Today's Insurance Pulse
Heritage trims reinsurance program, saving $63.2M
Heritage Insurance Holdings renewed its 2026 reinsurance and catastrophe‑bond program with a total limit of $2.2 billion, down from $2.5 billion placed in 2025. The renewal includes $712 million of multi‑year coverage, $550 million from cat bonds and $162 million from private markets. Pricing softness allowed Heritage to cut renewal costs by $63.2 million.
Also developing:
Presurance Holdings Reports 2025 Fourth Quarter Financial Results
Presurance Holdings reported a sharp decline in Q4 2025 gross written premiums, falling 42% to $7.9 million as the company completed its exit from commercial lines, which generated zero premium in the quarter. Personal lines premium increased 12.7% year‑over‑year, now representing 100% of the company’s written premium mix. The underwriting results remained weak, with a loss ratio of 287% and a combined ratio of 334%, driving a net loss of $17 million, or $1.39 per share. Management emphasized the ongoing run‑off of legacy commercial business and a strategic focus on personal homeowners lines to improve risk‑adjusted returns.
Clarify Terms, Payment, and Liability Before Consigning Art
Questions to answer before you consign art: Length of the term. How and when you get paid for sales. Party responsible for packing, shipping, handling, installing, etc. Party liable for loss, damage, theft. Party responsible for insuring the art. Insurance...
Deal Insurance Gets Pricier After Years of Decline: Marsh
Transactional risk insurance premiums are climbing after years of decline, as a wave of larger, more complex M&A deals revives demand for protection. In 2025, Marsh’s report shows average representations and warranties (R&W) premiums rose 16% in North America, 8%...
A 'Federal Property Reinsurer' Would Benefit State and Local Governments
Researchers from Brookings propose a federal property reinsurer, dubbed US Re, to backstop severe catastrophe risk for U.S. homeowners insurers. By absorbing the most expensive events, the entity could lower premiums, which rose 28% inflation‑adjusted from 2017‑2024, and keep insurers in...
Why Passing Every Check No Longer Means Safe
The article shows that a cargo theft can succeed even when a carrier clears every standard verification—insurance, VIN, tracking—because the actual person handling the freight may be fraudulent. In a recent case, a load moved normally for three days before...
Swiss Re Flags Accumulation Risk in Data Centres as Key Underwriting Challenge
Swiss Re’s Institute report warns that the rapid expansion and technical complexity of data centres, especially those powering AI workloads, are creating major underwriting challenges. Global data‑centre insurance premiums are projected to more than double to $24.2 bn by 2030, reflecting...
XS Global Appoints Daniel Abramson as Head of Construction Underwriting, APAC
XS Global has expanded its Asia‑Pacific footprint with the launch of XS Global Asia Pacific Ltd (XSGAP) in Hong Kong and now appoints Daniel Abramson as Head of Construction Underwriting for the region. Abramson brings over 25 years of underwriting...
FDIC Overturns 2009 Rule, Clearing Path for Private Equity to Acquire Failed Banks
The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation and the Federal Reserve announced on March 23 that they have repealed a 2009 rule that limited private‑equity participation in bank resolutions. The change lets non‑bank investors submit bids on failed institutions, a shift that...
Details Unavailable: Insurer Coverage Denial Story Lacks Source Confirmation
A reported case of a patient being denied insurance coverage for a medically diagnosed condition cannot be substantiated with the provided sources. No specific numbers, parties, or quotes are available, and details were not disclosed.
SEADRIF and AHA Centre Sign Agreement to Advance Disaster Risk Financing in Southeast Asia
SEADRIF Insurance Company and the ASEAN Coordinating Centre for Humanitarian Assistance (AHA Centre) signed a Memorandum of Intent in Bali to strengthen disaster risk financing across Southeast Asia. The pact creates a framework for improved disaster impact reporting and explores...
PERILS Estimates €586m Insured Market Loss From Storm Nils
Extratropical windstorm Nils struck southwest France in mid‑February, generating €586 million (≈$633 million) in insured losses, primarily on property and motor lines. The storm cut power to 900,000 households, caused flooding in the Garonne, Dordogne and Charente basins, and heightened avalanche risk...
