Reuters reports:

Aetna Inc. said on Tuesday it agreed to sell its Missouri Medicaid business to WellCare Health Plans Inc. as part of its purchase of Coventry Health Care Inc. because their combined Missouri businesses had exceeded Medicaid membership limits.

Aetna said in August that it planned to buy Coventry for about $5.6 billion to [...]

Travelers last earnings report was released this morning.  Reuters reports:

Travelers Cos. Inc.’s quarterly profit fell by half on higher catastrophe losses from superstorm Sandy but the property insurer forecast higher premiums across its businesses.

The company’s net profit fell to $304 million, or 78 cents per share, in the fourth quarter from $618 [...]

Courant politics editor Rick Green on the idea of liability insurance for gun owners:

Time Is Ripe To Consider Liability Insurance For Gun Owners

As the gun debate heats up, one idea seems particularly suited for Connecticut to consider: liability insurance for gun owners.

This is the kind of mandatory insurance you have [...]

From Bloomberg News:

UnitedHealth Group Inc. (UNH), the largest U.S. provider of medical coverage, will join the Mayo Clinic in a research alliance designed to merge insurance records and medical data to find more efficient ways to deliver care.

The venture will focus on fundamental issues that may help standardize care in a way [...]

From Reuters:

MetLife Inc. said on Monday it had closed the sale of its deposit business to General Electric Co., a move that allows the U.S. insurer to drop its registration as a bank holding company and provides GE Capital with an alternative source of funding for its lending business.

The deal, for $6.4 billion [...]

Matthew Sturdevant has be temporarily detached from covering Connecticut’s insurance industry.  In the meantime, other business news reporters at The Hartford Courant will fill his shoes, covering the insurance industry and posting to Insurance Capital.

Questions and tips can be sent to Courant business editor Sandy Csizmar at scsizmar@courant.com.

The Hartford’s CEO Liam E. McGee had a brain tumor surgically removed “over the holidays,” and he will receive low-dose chemotherapy, the company said late Friday afternoon.

McGee, 58, retained his position as chairman, CEO and president of the property-casualty insurer during the procedure and his recovery. He plans to return to work Monday.

Imagine a device, smaller than an iPhone, that anyone can use to see everything about the way a particular car is driven — exact times, routes and speeds – and will send text and e-mail alerts when thresholds are surpassed.

The gadget being offered by Travelers Cos. works on any vehicle made after 1996 and [...]