inland would have to be installed in a 'credible maximum' climate change scenario; these were not included in the project's Development Consent Order (DCO) application and so were not subject to public scrutiny. Wilson's key concern, meanwhile, is the devastation the site would wreak on marine and wildlife, including in the adjacent RSPB Minsmere. TASC has claimed that more than 500m fish could be sucked into the new power station's cooling system if construction goes ahead. (The Government's Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (Cefas) has said the fish mortality rates caused by Sizewell C would be 'sustainable'.) When the site was approved, Wilson says, 'it was an ideological thing that just overrode all the environmental damage.' If it goes ahead, he says he will move. 'I just couldn't cope with seeing everything ripped up. I've been retired for 10 or 12 years now, and I've spent a lot of that retirement just fighting Sizewell C. I don't want to spend the last 10 years of my life just watching the destruction.' In the late 1980s and early 1990s, Kirtley also campaigned against neighbouring Sizewell B, and says it turned the next town over, Leiston, into an 'absolute nightmare' as the traffic worsened and an influx of temporary workers pushed prices up and caused trouble in the pubs. 'We went to visit two years into the build of Hinkley Point C, and you have no idea what the traffic was like,' says Kirtley. 'And Hinkley's feeder town is Bridgwater, which has a population of 50-60,000 – we've got 6,000 here in Leiston, and they are already struggling.' These concerns are borne out in the town centre. One young couple in Leiston say 'rent has doubled, or even tripled'. At the time of writing, family homes were listed online for £3,000-£4,000 a month. Nick Darcy, a pub landlord, also remembers the problems Sizewell B caused. 'They tell us that 'it'll be great for business,' but it's not,' he says. 'All that will happen is loads of contractors will come out, and we'll make marginally more money for about 70 per cent more hassle.' During the construction of Sizewell B, he explains, the town was a 'war zone' as locals clashed with out-of-town contractors and fights in the pubs were commonplace. Moreover, he argues the impact – both on traffic and the local environment – has already proved to be greater than the last time. 'A local ex-MP came in with leaflets against Sizewell C a couple of years ago, and I said, 'I run a bar in a nuclear town, that relies on nuclear business,' and wouldn't hear anything against it,' he continues. 'But now seeing them digging out my entire town in the process, my attitude has done a complete 180.' One of his patrons, who introduces himself as Terry, agrees. 'I helped build Sizewell B,' he says. 'This time, they've destroyed the place, ripped all the trees down. It's heartbreaking.' He recognises, however, that there are 'two sides to the story.' The other side, apart from the energy the new nuclear station will provide, is the jobs and opportunities Sizewell C says it will bring to the area. Last month, Sizewell C announced it would build a new post-16 college in the area, due to open in 2027; it has also pledged to deliver 500 jobs for people in Ipswich and 500 jobs for people in Lowestoft. However, critics argue that roughly half of the site's staff – and a much higher proportion of those in highly skilled roles – will be directly transplanted from its sister project at Hinkley Point. Downes describes the government's funding announcement as a 'massive blow.' Still, however, she hasn't given up on campaigning for the project to be dropped entirely. 'There are so many uncertainties down the line,' she says. 'Basically, it isn't over 'til it's over.'
Yahoo
17-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Eastbridge research shows supplemental health products driving voluntary benefits sales growth
Critical illness, hospital indemnity products led industry growth in 2024 AVON, Conn., June 17, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Supplemental health products produced industry-leading sales last year, significantly surpassing the voluntary/worksite market's average growth of 2%, according to Eastbridge Consulting Group's recent "U.S. Voluntary/Worksite Sales Report." The report shows critical illness product sales grew 13% over the previous year, followed by hospital indemnity/supplemental medical products with a 7% increase. Other supplemental health products also matched or exceeded the industry's average growth: Cancer sales were up 3% and accident sales increased 2%. The more traditional voluntary lines of life and disability coverage remained relatively stable or decreased slightly. "These sales trends may indicate employees are meeting their basic core needs with their employer-provided coverage, and are looking at supplemental health products more for protection against unexpected medical costs," said Danielle Lehman, Eastbridge senior consultant. Total sales across all voluntary lines rose for the fourth straight year in 2024, while in-force premium grew at a significantly stronger 4.5% rate. Eastbridge's "U.S. Voluntary/Worksite Sales Report" provides the industry's most comprehensive, reliable and current source of data available on voluntary/worksite sales and in-force premium. The new report includes data from 2000 through 2024 from 61 companies, primarily on group and individual life and health products. Other key findings in the report include: Term life insurance continues to hold the highest share of voluntary sales overall, with sales up slightly by 1%. Long-term disability sales decreased for the second straight year. Group voluntary products continue to dominate the market, accounting for 78% of all voluntary sales in 2024. Group sales increased 3% over 2023, while individual sales fell 1%. All participants in the study for the "U.S. Voluntary/Worksite Sales Report" receive