Issue link: http://clhia.uberflip.com/i/578749
8 Life and Health Insurance Providers Canadians buy their life insurance, annuities and health insurance in a highly competitive marketplace. Not only by Canadian companies participate but also companies from the United States, Britain, other European countries and elsewhere that service the market through branch offices and Canadian subsidiaries. Nationally, 97 life insurers provide Canadians with an extensive selection of life insurance and wealth management product choices. At the same time, 127 companies (including 72 of those in the life insurance market) offer Canadians a diverse selection of health and disability insurance products. These life and health insurance providers employ 155,000 Canadians – 54,900 full-time managerial and administrative staff and 100,100 agents, including 14,200 agents working exclusively for one insurer and 85,900 independent insurance agents earning at least part of their income from the life and health insurance industry. In total, 68 life insurance companies, 9 fraternal benefit societies, and 2 not-for-profit health care benefit providers are licensed to conduct life and/or health business in British Columbia. Of these, two are headquartered in the province: one life insurance company and one not-for-profit health care benefit provider. In addition, some property and casualty insurers are also active in the health insurance market in the province. The people of British Columbia are served by an estimated 13,900 life and/or health insurance agents (both exclusive and independent), working from branch offices and agencies located throughout the province. In total, life and health insurance providers employed approximately 16,200 people in the province. Many thousands of additional jobs are created in the province, in whole or in part, through life and health insurers' investments in the province's economy.