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:
03.25.26 Home Insurance Spy Drones / K-Economy Price Patterns
In this episode Clark Howard discusses the rising costs and invasive tactics of homeowners insurance, highlighting insurers’ use of drones and AI to assess roofs and potentially raise premiums or deny claims. He answers listener questions on special‑needs planning, advising on ABLE accounts and cost‑effective trust options, and offers guidance on handling an upside‑down RV loan without tapping a 401(k). Howard also warns about hidden subscription traps like Groomy Club and explains the emerging "K‑Economy" pricing model, where companies segment customers into high‑price and deal‑seeker groups, showing how consumers can profit from these patterns.
DUAL UK Introduces Credit Risk Insurance Solution to Sustain Cross-Border Transactions
DUAL UK, the underwriting arm of Howden Group Holdings, has launched a new Credit Risk Insurance (CRI) solution to help clients manage payment and contractual risks in cross‑border trade. The product offers contract‑frustration coverage for up to 15 years and...
Berkshire (BHSI) Introduces New Executive First D&O Insurance Policies in Switzerland
Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance (BHSI) has rolled out two new Executive First Directors & Officers (D&O) liability policies in Switzerland, one aimed at commercial and industrial firms and the other at financial institutions and investment managers. The policies promise straightforward,...
Readhunt Gains Lloyd’s of London Broker Registration
Readhunt, an independent UK insurance broker, has secured Lloyd’s of London broker registration, granting it direct access to Lloyd’s syndicates. The accreditation expands the firm’s capacity to design bespoke insurance programmes for technically complex or non‑standard risks across sectors such...
Why Insurers Must Own Their View of Risk. And How to Build It
Life‑science firms face volatile valuations that can trigger securities lawsuits whenever clinical data or regulatory decisions diverge from investor expectations. Shareholder litigation often begins with books‑and‑records demands after sharp stock declines, exposing directors and officers to costly D&O claims. Berkshire...
How Tech Helps Australia’s Largest Insurer Support Customers when It Matters Most
IAG, Australia’s largest insurer, is undergoing a sweeping digital transformation to strengthen its response to climate‑driven events and improve customer experience. The initiative consolidates legacy systems, moves to cloud‑native platforms, and integrates AI‑powered claim handling. A strategic partnership with Optus...
Hong Kong Insurers Aim to Boost Investment Risk Profiles- #Wealth #AssetManagement #AssetFinance
Hong Kong insurers are set to raise the risk profile of their investment portfolios, with 92% planning to do so over the next two years. The move is driven by a desire for higher private‑equity and venture‑capital returns, as assets...
Minnesota Moves to Regulate E‑Motos, Not E‑Bikes
E-moto "bikes" may be regulated in Minnesota soon. A new bill defines what an e-moto is and then requires licensing and insurance; sets an age limit of 15 and above; restricts where they can operate; requires a driver's license; and...
General Conditions: How They Are Evaluated in a Builder’s Risk Claim
The article clarifies how general‑conditions costs are evaluated in builder’s risk claims, separating truly incremental expenses from fixed or duplicated overhead. It presents three typical claim scenarios—repair‑period costs, delay‑only costs, and combined repair‑and‑delay costs—and explains why only incremental or extended...
AXA Highlights Local Insurance Protection Gap
AXA warns that Thailand’s insurance protection gap, especially in general insurance, hampers economic resilience. While life and health coverage is strong among affluent Thais, low‑income households and many SMEs remain under‑insured against floods, earthquakes and other catastrophes. AXA’s Southeast Asia...
Lytx Fleet Risk Report Finds Collision Rates Rose Just 4% in 2025
A panel of automation leaders highlighted rapid advances in AI‑driven robotics, autonomous mobile robots, digital twins and predictive maintenance that are reshaping warehouses. They stressed that buyers now prioritize measurable ROI, speed‑to‑value and seamless integration over technology for its own...
Forge Insurance Update: A Small P&C Insurer Reaches the Inflection Point
Forge Insurance, a nano‑cap property‑and‑casualty carrier focused on commercial auto, reported 2025 results that signal a decisive inflection point. Net premiums earned jumped 41% to $31.1 million and underwriting income turned positive at $2.4 million after a loss the prior year. Net...