a free copy of the complete findings, including company-specific results. Carriers interested in participating in next year's study can contact Eastbridge at info@ About Eastbridge Consulting GroupEastbridge Consulting Group, part of NMG Consulting, specializes in research, consulting and insights for companies in the voluntary/worksite benefits market in the United States and Canada. Follow Eastbridge on LinkedIn at NMG is a consulting firm providing strategic insights and analytics across insurance, wealth management and asset management. It operates internationally offering expertise in business strategy, performance benchmarking and distribution strategies. CONTACT: Ginger BatesEMAIL: gbates@ View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Eastbridge Consulting Group Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Latest Eastbridge study shows dental plans account for second-highest voluntary product sales
Dental trails only perennial powerhouse term life in share of sales AVON, Conn., June 11, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The majority of voluntary dental carriers saw sales premium growth last year, including several carriers with high double-digit increases, according to Eastbridge Consulting Group's recent "Voluntary Dental Products" Spotlight™ report. The report shows dental sales comprise more than 12% of all voluntary product sales. Dental sales have increased each of the past four years and have reached their highest level since before the pandemic. More than two-thirds of U.S. employers offer dental coverage on a voluntary, shared cost or employer-paid basis. "Flexibility and choice are important elements of any voluntary product, but they're especially vital for dental," said Danielle Lehman, Eastbridge senior consultant. "It's essential for carriers to provide options for product structure, benefits and networks." Eastbridge's "Voluntary Dental Products" Spotlight™ report provides data on current voluntary dental products collected from voluntary carriers in February through April 2025. It covers topics including benefit specifics, maximum benefit levels, coinsurance, deductibles and waiting periods, underwriting, enrollment, commissions, product results and future trends. Other key findings in the report include: Voluntary dental carriers say product differentiators focus on network strength and scope, customer service and flexible plan designs. Trends to watch in the market include regulatory changes and the ongoing impact of inflation. Information about purchasing the "Voluntary Dental Products" Spotlight™ report is available on Eastbridge's website. For more information contact Eastbridge at info@ About Eastbridge Consulting GroupEastbridge Consulting Group, part of NMG Consulting, specializes in research, consulting and insights for companies in the voluntary/worksite benefits market in the United States and Canada. Follow Eastbridge on LinkedIn at NMG is a consulting firm providing strategic insights and analytics across insurance, wealth management and asset management. It operates internationally offering expertise in business strategy, performance benchmarking and distribution strategies. CONTACT: EMAIL: Ginger Batesgbates@ View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Eastbridge Consulting Group Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
22-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Latest Eastbridge study shows continued focus on wellness benefits in voluntary coverage
Supplemental health products are most likely to include wellness benefits AVON, Conn., April 22, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Virtually all voluntary carriers offer a wellness benefit with at least one of their products, almost always as an optional benefit rather than embedded into their products, according to a new study from Eastbridge Consulting Group. Eastbridge's "Voluntary Wellness Benefits" Frontline™ Report shows accident, critical illness or hospital indemnity plans are the most likely to include a wellness benefit. "Carriers are expanding the wellness tests they cover with new screenings and preventive exams, and many take extra steps to encourage employees to take advantage of them," said Ginger Bates, Eastbridge director of research. "About half of carriers continue to promote these benefits even after the enrollment with customizable communication campaigns." The "Voluntary Wellness Benefits" Frontline™ Report identifies and benchmarks the wellness benefits carriers offer with voluntary products and the trends for wellness benefits in the voluntary/worksite market. It includes data collected in January and February 2025 from 41 carriers providing 42 responses. Carriers can use this information to compare their offerings to competitors active in the market and evaluate opportunities to become more successful. Other key findings in the report include: Employee use of wellness benefits varies widely, but averages 20% for carriers that track this information. Very few carriers require waiting periods or require insureds to incur a charge before paying wellness benefit claims. All carriers that track loss ratios for their wellness benefits say they are as expected or lower than expected. None say they are higher than expected. The "Voluntary Wellness Benefits" Frontline™ Report and other Frontline™ reports are available exclusively to survey participants and members of Eastbridge's Information Partner™ program. For information on the program or to participate in future Frontline™ report surveys, contact Eastbridge at info@ About Eastbridge Consulting GroupEastbridge Consulting Group, Inc. is a marketing advisory firm serving companies focused on the voluntary/worksite benefits market in the United States and Canada. Follow Eastbridge on LinkedIn at CONTACT: Ginger BatesEMAIL: gbates@ View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Eastbridge Consulting Group
