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:
Regulator Places Insurers Under Statutory Management
A regulator placed two insurers under statutory management, signaling heightened oversight in the sector. Concurrently, war-driven volatility is expected to push Nigerian reinsurance rates higher and spur Greek firms to intensify cyber‑risk scans. Insurers are also expanding globally, with a credit and political‑risk carrier opening a Tokyo office, while OSHA introduced a tiered safety champions program and New Jersey revisited workers‑comp coverage for medical cannabis. Leadership shifts include Dual North America naming a former Axis executive as CEO and Guy Carpenter appointing a global head of parametric advisory.
Home Insurance Prices Set to Keep Rising with Severe Weather
U.S. homeowners insurance premiums are set to rise for a fifth consecutive year in 2026, with the average annual cost projected to increase 4% to about $3,057. Since 2021, premiums have surged 46%, far outpacing inflation, as insurers absorb mounting...
Could Earlier Warning Systems Be the Answer to Risk Reduction in Terminals?
Container terminals are adopting continuous reefer telemetry to replace labor‑intensive, snapshot monitoring. The cold‑chain market exceeds $400 billion, and high‑value pharma shipments demand real‑time temperature data to avoid spoilage and regulatory penalties. Net Feasa’s Agentic Control Tower™ (ACT) platform extends vessel‑level connectivity...
Tennessee Captive Premium Doubles in 2025
The Tennessee Department of Commerce & Insurance licensed five new captives and 50 new cells in 2025, pushing the state's captive portfolio to 184 captives and 703 cells. Captive premiums surged to $4.2 billion, exactly double the $2.1 billion recorded in 2024....
Cat Bond Issuance Could Set New Records for Both February and March in 2026
Catastrophe bond issuance in the first quarter of 2026 is projected between $6.34 billion and $6.54 billion, making it the second‑largest Q1 on record. February 2026 already broke the $2 billion threshold and March is on track to exceed $3 billion, setting new monthly...
Cytora Unveils End-to-End AI Automation for Insurers
Cytora launched Autopilot, an agentic AI platform that automates end‑to‑end insurance risk workflows without human input. The system links fragmented data from multiple channels, maintains persistent context, and executes tasks from submission through claim adjudication. Underwriters and claims handlers can...
MSL Market Analysis: Claims and Premium Trends
Medical stop‑loss (MSL) insurers are facing unprecedented claim frequency and severity, driving a sharp rise in large‑claim payouts. Between 2023 and 2025, claims over $250,000 grew 70%‑115% across thresholds, with dollars for $1 million+ claims up more than 200%. Carriers responded...
Insurer and Business Lobbying Interests Kill Supplemental Breast Imaging Bill in 1 State
Kansas Senate Bill 409, which would mandate insurers to cover supplemental breast imaging after mammography, failed to advance as the legislative session progressed. Insurer Blue Cross and business groups such as the Kansas Chamber of Commerce opposed the bill, labeling...
Evidence Shows ACA’s Mandated Benefits Alone Don’t Drive Up Costs. The Debate Continues.
President Donald Trump has again blamed the Affordable Care Act for rising health‑care costs, citing premium spikes since the law’s rollout. Data show ACA individual premiums have risen 129% since 2014, outpacing the 68% increase in employer‑based plans, while deductibles...
Risk Managing Data Centre Developments
Data centre developers now confront risks that differ from traditional logistics projects, with power availability, long‑lead‑time components and insurance complexity shaping programme certainty. Panattoni has entered the market, offering powered shells rather than full fit‑out to meet hyperscale client preferences...
Cat Bond Portfolio Construction More Important than Seasonal Hurricane Forecasts: Man Group
Man Group argues that seasonal Atlantic hurricane forecasts are unreliable for catastrophe bond investors, noting systematic underestimation of outlier years and limited relevance to insured loss outcomes. Their research shows that even accurate storm counts and intensities cannot predict economic...
Iran War May Increase Concerns About Terrorism and Political Violence Insurance Underwriting Beyond the Middle East
The war involving Iran is heightening uncertainty in global terrorism and political‑violence insurance markets. While insurers and reinsurers remain well capitalized, prolonged hostilities could increase underwriting volatility and prompt tighter policy terms. Exposure accumulation across multiple specialty lines is emerging...
