Today's Insurance Pulse
AI Elevates Workers’ Compensation from Automation to Strategic Augmentation
Artificial intelligence is shifting workers’ compensation from basic digitization to strategic augmentation, letting adjusters concentrate on high‑value tasks such as fraud detection and biopsychosocial care. Early‑intervention tools powered by wearables, IoT and computer vision are reshaping safety and claim outcomes. AI‑driven claim summarization and generative models speed up case resolution.
Also developing:
By the numbers: Korean Re raises $75M via multi‑peril retrocession
CyberCube’s Analytics Platform Broking Manager New Feature to Support International Cyber Market Growth
CyberCube has added a Regional Risk Transfer Benchmarking tool to its Broking Manager platform, giving brokers granular, geography‑specific cyber risk data for Asia‑Pacific, the Middle East and Africa, and Latin America. The feature lets intermediaries compare SME clients against regional peer groups and view financial exposure benchmarks, enhancing confidence in cyber insurance placement. By addressing regional buying behavior, CyberCube aims to unlock growth in the international cyber insurance market, especially among small‑to‑medium enterprises.
The Medicaid Maternity Cliff: 84% of Health Plan Leaders Expect Major Care Disruption in 2026
Sage Growth Partners’ Q1 2026 report flags a looming "Medicaid Maternity Cliff," with 52% of Medicaid‑enrolled pregnant women expecting to lose coverage after eligibility redeterminations. The study finds 84% of health‑plan leaders anticipate moderate to severe disruption in maternal and infant...
Insurer QBE Faces Investor Pressure Over Extreme Weather Risks
Australian Ethical Investment, which manages about $10 billion, is pressing QBE Insurance Group for more detail on its exposure to extreme‑weather risks. The pension fund, holding roughly $46 million of QBE shares, has filed a shareholder resolution backed by about 100 investors...
From Markets to Insurance: The Growing Importance of Rate Comparison in Pricing Efficiency
Consumers are moving from passive insurance renewals to active rate comparison, driven by digital platforms that provide real‑time pricing data. This shift mirrors price‑discovery practices in equity and bond markets, increasing transparency and exposing premium inefficiencies. Insurers now face heightened...
Organized Crime Reshapes Cargo Theft as Impersonation Tactics Mature Into Scalable Threat
Verisk CargoNet reported 767 supply‑chain crime events in Q1 2026, a 5.3% decline year‑over‑year, yet confirmed cargo thefts rose to 596 incidents, up 41 cases, with losses steady at $131.58 million. Organized‑crime groups are now targeting high‑value, easily resold goods and using...
Slide Expands Homeowners Coverage to California at ‘Critical Time’ for State
Slide Insurance Holdings has entered the California market with a new excess‑and‑surplus (E&S) residential property program, issuing its first policy in the state. The launch comes as several major carriers have scaled back or exited California, creating a coverage vacuum...
Baldwin Insurance Posts $378.8M Revenue and 11% Organic Growth in Q2 2025
Baldwin Insurance (BWIN) announced Q2 2025 results with total revenue of $378.8 million and organic growth of 11% across the company. Adjusted EBITDA rose 14% to $85.5 million, while the firm flagged headwinds in its IAS and UCTS segments and outlined guidance...
DOJ Sentences Two in $522 Million DNA Testing Fraud, Orders $149 Million Restitution
The Justice Department sentenced Reyad Salahaldeen and Mohamad Mustafa for orchestrating a $522 million nationwide DNA testing fraud that siphoned roughly $84 million from Medicare, Medicaid and private insurers. The court ordered more than $149 million in restitution and forfeiture, underscoring systemic weaknesses...
Berkshire Hathaway Flags Cyber Uncertainty and Holds Back on Data Centre Cover
Berkshire Hathaway’s insurance arm is deliberately holding back on two fast‑growing lines – cyber and data‑centre coverage. Vice Chairman Ajit Jain said the firm sees strong global demand for cyber policies but cannot reliably model aggregate exposure, and recent low...
Global Indemnity Group, LLC Reports First Quarter 2026 Financial Results
Global Indemnity Group posted a strong first‑quarter 2026, reporting operating income of $8.3 million ($0.57 per share) versus a $4.1 million loss a year earlier. Net income turned positive at $4.1 million ($0.29 per share) and the current accident‑year combined ratio improved to...
