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:
Pediatric Palliative Care Policy Framework: Overhaul Medicaid
A new national policy framework released by Children’s Respite Homes of America and the National Center for Pediatric Palliative Care Homes proposes mandatory Medicaid EPSDT coverage for community‑based pediatric palliative care centers (PPCCenters) and short‑term respite (PPCRespite). The paper defines standardized models, calls on CMS to issue a state Medicaid director letter, and recommends licensure and reimbursement pathways. If adopted, the changes aim to expand access, lower hospital readmissions, and alleviate caregiver burnout. Stakeholders view the proposal as a blueprint to integrate respite into the broader pediatric palliative ecosystem.
The Auditor as an Evangelist for AI
Internal auditors are expanding beyond traditional assurance to become AI evangelists, guiding organizations on responsible AI deployment. The article highlights how auditors historically added value by introducing tools and best practices, and now they can apply the same mindset to...
ICYMI: Patients Vs. Profits, Exposing the Insurance Middlemen (The Chad Prather Show)
In this episode of The Chad Prather Show, host and health‑care writer discuss the recent congressional hearing on big‑insurance CEOs, exposing how insurers have built vertically integrated conglomerates that drive up premiums, deductibles, and Medicare Advantage denials. They highlight the...
US Insurance Tech Spending 2026: From Modernization To Intelligence
The episode examines Forrester's forecast that U.S. insurance tech spending will rise by $173 billion in 2026, reaching 6 % of total national tech outlays. It explains how insurers are shifting from pure modernization to intelligence‑driven initiatives—cloud migration, AI‑enabled analytics, automation, and...
SAIC Motor Captive Partners Lockton
SAIC Motor Insurance Co., the captive insurer of China’s largest automaker, has signed a strategic partnership with global insurance broker Lockton. The collaboration aims to accelerate the internationalization of the SAIC Motor brand and deepen cooperation in risk management, insurance...
New Medicaid Work Rules Likely To Hit Middle-Aged Adults Hard
Starting in January, new Medicaid work requirements will compel about 20 million low‑income adults in 42 states to log at least 80 hours of work, volunteering, or schooling each month to retain coverage. The rules disproportionately affect middle‑aged adults, especially women...
AM Best: 3Q25 Snapshot – Personal Lines Momentum Continues to Drive P/C Underwriting Result Improvement
In the brief AM Best 3Q25 Snapshot, the host highlights the continued momentum in personal lines, which is driving improvements in property and casualty underwriting results. The episode notes that stronger pricing discipline, higher retention rates, and favorable loss trends...
Beyond Chatbots: How Cara Becomes Your Best CSR
In this episode, Nikhil Kansal, Co‑Founder & CTO of Cara, explains how AI can move beyond chatbots to act as a reliable Customer Service Representative (CSR) that completes end‑to‑end insurance service tasks. He highlights Cara’s role as a coordinating layer...
CMS Proposes 2027 ACA Marketplace Changes to Address Rising Premiums
CMS released a proposed rule for the 2027 ACA marketplaces aimed at curbing rising premiums and stabilizing enrollment after enhanced subsidies expired in 2026. The rule would allow non‑network plans to sell on the exchanges, extend catastrophic coverage terms up...
Hawley and Warren Introduce “Break Up Big Medicine Act” To Force Separation of Insurers, PBMs and Providers
Senators Josh Hawley and Elizabeth Warren introduced the Break Up Big Medicine Act, a "Glass‑Steagall"‑style bill that would prohibit common ownership of health‑care providers with insurers, PBMs, or drug/medical device wholesalers, forcing divestiture within a year. The legislation targets vertically...
Global Commercial Rates Trend Downward, US Rates Flat in Q4 2025
Global commercial insurance premiums slipped 4% in Q4 2025, marking the sixth straight quarterly decline after seven years of steady hikes. The drop reflects heightened competition, favorable loss experience and cheaper reinsurance, expanding market capacity worldwide. Regional data show the...