Chargemaster Inflates Prices, Patients End up Paying the Cost
When I was at the Brigham/Harvard I saw how we billed different insurance levels as well as the uninsured. The uninsured got screwed the worst. Always. Different payers pay remarkably different prices for the identical things. It all comes down...
The Retention Gap: Why Carriers Lose Policyholders They Priced Correctly
In this episode, Valkyrie Holmes, CEO and co‑founder of Fora, discusses the company’s new Retention Engine, which helps insurers keep high‑risk homeowners by turning them into active risk managers. She explains how Fora’s climate‑risk intelligence platform moves beyond traditional hazard...
Louisiana Senate Passes Bill to Mandate Human Oversight of AI in Health‑Insurance Decisions
On March 16, 2026 the Louisiana Senate approved Senate Bill 246, a first‑in‑the‑nation measure that bars insurers from using artificial intelligence alone to decide health‑insurance coverage. The bill, championed by Democratic Sen. Jay Luneau and debated by Sen. Regina Barrow,...
BC Storm Sends Insurers on Standby for Flood, Snow, Wind Risks
Insurers and brokers across Canada are on alert as a powerful storm system hammered British Columbia with heavy rain, up to 120 mm on the South Coast, 150‑200 mm on Vancouver Island, significant snowfall and strong winds. The event, unfolding over the...
Demanding Colorado Reinsurance Cost Transparency From Governor
How about we ask @govofco how much more reinsurance is costing Colorado? And don’t give me the bs talking points about the average premium reduction, babes.
Deposit Insurance Deep Dive Recorded at Cato Institute
Podcasting at the @CatoInstitute headquarters with @EconWithNick & @norbertjmichel was just the coolest as we talk about deposit insurance.
State Farm Drone Leaves Homeowner With $20K Bill After Surprise Roof Inspection
State Farm used a drone to inspect a Santa Ana homeowner's roof without notice, then demanded $20,000 in repairs or loss of coverage. The homeowner, Linda Bennett, says the inspection was unannounced and the demand is based on drone images....
Home Insurance Premiums Set to Rise Again This Year
Americans squeezed by home insurance costs shouldn't expect relief this year, with premiums set to rise again https://t.co/4iBp8COEML
Lemonade Throws Down the Gauntlet
Lemonade’s CEO Daniel Schreiber published a manifesto asserting that the AI‑native insurer enjoys a ten‑year advantage over legacy carriers such as State Farm and Allstate. He argues incumbents cannot simply layer technology onto outdated DNA and outlines three AI‑adoption tests—Scaling...
Commercial P&C Pricing Environment Textured and Nuanced, Says Chubb CEO
Chubb CEO Evan Greenberg told shareholders that the commercial property‑and‑casualty pricing environment is softening, but the shift is "textured and nuanced" rather than binary. He emphasized that underwriting discipline remains the cornerstone of Chubb’s ability to navigate both hard and...
AI Risks Stem More From Usage than the Model
When people talk about generative AI risks, they usually focus on the technology. But there are really two layers. Embedded risks that come from the models themselves, and enacted risks that emerge from how organizations deploy them. In practice, the biggest problems often...
Verisk Forms New General Insurance UK & Ireland Business Unit Led by Chris Sawford
Verisk announced the formation of Verisk General Insurance UK & Ireland, a consolidated business unit that brings together its International Underwriting, Property and Risk, Claims UK, and Ignite platforms. Chris Sawford, a veteran of Verisk’s claims division and co‑founder of...
Rising Legal Exposure for Ultra-Processed Food Manufacturers Amid New Government-Led Lawsuits: Swiss Re
Swiss Re's sigma insights report warns that ultra‑processed food (UPF) makers face growing legal exposure after the first government‑initiated lawsuit was filed in December 2025. Plaintiffs are expanding tactics from individual injury claims to public‑cost recovery actions that sidestep strict...