Explosion at Huasheng Fireworks Plant in Hunan Kills 26, Injures 61
A massive explosion at the Huasheng Fireworks Manufacturing and Display Co. in Liuyang, Hunan province killed 26 people and injured 61 on May 4, 2026. Local officials detained the plant’s head, ordered a shutdown of all fireworks production in the...
EverQuote Q1 2025 Revenue Jumps 83% to $166.6M on Carrier Spend and AI‑Driven Growth
EverQuote reported $166.6 million in Q1 2025 revenue, an 83% year‑over‑year rise, powered by a 175% jump in enterprise carrier spend and a 22% lift in agency operations. The insurtech firm also posted $8 million net income, $22.5 million adjusted EBITDA and a...
UP & Down Chart: 1,500+ EU and UK SCR Ratios 2024 – 2025
Solvency II Wire analyzed over 1,500 solo and group SFCR filings from EU and UK insurers, comparing 2024 to 2025 Solvency Capital Ratios (SCR). Fifty‑three percent of firms reported higher SCRs, while 80 insurers saw no change. The aggregate average ratio...
Cyber-Physical Risk: A Growing Concern for South African Companies
South African firms are confronting a surge in cyber‑physical risk, where cyberattacks can damage equipment, halt production, and trigger costly business interruption. Global incidents of physical impairment rose 146% in 2024, and Africa’s cyber‑insurance market—valued at roughly US$283 million—remains under‑penetrated, leaving...
Corgi Launches AI Liability Insurance
Corgi, a Y Combinator‑backed insurer that recently raised $108 million, has launched AI liability insurance for both AI providers and the businesses – including law firms – that use those tools. The offering centers on a modular endorsement (CORG‑TECH‑0038) that lets...
DOJ Weighs In on California Wildfire Coverage Fight Against State Farm
The U.S. Department of Justice filed a Statement of Interest in the California case Ferrier v. State Farm, where 60 homeowners are suing over wildfire insurance coverage. The filing does not decide the merits but signals that the federal government...
Pension Fund Pressures QBE Over Climate Risk to Profits
Australian Ethical Investment, a pension fund with about $10 billion under management, is pressuring QBE Insurance Group over the potential threat extreme weather poses to future profitability https://t.co/ze9SW0FzsE
SWIFT Trades Surge; SIPS, Alternatives Rise Fast in Asia
SWIFT $ trades hit a high at 51%. But SIPS and alternatives are growing quickly from a very low base. Global trade risk is evolving at an exponential pace and risk managers need to be alert to the consequences both...
Hotels Scrutinized in Wake of Sex Trafficking Cases
Recent multi‑million verdicts and settlements—$40 million, $17.5 million, $6 million and $5 million—have thrust sex‑trafficking risk into the spotlight for hotels. Insurers are tightening underwriting, adding sub‑limits, exclusions, and higher deductibles, and demanding proof of active anti‑trafficking controls. Hotels are responding with expanded employee...
Study Finds Weak Penalties for Medicare Advantage Rule Violations
A Brown University study published in JAMA Internal Medicine examined CMS enforcement of Medicare Advantage plans from 2010‑2023. It found that 87% of the 844 actions were modest monetary penalties, with fines averaging under $3 per enrollee and a peak...
2025 Truck Registrations Slip 16% as Fleets Turn to Mixed Powertrains
Class 8 tractor registrations dropped 16% in 2025, and registrations across diesel, natural‑gas, hydrogen and electric drivetrains all fell. Fleet managers responded by diversifying powertrains, mixing diesel, CNG, battery‑electric and emerging technologies to hedge against a freight recession, fuel price...
Physician‑Owned Hospitals Seek Voice in Medicare’s New TEAM Model
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has opened a public comment period through June 9 for physician‑owned hospitals to weigh in on the Transforming Episode Accountability Model (TEAM). Advocates say the move could give doctors more control over payment...
Widows Targeted by Fraudulent Life‑Insurance Calls; Data Brokers Urged to Tighten Opt‑Outs
Consumer advocates are pressing data‑broker firms to improve opt‑out mechanisms after a wave of life‑insurance scams preyed on grieving widows. Research shows 52.5% of crimes reported by Americans over 60 in 2023 were enabled by personal data online, highlighting a...