Insurance Europe Flags Proportionality Concerns in Response to Eiopa IRRD Consultations
Insurance Europe, the EU’s leading insurance trade body, has responded to the European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority’s (Eiopa) draft consultations on the Insurance Distribution Directive (IRDD). While it endorses the overarching consumer‑protection and market‑integrity objectives, the association warns that...
The Material Evolution in Bermuda's Approach to Insurance Regulation
Bermuda’s insurance regulator, the BMA, is overhauling its supervisory framework to better manage asset‑intensive reinsurance, the surge in private‑credit fund participation, and the growing use of artificial intelligence. The new rules tighten capital adequacy, demand granular asset reporting, and introduce...
Continued Middle East Conflict Drives ‘New Equilibrium’ in Terrorism and Political Violence Reinsurance: WTW
WTW says the prolonged Middle East conflict is establishing a new baseline for terrorism and political violence reinsurance. Insurers are now offering reduced line sizes, tighter terms, and higher rates. Capacity outside the MENA region remains near $8.5 billion, with only...
Aon Adds US SCS to Its Automated Event Response Service
Aon has broadened its Automated Event Response (AER) platform to cover U.S. severe convective storms (SCS), adding daily loss modeling and real‑time analytics. The move follows 2025 data showing SCS generated $52 billion in U.S. insured losses, the highest‑cost peril of...
AM Best Affirms Sompo’s Ratings Following Aspen Acquisition
AM Best removed the under‑review status and affirmed an A+ (Superior) Financial Strength Rating for Sompo Japan Insurance, with a stable outlook, alongside an aa‑ Long‑Term Issuer Credit Rating carrying a positive outlook. The agency also affirmed an a‑ rating...
TMK Adds Francesca Kevill as Underwriter to Its Cyber & Enterprise Risk Team
Specialist insurer Tokio Marine Kiln (TMK) has appointed Francesca Kevill as an underwriter on its Cyber & Enterprise Risk team, reporting to Head of Delegated Cyber & IP Ellie Webb. Kevill brings extensive cyber underwriting experience from Tokio Marine Australia,...
Hartford HealthCare and KHealth Deploy PatientGPT AI Chatbot to Streamline Care and Underwriting
Hartford HealthCare and KHealth introduced PatientGPT, a generative AI chatbot that plugs into Epic’s MyChart platform and can route patients to clinicians 24/7. The tool arrives as 32% of adults already turn to AI for health advice, raising questions about...
Florida Appeals Court Axes 62‑Year‑Old Expert‑Witness Rule on Attorney Fees
The Florida 6th District Court of Appeals struck down a 62‑year‑old procedural rule that forced parties to hire expert witnesses for attorney‑fee awards. The decision, described as a “sea change,” could slash defense costs for insurers and streamline fee‑shifting disputes...
Health Insurers’ Negative Outlook Remains, as High Medical Costs Erase Margins
Moody’s has kept a negative outlook on the U.S. health‑insurance sector, citing persistent medical‑cost inflation that is crushing profit margins. EBITDA margins have slipped into the low‑single‑digit range as loss ratios climb faster than premium hikes. Insurers are expected to...
Total Losses From March Kona Storms in Hawaii Said to Be at Least $1bn: Aon
Aon’s latest catastrophe report estimates that the back‑to‑back Kona storms that battered Hawaii in March 2024 will generate at least $1 billion in combined economic and insured losses. The two‑week deluge produced record rainfall—over 52 inches at mountain peaks—the heaviest event...
Louisiana to Modernise Captive Laws, Targets Captives Insuring Commercial Trucking
Louisiana lawmakers have introduced three bills aimed at modernizing the state’s captive insurance framework, with a particular focus on entities that underwrite commercial trucking risks. House Bills 936 and 904 would tighten capital requirements, impose stricter governance standards, and broaden...
Architects’ Mutual the Wren to Shut Down Due to High Number of Cladding Claims
The Wren Insurance Association Limited, a mutual insurer that provides professional indemnity coverage for architects, will cease writing new business on 1 July 2026. The decision follows a surge in cladding‑related claims that have strained the mutual’s capacity. Wren remains...
