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:
CMS Notifies States of Options for Transitioning to 6-Month Medicaid Renewals
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services released guidance on March 6 directing states to transition to six‑month Medicaid redeterminations beginning in 2027, as mandated by last year’s budget reconciliation bill. States have two implementation pathways: one that allows them to reset renewal start dates no earlier than Jan 1, 2027, and another that applies the six‑month cycle at each beneficiary’s next scheduled renewal in 2027. The guidance does not alter the underlying renewal process, leaving administrative steps unchanged. States must choose an option and plan their systems accordingly.
Insurance Industry Takes Strategic Stand on Resilience, but Adoption Lags
A new International Insurance Society survey shows resilience is now a core strategic priority for insurers, yet fewer than one‑in‑four have woven it into daily operations. Executives cite disaster (52%), digital (50%) and climate (47%) resilience as top focuses, with...
Severe Convective Storm Cat Bonds Offer an Opportunity for ILS Investors: Acrisure Re
Severe convective storms (SCS) have become a dominant U.S. catastrophe peril, generating roughly $200 billion in insured losses between 2020 and 2024—about 2.5 times the prior five‑year period. Over the past decade SCS accounted for half of global insured losses from...
Geopolitical Whiplash and the Shifting Ground of D&O Liability
The article argues that the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East are reshaping directors‑and‑officers (D&O) liability by turning geopolitical risk into a core governance issue. Rapid sanctions, divestment decisions and supply‑chain disruptions have already sparked securities lawsuits, exemplified by...
Global Insurance Broker Aon Tests Stablecoin Payments with Coinbase, Paxos
Aon, one of the world’s largest insurance brokers, completed a proof‑of‑concept using stablecoins to settle premium payments. The firm partnered with Coinbase and Paxos to move USDC on Ethereum and PayPal USD on Solana, marking the first known stablecoin settlement...
Iran War Is Costing Small Airlines $200,000 Daily, Insurer Estimates
The ongoing Iran war is forcing small airlines to absorb daily losses of $100,000‑$200,000 per aircraft as operational disruptions remain largely uninsurable. Insurers are closely tracking the situation but have not yet raised premiums, opting to revisit risk exposures and...
The Marketplace Exchanges for Health Insurance
The ACA’s state‑run health‑insurance marketplaces, which require essential benefits and sort plans into Platinum, Gold, Silver and Bronze tiers, covered about 10 million people before COVID‑19. A 2021 expansion of premium tax credits more than doubled enrollment to 23 million and pushed...
Okaying a Premium Problem: When Voluntary Benefits Become Involuntary Lawsuits
In this episode, Ropes & Gray attorneys discuss a wave of new ERISA class actions targeting voluntary benefit plans such as accident, critical illness, and hospital indemnity insurance. The plaintiffs argue that employers and their brokers have breached fiduciary duties...
Property Insurance Costs Hit Record High
March ICE Mortgage Monitor: "Average annual property insurance payments rose to an all-time high" https://calculatedrisk.substack.com/p/march-ice-mortgage-monitor-average
Aviation Insurers Impose New Rules on Middle East Flights
Leading aviation insurers, including Germany’s HDI Global and Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty, announced new underwriting requirements for flights to several Middle Eastern countries. Operators must obtain advance notification and explicit insurer approval for destinations such as Iran, Iraq, Israel,...
Spain Competition Watchdog Investigates Insurers
Spain’s National Commission for Markets and Competition (CNMC) has opened an investigation into the country’s insurance sector over alleged coordination on compensation claim coverage and the exchange of client information. The probe focuses on potential collusion that could distort pricing...
CG Re Launches Aviation Practice
CG Re announced the launch of a dedicated aviation practice, expanding its reinsurance brokerage services into commercial airlines, aircraft lessors, OEMs, and emerging drone operators. The new unit will provide underwriting, risk‑management, and claims expertise, leveraging CG Re's global network...