Global Indemnity Group LLC (GBLI) Q1 2026 Earnings Call Transcript
Global Indemnity Group reported a sub‑90% accident‑quarter combined ratio of 89.3%, delivering an $11 million underwriting profit and marking the first such improvement in years. Premium growth was uneven, with core Belmont up 9% driven by a 77% surge in assumed...
Bowhead Specialty Holdings Inc (BOW) Q1 2026 Earnings Call Transcript
Bowhead Specialty Holdings reported a 24% rise in gross written premiums to $862.8 million for 2025, driven primarily by a 28% surge in casualty business. Adjusted net income jumped 30% to $55.6 million, while the expense ratio slipped below 30%...
UT Austin Students Win Spencer-RIMS Challenge
A University of Texas at Austin risk‑management team captured the top spot in the 2026 Spencer‑RIMS Student Risk Management Challenge at Riskworld, earning a $10,000 cash prize. The competition, which drew 53 teams from 12 countries, required participants to devise...
California Seeks ‘Historic’ Fine Against State Farm: Just $2 Million
California’s Department of Insurance announced it will seek a record $2 million penalty against State Farm, the state’s largest homeowner insurer, for mishandling wildfire claims from the 2025 Los Angeles fires. A market‑conduct exam of 220 claims uncovered 398 statutory violations across...
Comer Targets CPT System ‘Complexity,’ Citing Concerns Over Fraud, Rising Health Spending
House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer warned that the American Medical Association’s Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) code system is overly complex, creating loopholes for fraud and inflating federal health‑care spending. He has asked the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services...
Casinos Ramp up Tech, Coverage for Emerging Risks
Casino operators are accelerating the use of advanced security technologies such as facial‑recognition cameras, metal detectors, and coordinated police drills to counter rising active‑shooter and violent‑incident threats. At the same time, cyber‑risk mitigation has intensified after high‑profile malware attacks on...
AI-Fueled Fraud Creates New Cybercrime Frontier for Risk Managers
At the Riskworld conference, The Hartford’s cyber‑risk leader warned that AI is reshaping fraud, with deepfakes, business email compromise and payment‑transfer scams now eclipsing traditional ransomware. Threat actors use AI‑generated voices and videos to impersonate executives, while automated social‑engineering tools...
Medigap Premiums Spike Up to 45% as Medicare Advantage Payments Rise Only 2.7%
Retirees are confronting steep Medigap premium hikes—up to 45% for Chubb policies and 12‑26% across major carriers—while Medicare Advantage plans see a modest 2.7% payment increase from CMS. The diverging trends intensify the choice between supplemental coverage and private Medicare...
McClatchy Media Endorses Patrick Wolff for California Insurance Commissioner Amid Wildfire Crisis
McClatchy Media has endorsed financial analyst and licensed P&C agent Patrick Wolff for California insurance commissioner, arguing his industry expertise is essential as insurers abandon homeowners policies after the 2025 wildfires. The endorsement highlights mounting pressure to modernize Proposition 103 and...
Allstate, AIG, and Arch Just Posted Their Best Quarters in Years
Allstate, AIG and Arch Capital reported record Q1 2026 earnings, each posting dramatically higher net income and underwriting profit as hard‑market pricing and lower catastrophe losses flowed through. Allstate’s net income jumped to $2.4 billion, AIG’s underwriting income rose 219% to...
Executives Warn AI Risks Are Outpacing Regulation
Executives at Aon's Riskworld conference warned that generative AI is being adopted at "hyper" speed, outpacing both compliance and regulatory oversight. They highlighted that tools like ChatGPT, Claude and Pi are already influencing decision‑making, risk analysis and operational efficiency across...
Pinnacle Bankshares Corporation Announces First National Bank’s Sale of Membership in Bearing Insurance Group, LLC
Pinnacle Bankshares Corporation announced that its subsidiary, First National Bank, completed the sale of its membership interest in Bearing Insurance Group, LLC on May 1, 2026. The company estimates a pre‑tax gain of roughly $3.8 million, which will be reflected in its...
Corporate Buyers Increasingly Filling Gaps with Parametric Cover
Parametric insurance is gaining traction among corporate buyers across multiple sectors as they seek to fill gaps in traditional property programs. Swiss Re Corporate Solutions’ senior vice president Megan Linkin said companies are using parametric cover to fund deductibles, emergency...