Driver Behavior, Not Mileage or Road Conditions, Emerges as Dominant Factor in Commercial Vehicle Collisions
Motive’s 2026 AI Road Safety Report, analyzing 1.2 billion hours of dash‑cam video across the U.S., Mexico and Canada, finds driver behavior—not mileage, road conditions, or external factors—to be the chief predictor of commercial‑vehicle collisions. The data shows a 9.5% year‑over‑year...
CVS Reaches Insulin Pricing Settlement with FTC
CVS Health announced a proposed settlement with the Federal Trade Commission concerning its insulin pricing practices. The agreement, negotiated by CVS’s pharmacy benefit manager Caremark, is modeled after the FTC’s recent deal with Express Scripts, a Cigna subsidiary. While the...
Secondary Reinsurance Market Could Drive Greater Capital Efficiency, Says Howden Re
Howden Re’s new report outlines a framework for a secondary reinsurance market, arguing that tradable risk would let insurers and reinsurers re‑balance exposures and release capital more efficiently. The broker highlights that reinsurance currently acts as static contingent capital, with...
Cardinal Compliance Rolls Out Corporate First Aid, CPR, AED Certification to Trim Workplace Risk
Cardinal Compliance Consultants announced a March 17, 2026 launch of an adult First Aid, CPR and AED certification course for employers. The digital certification, valid for two years, is positioned as a tool to lower workplace injury costs and strengthen...
Report Flags a $25 Billion Blind Spot in U.S. Auto Insurance
A recent industry report warns that U.S. auto insurers seldom notify drivers of diminished‑value claims after accidents, creating an estimated $25 billion “blind spot.” The finding could spur regulatory scrutiny and push insurers to improve disclosure practices.
Turning Claims Documents Into Decisions
Wisedocs unveiled an AI‑powered decision intelligence platform that transforms raw claims documents into structured, decision‑ready insights across the entire claims lifecycle. The solution automates document classification, deduplication and timeline creation, while AI analyzers flag risk signals, inconsistencies and treatment outliers....
Treasury Asks Whether Terrorism Risk Insurance Program Should Bolster Cyber Coverage
The U.S. Treasury Department has opened a public comment period to consider expanding the Terrorism Risk Insurance Program (TRIP) to cover cyber‑related losses stemming from acts of terrorism. The agency will incorporate feedback into a mandatory report to Congress due...
CMS Considering Automatic Enrollment in a Medicare Advantage Plan
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services is weighing a policy that would automatically enroll seniors into a Medicare Advantage (MA) plan, shifting the default from traditional fee‑for‑service Medicare. CMS officials say beneficiaries could still opt out or select a...
New Data Puts a Number on the Insurance-Safety Gap in Trucking
A new FMCSA‑based study of 314,078 interstate for‑hire carriers links insurance underwriting type to safety outcomes. Non‑underwritten carriers consistently post higher composite risk scores and dirty‑inspection rates than peers in underwritten programs, with gaps widening for mid‑size fleets. Risk Retention...
JBA Risk Management Brings Out Enhanced Global Flood Model
JBA Risk Management has launched an upgraded global flood model that features richer hazard maps, a broader suite of future climate scenarios, faster processing, and finer exposure‑disaggregation. The enhancements give insurers, corporates and asset managers a clearer view of current...
Nephila Capital’s Flagship Syndicate 2357 Reports 48% Higher Profit for 2025
Nephila Capital’s flagship Lloyd’s Syndicate 2357 posted a 48% profit jump in 2025, delivering $235.6 million versus $159 million the prior year. Gross written premiums fell to about $465 million from $610 million as the syndicate scaled back capacity and closed legacy exposures. After...
Fertifa Bridges Gaps in Employer Health Benefits
PMI offers a strong foundation, but rarely, if ever(?), has 100% enrolment Even for those who do enrol/opt-in, life stage health matters are too often excluded either due to being categorised as "normal aging", chronic health, pre-existing conditions or otoh...
3 Potential Policy Options for High-Acuity Palliative Services
The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) is reviewing three payment pathways—outlier payments, guaranteed add‑on payments, and a case‑mix adjustment—to broaden Medicare hospice coverage of high‑acuity palliative services such as radiation, chemotherapy, dialysis and blood transfusions. These treatments are often withheld...