Reinsurance News | March 2026
In this March 2026 news blast, hosts Jared and Ben discuss three major reinsurance trends: the controversial $20 billion U.S.-backed Hormuz Strait reinsurance plan announced by Donald Trump, the surge in secondary perils driving 92% of 2025 losses according to Swiss...
Lagos State Secures up to US$7.5m Parametric Flood Insurance Coverage
The Lagos State government has launched a parametric flood‑risk insurance policy covering up to 4 million vulnerable residents, with a maximum payout of $7.5 million for flood response and recovery. The product is part of the Tripartite Agreement Programme, a public‑private partnership...
DOJ Sues NewYork‑Presbyterian Over Market Power, Claiming Higher Premiums
The U.S. Department of Justice has filed an antitrust lawsuit against NewYork‑Presbyterian Hospital, alleging the health system leverages its 30% Manhattan market share to compel insurers into costly, all‑or‑nothing contracts. The suit says the practice inflates premiums for millions of...
GAM: Swiss Re ILS Partnership Enhanced Liquidity, Improved Dealing Terms. New Products Planned
GAM Investments announced that its catastrophe bond and insurance‑linked securities (ILS) partnership with Swiss Re’s SRILIAC subsidiary is now fully activated, bringing together multi‑billion‑dollar ILS assets. The co‑management arrangement grants GAM access to Swiss Re’s underwriting expertise, risk management and...
Iran War Shows China’s Urgent Need to Plug Maritime Insurance Gap: Expert
Recent conflicts, from the US‑Israel war on Iran to the Russia‑Ukraine crisis, have highlighted China's dependence on foreign maritime insurance providers. Expert Chen Jihong warned that while China excels in shipbuilding hardware, its "software"—legal and financial services like insurance—remains underdeveloped....
Trump Team Claims Successes Against ACA Fraud While Pushing for More Controls
The Trump administration touts recent reductions in Affordable Care Act (ACA) enrollment fraud while unveiling a sweeping set of 2027 regulations aimed at tightening eligibility verification and curbing broker misconduct. Complaints about unauthorized enrollments climbed to 341,906 in 2025, prompting...
David Carlin's Weekly Digest: Mar 23 - 27 2026
A new World Meteorological Organization assessment shows Earth’s energy imbalance accelerating, with over 90% of excess heat stored in oceans, intensifying systemic climate risks. Swiss Re data reveal secondary perils such as wildfires, floods and storms now account for 92%...
Global Risk Concentrates in Few Nations, Demands Selective Exposure
Global risk isn’t evenly distributed. In 2026, a small group of countries - including Belarus, Lebanon, Sudan, and Venezuela - sit at the top of the global risk ranking, with premiums around 30.9%. At the other end, only 19 countries globally have risk levels below...
Credit Score Affects Home Insurance Like Disaster Risk
Your credit has as much of an impact on your homeowners insurance premium as whether or not you live in a disaster-prone area. https://t.co/PQ2K1kvGSE
How to Use a Risk Prioritization Matrix: Step By Step
A risk prioritization matrix transforms vague risk lists into a structured grid that plots likelihood against business impact, enabling teams to spot the most threatening issues at a glance. The guide outlines a seven‑step process—from building a clean risk inventory...
Questioning Anti‑Tiering Clauses: Policy Recommendations Still Relevant
is there any rationale for allowing anti-tiering, anti steering, and "all or nothing" clauses in hospital contracts with insurers? Barring these was one of the centerpieces of our healthcare competition policy recommendations almost a decade ago https://t.co/8PPf8H5iMw
Another Round of Crop Insurance; Update From the Policy Design Lab
The Policy Design Lab released interactive county‑level visualizations of USDA’s crop insurance data for 2014‑2024, highlighting stark geographic imbalances. Midwest counties, such as those in Illinois, consistently pay more in premiums than they receive in indemnities, while counties like Gaines...
AI and Law Firm Risk – the View of Professional Indemnity Insurers
Law firms are rapidly adopting generative AI for tasks ranging from client chatbots to document drafting, prompting insurers to reassess professional indemnity coverage. While AI promises efficiency, it introduces liability exposures such as hallucinated content, confidentiality breaches, IP infringement, and...