Listen to the Latest ‘KFF Health News Minute’
The KFF Health News Minute, a weekly health‑policy briefing, highlighted a range of pressing issues in February. It noted that the expiration of extra Affordable Care Act subsidies is leaving American farmers vulnerable, while hospitals are launching their own Medicare...
Engineers Develop Soft Robotic Exoskeleton That Cuts Muscle Strain by 22%
University of Texas at Arlington engineers unveiled the Pneumatically Actuated Soft Elbow Exoskeleton (PASE), a lightweight silicone‑based wearable that cuts elbow muscle activity by 22% during typical industrial tasks. Tests with 19 participants showed an 8‑10 point reduction in perceived...
Coalition’s Toomey: Rising Cyber Interconnectedness Pushes Insurers to Boost Detection, Response
In this episode, AM Best’s Toomey discusses how the growing cyber interconnectedness among businesses is forcing insurers to enhance their detection and response capabilities. He highlights the rising frequency and complexity of cyber incidents, the need for real‑time monitoring, and...
Maine: Preliminary 2026 Open Enrollment Data Shows Rising Affordability Challenges for Mainers' Health Coverage
Maine’s state‑run CoverME.gov marketplace reported its lowest enrollment since launch, with 58,523 consumers signing up in 2026 – a 9.5% drop from the previous year. New customer registrations fell 24%, while the share of enrollees receiving Advance Premium Tax Credits...
Peak Profits, Structural Risk Shifts
The episode reviews 2025’s record earnings for property‑and‑casualty insurers, noting that profitability has become a political and strategic lever rather than a pure financial metric. It highlights how secondary perils like Winter Storm Fern are shifting from reinsured losses to...
Updated Documentation Requirements in Medicare Could Add Burden on Healthcare Providers
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a regulatory update effective April 13 that expands documentation, face‑to‑face (F2F) and prior‑authorization requirements for Medicare‑covered DMEPOS items. Eight new oxygen‑related codes join the F2F/WOPD list, while seven additional items—five orthoses and...
The Misleading Chart That Killed the ACA Subsidies
The episode dissects a misleading chart promoted by the Paragon Health Institute that Senate Majority Leader John Thune used to argue against extending ACA subsidies, claiming Obamacare premiums have skyrocketed. Health policy experts, including Brookings senior fellow Matthew Fiedler, explain that the...
Surety Insurers Hit Record Profits, But Federal Infrastructure Boom Nears End
Surety insurers posted record profitability in 2024, achieving a 45.6% net profit margin and $2.35 billion in underwriting profit for the third straight year. The surge stems from federal infrastructure programs that have driven strong demand for contractor bonds, while loss...
Delaware Leads Q4 Captive Formations, but Global Numbers Decrease
The fourth quarter of 2025 saw a net decline in the global captive insurance market, with 85 new licences issued against 139 revocations, resulting in a loss of 54 active captives. Delaware remained the top U.S. domicile, adding 14 new...
NFIP Misses Deadline Again as DHS Funding Fight Fuels Uncertainty
The episode discusses the National Flood Insurance Program's (NFIP) repeated failure to meet its congressional deadline for a new flood map update, highlighting how ongoing funding battles within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) are stalling progress. It explains the...
Looking to Olympians for Leadership Principles
The piece links Olympic leadership lessons to enterprise risk management, citing two McKinsey studies on gold‑medalist Alistair Brownlee and CEOs as elite athletes. It distills five principles—persistence amid pushback, strategic time‑blocking, focusing on high‑impact risks, incremental innovation, and adaptability—for chief...
Data and Functionality Signaled Chubb’s Strong 4Q Underwriting Income
Chubb posted fourth‑quarter earnings of $7.52 per share, comfortably beating FactSet’s $6.77 consensus. The insurer’s combined ratio improved to 81.2%, well under the 84.4% estimate, driving record underwriting profitability. Investment income surged, helped by a bond‑heavy portfolio and a favorable...