Homeowners Face Record Insurance Hikes as Climate Risks Drive Premiums Up 12% to $2,948
U.S. homeowners' insurance premiums jumped 12% last year to an average $2,948, driven by soaring climate‑related losses. Insurify’s report warns of further hikes, especially in fire‑prone California and hurricane‑hit Georgia, prompting lawmakers to consider resilience incentives.
India's NHRC Sends Notice to IRDAI Over Life‑Insurance Exclusion of Disabled
The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has served a notice on the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) demanding action on alleged denial of life‑insurance policies to individuals with hearing and speech disabilities. The commission gave IRDAI 15...
WTW Radar Live to Power Thimble Pricing Engine
WTW has been chosen by digital MGA Thimble to implement its Radar Live platform, modernising the insurer’s commercial‑lines pricing engine. The solution enables faster rate deployment, real‑time market responsiveness, and tighter pricing governance as Thimble expands its short‑term liability products....
Governance Fuels AI Adoption and Climate Resilience
We are standing at the intersection of profound digital disruption and escalating physical risk. Last year, secondary climate perils drove a record 92% of global insured natural catastrophe losses. The physical world is demanding as much transformation as the digital one. The...
Shepherd Secures $42M to Accelerate AI‑Driven Construction Insurance
Congrats to the @withshepherd team on their $42M Series B! They're rebuilding commercial construction insurance for the AI era. When a broker submits an account, Shepherd delivers an indication in minutes—not weeks. 1,500+ policies issued, $400B in insured value, 600+ commercial...
Blending Public and Private ILS Essential to Moderate Structural Trade-Offs: Schroders Capital
Schroders Capital’s latest report argues that combining public catastrophe bonds with private insurance‑linked securities (ILS) can temper the inherent trade‑offs of each structure. Public cat bonds deliver market liquidity and transparent pricing, while private ILS provide higher illiquidity premiums and...
The Youngest-Ever Female CEO of a Fortune 500 Company Is Fighting Trump’s Cuts to Keep Medicaid Strong
Centene, the nation’s largest Medicaid insurer, posted a 20% revenue increase to $194.8 billion last year but recorded a $6.7 billion net loss after a massive write‑down tied to the Trump‑backed One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which trims federal Medicaid spending by...
Ki Adds Helen Rios as Active Underwriter for Syndicate 1618
Ki, the algorithmic Lloyd’s digital platform, has appointed Helen Rios as an Active Underwriter for Syndicate 1618, effective March 2026 pending regulatory approval. Rios, who has served as Underwriting Director for Ki’s Casualty Division since the firm’s 2020 launch, will...
The Insurance Weapon: How Commercial Risk Logic Became an Irregular Warfare Tool at Hormuz
In late February 2026, coordinated U.S.–Israeli airstrikes triggered a rapid insurance‑driven shutdown of the Strait of Hormuz. War‑risk premiums surged fivefold, Lloyd’s Joint War Committee reclassified the entire Arabian Gulf as a conflict zone, and major insurers withdrew affordable coverage,...
Ep294 Sean McGovern LMA Chair: Building the Market of the Future
In this episode, Sean McGovern, CEO of AXA XL UK & Lloyd's and newly appointed chair of the Lloyd's Market Association (LMA), outlines the LMA’s five‑point agenda: enhancing technical expertise through training, advocating for managing agents with regulators and government,...
NY Lawmakers Urged to Have Faith in Auto Insurance Reform Numbers. But Do They?
Governor Kathy Hochul has unveiled a package of auto‑insurance reforms aimed at lowering New York drivers’ premiums by cracking down on staged‑accident fraud, curbing excessive litigation and limiting insurer profit margins. The proposals, which include new criminal liability for fraud,...
Berkshire Hathaway’s Reinsurance Arm Buys 2.5% Stake in Japan’s Tokio Marine for $1.8 Billion
Berkshire Hathaway, through its reinsurance subsidiary National Indemnity Company, is investing roughly $1.8 billion to acquire a 2.5% stake in Japan’s Tokio Marine Holdings. The deal, announced on March 23, includes a treasury‑stock purchase and sets the stage for deeper reinsurance...