Why Private Credit Stress Matters to the ILS Market: Corbett, Shuriken Capital
Brad Corbett of Shuriken Capital warns that mounting stress in private credit markets could spill over into the insurance‑linked securities (ILS) space. He identifies three transmission channels: correlated redemption pressure, tighter capital supply for new cat‑bond issuance, and a renewed...
RBMA Shares Concerns over Major Medicaid Cut Impacts
RBMA warned that upcoming federal Medicaid cuts could strip millions of coverage, especially in rural areas where balanced‑budget rules force states to trim enrollment or provider payments. The Congressional Budget Office projects 11.8 million loss of insurance, heightening financial strain on...
How API-First Platforms Simplify Insurance Pricing
Legacy pricing engines have long hampered insurers with complex integrations and high maintenance. Modern API‑first, cloud‑native platforms now allow pricing models to be integrated in days, scale elastically, and embed enterprise‑grade security. These platforms also unify actuaries, data scientists and...
Private Dental and Vision Insurance: Market Concentration Varied Among States
The GAO analyzed 2024 NAIC enrollment data and found that private stand‑alone dental and vision insurance markets are highly concentrated, with the three largest insurers capturing 38‑98% of dental and 41‑96% of vision group market enrollment across states. Median market...
Testudo Expands AI Liability Capacity to $9.25m
Testudo, a Lloyd’s coverholder, has secured additional underwriting capacity from Atrium and QBE, raising the limit of its generative AI liability insurance to $9.25 million per insured. The expanded capacity broadens coverage for enterprises deploying generative AI, addressing a surge in...
War-Fueled Tanker Boom Drives TEN’s Profit Surge
TEN expects profit windfall amid war-fuelled tanker boom ▶️Tankers on time charters with profit-sharing arrangements include seven suezmaxes and two VLCCs ▶️War risk insurance rates have jumped by as much as 500% in a week, according to leading owner ▶️New York-listed owner triples...
Real Estate Property Insurance Market Softens as Casualty Risks Create Headwinds
Lockton’s February 2026 market update shows commercial property insurance for real‑estate owners softening as competition drives 5‑15% rate cuts across most asset classes, with deeper discounts for catastrophe‑prone multifamily and hotel portfolios. In contrast, casualty liability pricing continues to climb,...
Bold Penguin Adds Foxquilt to Insurance Marketplace
Bold Penguin has partnered with digital managing general underwriter Foxquilt to bring admitted commercial general liability coverage into its Bold Penguin Terminal marketplace. The integration enables agents with Foxquilt market access to quote and bind policies directly through the platform,...
OneShield Deploys AI Hub with US Specialty Insurer
OneShield announced that a Michigan‑based specialty insurer has chosen its AI Hub platform to modernize its insurance operations. The AI Hub acts as an AI operating system, delivering large language models and agentic capabilities while coexisting with existing core systems....
Ten Key Insurance Trends Shaping Priorities for 2024
What should be the top priorities in insurance this year? → https://t.co/7Y2CVAdenJ Capgemini's yearly report lists ten pivotal trends that it believes will significantly impact the industry in the near future. https://t.co/rBghzJRU14
Lockton Re to Deploy Agentic AI to Streamline, Drive Growth
Lockton Re, the reinsurance arm of the global broker, has teamed with digital‑transformation firm Synechron to launch the Agentforce 360 platform, Salesforce’s agentic AI solution. The platform is tightly integrated with Salesforce Financial Services Cloud, giving AI agents access to...
Georgia Appeals Court Reverses $345M Judgment Against Insurers in School Sex Abuse
The Georgia Court of Appeals overturned a $345 million judgment that held five insurers liable for sexual‑abuse claims at Darlington School. The court ruled that policies written after the abuse period could not cover mental‑anguish injuries that manifested years later. Plaintiffs...