Social Security Benefit Cuts Spark Retiree Concerns, Details Unavailable
Retirees and policy analysts are voicing alarm over announced Social Security benefit cuts, yet the latest reports provide no concrete figures or timelines. The uncertainty underscores broader debates about the sustainability of public insurance programs.
Launch Setbacks Hit Isar Aerospace and Japan's Space One, Shaking Confidence in Emerging Providers
Isar Aerospace halted its second test flight over Norway after a fisherman entered the launch safety zone, while Japan's startup Space One scrapped a Kairos No. 3 launch seconds before liftoff. The twin incidents underscore growing reliability worries for fledgling launch...
China Can Become Golden Area for Captive Opportunity – Yves Betz
China’s rapidly expanding multinational corporations are creating a fertile market for captive insurance structures, with Hong Kong positioned as the regional hub. Yves Betz, head of AXA XL Multinational Solutions, highlighted this emerging opportunity in an exclusive Global Captive Podcast...
‘This Is Crazy’: Health Experts Call for Changes to the No Surprises Act
The No Surprises Act, enacted in 2020 to shield patients from unexpected medical bills, relies on an Independent Dispute Resolution (IDR) process when insurers and providers cannot agree on payment. Health‑care leaders now warn that the IDR system is being...
AHA: Anthem Facility Administrative Policy Sets Providers up to Fail
The American Hospital Association (AHA) warns that Anthem’s new facility administrative policy forces hospitals in 12 states to guarantee every physician treating an Anthem enrollee is in‑network. Non‑compliance could cut hospital reimbursements by roughly 10% or result in removal from...
US Insurance Program to Support Hormuz Shipping to Begin Soon
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced that the U.S. insurance and naval‑escort program for vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz will launch imminently, aiming to revive oil and gas flows that account for roughly one‑fifth of global supply. The initiative, run...
Lawyer’s E&O Insurer Owes No Defense in Trade Secret Theft Case
A U.S. District Judge in Georgia ruled that ALPS Property & Casualty Insurance Co. has no duty to defend attorney Jeremy Cohen in a trade‑secret theft lawsuit because the alleged conduct does not fall within the scope of legal services....
Utah Court Limits Employer Liability Waiver Rule, Revives Ski Resort Defense
The Utah Supreme Court narrowed a century‑old rule barring employer liability waivers, limiting its reach to injuries that occur within the scope of employment. In Deer Valley Resort Co. v. Olson, the court upheld dismissal of vicarious liability claims but...
Hiring Slowdown, Wage Growth Create Mixed Outlook for Comp: NCCI
The National Council on Compensation Insurance (NCCI) reports that hiring slowed dramatically in 2025, with only 116,000 net job gains—the weakest pace outside a recession since 2003. Despite the weak labor market, rising wages kept workers‑compensation payroll growth near pre‑pandemic...
Prove It: What Surety Underwriters Seek in Contractors
Surety underwriters are tightening criteria as U.S. contractors chase larger megaprojects and face rising labor and material costs. They focus on three pillars—capital, capacity, and character—requiring strong profitability, liquid balance sheets, and disciplined growth. Digital tools are helping evaluate smaller...
Axa XL Offers Pollution, General Liability Package Policy
Axa XL introduced an environmental combined form that bundles pollution insurance with general liability coverage. The package offers primary limits of $1 million per occurrence and $2 million aggregate, with optional excess up to $25 million for certain businesses. It includes lead excess,...
Aon Affinity Unit, CNA Offering Midwives Malpractice Cover
Aon Affinity’s Nurses Service Organization and CNA have introduced a professional liability policy specifically for certified midwives and certified nurse‑midwives. The coverage protects prenatal, postnatal, gynecological, and labor‑and‑delivery services performed in hospitals or clinical settings. Limits are set at $1 million...
Lagos Secures $7.5M Flood Insurance for Vulnerable Residents
Lagos, Nigeria’s commercial hub, has secured a $7.5 million flood insurance policy so some of its poorest residents can access relief when disaster strikes https://t.co/7NhRHv6Ors
Aviva Plans to Launch Surplus Lines Business in Q2
Aviva announced it will launch a U.S. surplus lines business in the second quarter of 2026, operating from a new New York hub. The venture, led by former Everest Insurance CEO Mike Karmilowicz, will underwrite property, casualty and specialty risks through...