ACA Premiums Surge 114% as Subsidies End, Enrollees Cut Food and Delay Care
A new KFF survey shows 80% of returning Affordable Care Act marketplace enrollees report higher premiums, deductibles or cost‑sharing after enhanced subsidies expired. Average annual premiums are projected to rise 114% to about $1,904, driving 55% of respondents to cut...
Homeowner Insurance Premiums Jump 12% to $2,948 as Climate Risks Surge
A new Insurify report shows the average U.S. homeowner insurance bill rose 12% last year to $2,948 and is set to climb another 4% this year. The surge, driven by escalating natural‑catastrophe losses, is concentrating in states like California, Georgia...
12 Senate Democrats Unveil Plan to Cut Costs, Expand Coverage
Twelve Senate Finance Committee Democrats unveiled a health‑care plan aimed at reversing recent premium spikes, simplifying enrollment, and curbing insurer profiteering. They cite the expiration of ACA‑enhanced premium tax credits, which caused average premiums to double, as a key driver...
As CMS Expands ACOs, Nursing Homes Push for More Aligned Model as 90% Are Left Out
CMS is broadening its accountable care organization (ACO) portfolio, but more than 90% of skilled nursing facilities remain excluded. Administrative hurdles and misaligned design keep fewer than 10% of SNFs in existing ACOs. Industry leaders propose a dedicated long‑term‑care ACO...
The Affordable Care Act Turns 16: What's at Stake in 2026 #CareTalk
Sixteen years after its enactment, the Affordable Care Act (ACA) remains a cornerstone of American health policy. In a new CareTalk episode, the host and guests Diane Archer of Social Security Works and Louise Norris of HealthInsurance.org dissect the law’s...
Chubb Just Told the MGA Market What It Really Thinks
Chubb Chairman and CEO Evan Greenberg told investors that managing general agents (MGAs) are “a bad bet in the majority of cases,” warning that the delegated‑authority model often inflates costs without delivering underwriting value. He also announced that AI will...
Advisory Group Conducting Survey on No Surprises Act Good Faith Estimates
The Workgroup for Electronic Data Interchange (WEDI) announced a survey to assess how health‑care providers are delivering good‑faith cost estimates to uninsured and self‑pay patients under the No Surprises Act. The questionnaire, which will remain anonymous, seeks insight into implementation...
HHS Finalizes HIPAA Transaction Standard for Health Care Attachments
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services issued a final rule on March 20 establishing a uniform electronic format for health‑care claim attachments under HIPAA, along with mandatory electronic signature requirements. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services projects the...
What Insurers Should Expect From 2026 Amendments to N.Y. Gen. B.L. § 349
The FAIR Business Practices Act took effect on February 17, 2026, revamping New York’s General Business Law § 349 to cover not only deceptive but also unfair and abusive practices. The law expands the Attorney General’s enforcement reach to out‑of‑state entities...
Vortex Weather Launches HailSafe Insurance Product
Vortex Weather Insurance has launched HailSafe, a parametric hail insurance product now available directly through the company to brokers and weather‑exposed businesses such as solar projects. The 12‑month policy pays out automatically when hail of at least one inch in...
Court Allows Discovery Into Insurer’s Use of AI to Deny Claims
A Minnesota federal court granted plaintiffs discovery into UnitedHealth’s AI system nH Predict, which the insurer uses to evaluate and deny post‑acute care claims. The ruling required production of documents describing the AI’s development, functionality, and oversight, while limiting some financial...
Coca-Cola Pension Fund ILS Investment Grew to $266m on Returns in 2025
The US pension fund of Coca‑Cola saw its insurance‑linked securities (ILS) portfolio rise to $266 million at the end of 2025, the highest valuation since 2022. After a decline from $330 million in 2021 to $248 million in 2024, the fund recorded a...
Prediction Markets and Emerging D&O Risk
The Gemini Space Station IPO promised crypto‑exchange growth, but within months the company announced a strategic shift to a prediction‑market platform called “Gemini 2.0,” cutting staff by roughly 25 % and prompting the exit of its CFO, COO and CLO. Shareholders filed...