Report Signals Shift in Demographics of Policyholders, Claims Service Expectations
Sedgwick’s 2025 Loss Adjusting Insights Report reveals that Millennials and Gen Z now dominate insurance purchases, yet only 32% of Gen Z homeowners are very satisfied with their carriers. Younger policyholders demand flexible, digital‑first coverage and transparent communication, while 54% have switched...
How Rising Home Insurance Costs Are Linked to Credit Scores
Home insurance premiums are soaring, and new research shows that credit scores now drive a major portion of the price gap. Homeowners with fair credit (580‑669) can pay up to 2.3 times more than those with excellent scores, a disparity...
Insurers See Climate Risk as More than Underwriting Issue- #Wealth #AssetManagement #AssetFinance
A new MSCI Institute report finds insurers increasingly view climate‑driven physical risk as a systemic financial threat rather than merely an underwriting issue. Surveyed insurers rate their own preparedness higher than the sector’s, with notable gaps in Asia‑Pacific where only...
Add Difference-in-Conditions Insurance to Guard Against Disasters
💪 Protect Your Home & Family 🙏 Most insurance companies do not include natural disasters in your policy. However, if your home gets destroyed from one, you’ll have to pay two mortgages. The only way to avoid this is with...
OpIngen Launched to Address “Fundamental Gap” In the Market
Reinsurance specialist Jireh and Strategic Risk Solutions (SRS) introduced OpIngen in December 2023 to fill a perceived “fundamental gap” across reinsurance, insurance‑linked securities (ILS), and captive markets. The platform is positioned as a next‑generation operations service that merges proprietary technology,...
Iran War Triggers Gulf Insurance Pull, 1,000+ Containers Stuck
The impact of the Iran war is spreading. 1,000+ containers at Chittagong. War risk insurance pulled for the Gulf.
The First Payer Jumped
Clover Health announced it is the first payer to go live on a CMS‑aligned health information exchange network, marking a tangible step toward nationwide interoperability. The rollout enables Medicare Advantage members to retrieve claims and clinical data through FHIR‑based APIs,...
U.S. DFC Launches $20 Bn Gulf Maritime Reinsurance Plan
"U.S. DFC unveils $20BN plan for maritime reinsurance in the Gulf" The CEO of the DFC looks like someone who would sell you $20B worth of insurance. https://t.co/QRhFuzBtx0 https://t.co/0v78TH7CKl
Construction Liability – The Captive Opportunity
Captive Intelligence and Captives.Insure released a technical report highlighting the growing strain in the U.S. construction liability market, especially for residential projects. Tightening capacity, rising excess rates, and aggressive plaintiff‑friendly litigation are driving insurers to impose higher retentions and narrower...
Enhancing SFCR Analysis: New Features for Solvency II & Solvency UK Reporting
Solvency II Wire Data unveiled a suite of upgrades to its SFCR platform ahead of the 2026 reporting season. The enhancements include a multilingual search engine that scans over 24,000 Solvency and Financial Condition Reports and automatically translates English queries into European languages....
Insurance Is Learning a Legal Lesson
Insurance firms are shifting from intuition‑driven decisions to documented, auditable processes similar to legal practice. Regulators, clients, and AI adoption demand that underwriting and claims conclusions be traceable to policy language, with clear reasoning and citations. The industry faces heightened...
War‑Driven Insurance Chaos Grounds Persian Gulf Shipping
Why are ships suddenly stuck in the Persian Gulf? Ship insurance is already a maze. Add war and it becomes a labyrinth. In 15 minutes I’m going to attempt the impossible: explain ship insurance 101, what’s happening, why ships won’t sail, and...
CMS Gives States Two Options To Transition To Six-Month Medicaid Eligibility Checks
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced that beginning in 2027 states must move Medicaid eligibility checks from annual to six‑month intervals for the expansion population. States have two pathways: an immediate transition for all eligible beneficiaries or...