13 AGs Sue OneMain over Add-On Sales Policy
Thirteen state attorneys general have filed a lawsuit against OneMain Financial, alleging the lender misled subprime borrowers into purchasing costly add‑on products such as credit insurance. The complaint says employees pressured borrowers, financed premiums into loans, and sometimes charged add‑ons...
Guy Carpenter Names FloodFlash Co-Founder Ian Bartholomew as Global Head of Parametric Advisory
Guy Carpenter has appointed Dr. Ian Bartholomew, co‑founder of parametric flood insurer FloodFlash, as Global Head of Parametric Advisory effective June 1, 2026. Based in London and reporting to Managing Director David Lightfoot, Bartholomew will lead the firm’s push into...
W. R. Berkley Hits Record $494m in Lifson Re Sidecar Ceded Premiums in 2025
W.R. Berkley reported a record $494 million of premiums ceded to its Lifson Re collateralized reinsurance sidecar in 2025, marking an 18.5% increase over 2024. The quota‑share cession rate was raised to 32.5% at the start of the year and has remained steady....
Transcarent Partners with Bluespine to Launch Payment Integrity Category for Self-Insured Employers
Transcarent has added a new “Payment Integrity” category to its Experience Store through a partnership with AI‑driven health‑tech firm Bluespine. The service targets the $300 billion annual loss from fraud, waste and abuse in U.S. healthcare by analyzing every medical and...
Press Release: S&P: Insurance Brief Says Middle East War Is Fuelling Cyber Risk
S&P Global Ratings warns that the ongoing Middle East war is amplifying cyber‑threat activity, with threat actors launching more DDoS attacks, phishing campaigns and network intrusions. While no large insured cyber losses have been reported yet, the situation remains fluid...
Will the Clairton Coke Plant Explosion Spark Industry and Risk Management Reforms?
On August 11, 2025, an explosion ripped through U.S. Steel’s Clairion coke plant in Pennsylvania, killing two workers and injuring eleven. The blast occurred just weeks after Nippon Steel’s $14.9 billion acquisition of U.S. Steel, thrusting the new owner into liability...
SRCC Risks Becoming "More Frequent, Widespread and Complex", CRO Forum Says
The Chief Risk Officer (CRO) Forum warns that SRCC risks are becoming more frequent, widespread, and complex across industries. It cites a surge in climate‑related events, geopolitical instability, and evolving regulatory expectations as primary drivers. The forum urges firms to...
Health Insurance Priority for Government, to Cover All by 2033: Nirmala Sitharaman
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced that India aims for universal health‑insurance coverage by 2033, building on a market that insured 58 crore lives in FY 2024‑25. The sector’s premium volume hit Rs 1,17,505 crore, with public, private and standalone insurers contributing roughly equally. Recent regulatory...
Pool Re in the Market with a New Baltic Terrorism Catastrophe Bond
Pool Re, the UK government‑backed terrorism reinsurance mutual, is re‑entering the catastrophe‑bond market with its fourth Baltic PCC Limited issuance, Series 2026‑1. The bond will be sold privately and the proceeds will collateralise a retrocessional reinsurance agreement, extending Pool Re’s terrorism...
Everything You Need to Know About The Institutes’ Associate in Insurance AI Designation
The Institutes launched the Associate in Insurance AI (AIAI) designation to equip risk and insurance professionals with AI literacy and ethical decision‑making skills. The program comprises three self‑paced online courses—AI Fundamentals, AI in the insurance value chain, and leading an...
Alliance CEO Criticizes MedPAC’s ‘Misguided’ 7% Home Health Payment Cut Recommendation
The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) has recommended a 7% reduction in the Medicare fee‑for‑service home health payment rate for 2027, projecting $750 million in savings in the first year and up to five‑year cumulative cuts. The National Alliance for Care...
War Risk Premiums Surge as Iranian Attacks Intensify
War risk rates soar as Iranians ramp up ship attacks US reinsurance scheme light on details as convoy plans out of reach for now https://t.co/BoE7xMfsVr
Gulf Shipping Insurance Premiums Skyrocket to 5% of Ship Value
Gulf shipping insurance soars. Bloomberg: "The cost of coverage has leaped to about 5% of the value of a ship" At the beginning of the war, it was 0.25% (see FT piece to right) 5% is... insane. You're simply not paying that if you...