Claims Complexity, Talent Gaps Reshape Risk Landscape
A panel at the Riskworld conference warned that claims are growing more complex and longer‑tailed, driven by social inflation, emerging risks and a surge in high‑value nuclear verdicts. New technologies such as autonomous vehicles are blurring traditional coverage boundaries, while...
How Small Business Insurance Is Evolving: Balancing Speed, Data, and Underwriting Discipline
Small business insurers are shifting toward frictionless, auto‑populated quoting platforms that mimic consumer‑grade software. Carriers like Philadelphia Insurance Companies use prefill technology and external data—credit scores, public records, and property details—to cut agent keystrokes and improve pricing accuracy for policies...
Court Confirms when a Worker Is a Dog’s ‘Owner’
Ontario’s Dog Owners’ Liability Act (DOLA) expands the legal definition of a dog’s owner to anyone who has care and control of the animal at the time of an incident. A court upheld that a part‑time dog walker was the...
Westcap Launches Excess Liability Product
Westcap Insurance Services introduced an Excess Liability product aimed at construction and manufacturing clients, adding a supplemental layer above primary policies. The coverage is designed for complex, evolving risk profiles and will initially launch in eight western states, with plans...
Lemonade Shares Drop 15% After Q1 2026 Earnings Miss Expectations
Lemonade Inc. saw its shares close about 15% lower after reporting Q1 2026 earnings that featured a 71% revenue surge yet a net loss of roughly $36 million. The mixed results underscore the tension between rapid top‑line growth and the need...
Avoid Gap Fill Losses: Use Puts for Protection
Long ago, when I was working at HP, when my colleagues did this, they were routinely stopped out, often *below* their stop limit. Most stop loss orders become market orders when triggered, so if the price has gapped below...
California Alleges State Farm Law Violations Post-2025 LA Wildfires
California says State Farm violated the law in handling of insurance claims after 2025 LA wildfires https://t.co/ZaxKuiQCJW
What They’ll Be Talking About at Riskworld
Riskworld, the RIMS‑organized mega‑conference in Philadelphia, is expected to host more than 10,000 risk professionals. Speakers highlighted a "polycrisis" environment where multiple, interlinked threats—from Middle‑East conflicts to AI‑driven disruptions—are reshaping enterprise risk. CFOs will grapple with budget uncertainty as geopolitical...
AI's Future Depends on New Insurance Risk Models
Every new capability in the history of markets is underpinned by insurance. By socializing the risk, we create the conditions for adoption at scale, and innovation at the frontier. If AI is a new capability, then it needs a new...
Iran War Strains Global Business Travel, as Companies Adjust Meeting Plans
A Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) poll shows the Iran‑Israel conflict is straining corporate travel, with 76% of ticket‑purchasing decision‑makers reporting moderate or significant impact and 83% of travel suppliers seeing material effects on customers. Half of firms have altered...
Business Leaders Recast Insurance as Strategic Resilience Tool, Not Just a Cost
A new WBN‑MarshBerry study finds 43% of executives now view commercial insurance as a performance driver, while only 3% treat it as a mere expense. Cybersecurity, AI and economic volatility top the risk agenda, with 48% citing cyber threats as...
New Study Suggests Federal Action to Cut Rising Insurance Costs
A Vanderbilt Policy Accelerator analysis, obtained by the AP, finds U.S. insurers are overcharging by roughly $150 billion annually, citing a loss‑ratio drop to 62 cents per $1 premium in 2024 versus 80 cents in the 1980s‑90s. The report proposes federal loss‑ratio guardrails...
Reserv Raises $125M to Transform Insurance Claims
Reserv, the New York‑based AI claims platform, closed a $125 million Series C round led by KKR, with participation from Bain Capital Ventures, Flourish Ventures and strategic insurers. The funding comes as the company reports $100 million in annual recurring revenue just four...
Sedgwick Announces Omni, a Fully Integrated Digital Ecosystem for Claims
Sedgwick unveiled Omni, a fully integrated digital ecosystem that combines its massive claims data set with purpose‑built AI and machine learning. The platform automates document summarization, digital triage, severity modeling, reserving, fraud detection and quality oversight, aiming to deliver faster,...