US $20B War‑Risk Backstop Fails to Attract Tankers
US offers a $20B maritime war-risk reinsurance backstop to coax tankers back into the Gulf No one wants it It doesn’t provide shipowners the incentive they need to sail into a war zone. #Hormuz #oilmarkets #shipping #geopolitics
Ceasefire, Not Insurance, Needed to Normalize Hormuz Traffic
Hormuz traffic isn’t being stopped by insurance alone, writes @Amena__Bakr Coverage is still available. The real deterrent is fear of attack, and only a full, sustained ceasefire will normalize flows. #Hormuz #shipping #oilmarkets
Court Revives Suit over Water Worker’s Death in Flooded Vault
An Illinois appellate court revived a wrongful‑death suit filed by the estate of 20‑year‑old water worker Matthew Heiden, who drowned after being sent alone into an underground vault without required safety measures. The court found the plaintiff’s claims were not...
Trump Admin Launches $20B Tanker Reinsurance Amid Iran War
Trump admin announces $20 billion reinsurance program for oil tankers during Iran war: CNBC $XLE $USO
AM Best Upgrades Issuer Credit Rating of First Chicago Insurance Group Members
AM Best upgraded the Long‑Term Issuer Credit Rating for First Chicago Insurance Company and United Security Insurance Company to “bb+” from “bb,” while affirming a B‑rated Financial Strength Rating. Both entities now carry a stable outlook for the Long‑Term ICR, replacing...
AM Best Assigns “Fair” Rating to Protect Insurance PCC
AM Best has assigned Protect Insurance PCC, a Gibraltar‑domiciled captive, a financial strength rating of B (fair) and a long‑term issuer credit rating of bb+ (fair), both with stable outlooks. The company operates as an unincorporated cell company with a...
Arbital Health Sees Rapid Adoption of Actuarial AI
Arbital Health announced rapid market adoption of its Merlin AI actuarial assistant, launched in October 2025. Leading payers and providers such as Arkos Health and CommuniCare have integrated the platform to monitor value‑based care contracts, forecast financial impact, and identify...
After Florida Charged People With Selling Insurance Licenses, 12 More Arrested
Florida authorities arrested 12 individuals linked to a scheme that sold insurance licenses through a fraudulent testing center in Miami. The operation, run by Rainier Miguel Salas’s D&R Financial Services, falsified Pearson VUE exams and provided pre‑licensing education. Salas previously...
Markets/Coverages: Floodbase Expands Parametric Platform
Floodbase has launched the Floodbase Quote API, a tool that automates parametric flood quoting for insurers and managing general agents. The API transforms traditionally manual, location‑by‑location pricing into instant, standardized quotes, allowing faster distribution to small and mid‑size commercial markets....
Federal Law Bars Cannabis as Treatment for Injured Worker
The U.S. Second Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that cannabis cannot be deemed a reasonable and necessary medical expense under the Longshore Harbor and Workers’ Compensation Act because it remains a Schedule I drug under federal law. The decision cites the...
How Property Carriers Can Scale AI
The insurance AI market is projected to reach $80 billion by 2032, yet roughly two‑thirds of property carriers remain stuck between vision and execution. While 58‑82% have deployed AI tools, only 12% possess mature capabilities and a mere 7% have achieved...
New MGA Elitium Enters Market with Focus on Manufacturing Businesses & Unoccupied Properties
Elitium, a new managing general agent incubated by Mission, has launched a commercial combined insurance program targeting manufacturing trades and well‑maintained unoccupied residential and commercial properties. Co‑CEOs Linda Bichener and Leah Miller, former DUAL underwriters, emphasize expert‑led underwriting and direct...
Lockton Hires Former Marsh Energy Leader
Lockton, the world’s largest privately‑owned insurance broker, announced the appointment of a former Marsh energy division leader to head its energy practice. The hire brings roughly two decades of underwriting and risk‑management experience across oil‑gas and renewable sectors. Lockton aims...