Employer Groups Applaud Bill that Aims to Spur Competition in Healthcare
Employer advocacy groups praised the Healthy Competition for Better Care Act, a bipartisan bill targeting anticompetitive contracts in the U.S. health‑care market. The legislation would ban all‑or‑nothing network clauses, anti‑steering, anti‑tiering, most‑favored‑nation, and gag provisions that limit price transparency. Introduced...
New York City Already Has a Public Option for Health Insurance. A 2002 Memo Is the Only Thing Keeping It...
New York City’s MetroPlus Health Plan, a publicly owned insurer created in 1985, now serves 690,000 members and holds $657 million in surplus. A 2002 Department of Health memo limits its commercial enrollment to 10% of members, effectively capping its growth...
HR Policies and Injury Claims: Protecting Truck Drivers in Texas
Texas sees some of the nation’s highest commercial‑truck traffic, making it a hotspot for fatal crashes. Unique to Texas, about 25% of employers opt out of workers' compensation, allowing injured drivers to pursue direct negligence suits that bypass traditional caps....
Should Brokers Trust Their Insurtech Vendors?
The 2026 Benevolent Insurtech Trust Index reveals a deep trust gap between brokers and insurtech vendors, with 67% of surveyed brokers claiming ROI promises are overstated. Only 22% feel vendors are honest about features, pricing, and implementation, while just 23%...
9th Circ. Revives Securities Suit Against Consumer Products Company
The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals revived securities class‑action claims against Funko and its CEO and CFO, focusing on allegedly misleading risk‑factor disclosures about inventory and ERP failures. Investors sued after Funko disclosed tens of millions of dollars in inventory...
Federal Reinsurance Needed to Shield Homeowners From Climate Risks
A preview of a paper to be released on March 18 that makes the case for creating a federal reinsurance entity to cope with the challenges that climate change poses to the homeowners insurance market https://t.co/N0nM5u9Owq via @BrookingsInst
Hormuz Attacks Drive Soaring Tanker Insurance Premiums, US Aid Unclear
"Shipping Insurance Costs for Hormuz Passage Surge After Vessel Attacks" https://t.co/Aq3e4lGXyX "Details of a plan for the US International Development Finance Corporation to help insure tankers are still unclear." https://t.co/mC9xKl2B7o
Insuring Tax Risks in the UK and Europe
GT Advisory outlines five key considerations for insuring tax risks in UK and European M&A transactions, focusing on warranty‑and‑indemnity (W&I) and specific tax risk policies. It explains the insurer’s perspective, emphasizing the asymmetry between seller and insurer risk/reward calculations. The...
Government Is Now a Reinsurer. Adjust Your Competitive Model
The U.S. International Development Finance Corporation launched a $20 billion government‑backed maritime reinsurance facility with Chubb to restore shipping coverage in the Persian Gulf after private insurers withdrew. In Louisiana, the insurance commissioner approved Allstate auto rate cuts ranging from 2.9 %...
Should We Quantify Every Risk?
Norman Marks argues that not every risk needs a precise numerical value, but quantification becomes essential when risk acceptability is unclear. He emphasizes that risk is a distribution of outcomes and that both upside and downside should be measured to...
Even Low-Risk Homes Are Caught Up in California’s Climate Insurance Crisis
California’s wildfire‑driven insurance crisis is spilling into low‑risk neighborhoods as private carriers withdraw, pushing tens of thousands onto the state‑run FAIR Plan. Enrollment in the FAIR Plan surged 43% between September 2024 and December 2025, and 14% of its policies now cover...
How Health System Leaders Are Responding to Medicare Advantage Pressures
Alvarez & Marsal’s MA Pulse Survey of 30 health‑system executives reveals a sharp inflection in Medicare Advantage participation, with declining reimbursements and rising denials eroding profitability. Six in ten respondents expect lower payments, while 74 % anticipate tougher collections and 52 % foresee...