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:
Can You Get Term Life Insurance with Pre-Existing Conditions?
Pre‑existing conditions do not automatically block term life coverage; insurers assess severity, stability, and treatment history to gauge mortality risk. Applicants may face a medical exam or, increasingly, accelerated underwriting that relies on questionnaires and records. Premiums adjust based on how well‑controlled the condition is, with mild cases often receiving near‑standard rates. Strategic timing, clear documentation, and carrier comparison can improve approval odds and pricing.
EP510: The Impact on You of Medicare Advantage Goings-On (2026 Edition), With Betsy Seals
In this episode, host Stacey Richter talks with Medicare Advantage expert Betsy Seals about the current stabilization phase of the MA market, highlighting profit versus profiteering, cost‑shifting to commercial employers, and the impact of vertical integration on provider payments. Seals...
Allianz Hands Cyber Insurance Off to San Francisco-Based Specialist 'Coalition'
Allianz has entered a ten‑year agreement with San Francisco‑based cyber insurer Coalition, handing over full management of its commercial cyber insurance portfolio. Coalition will lead pricing, product development, risk mitigation and claims, while Allianz retains branding, distribution power and takes an...
Swiss Re Targets Lower Pricing for $250m Matterhorn Re 2026-2 Retro Cat Bond
Swiss Re is pursuing $250 million of US named‑storm retrocession through the Matterhorn Re Series 2026‑2 catastrophe bond, its sixteenth takedown under the Bermuda‑based program. The sponsor has lowered pricing guidance, offering Class A notes at a 5.5‑5.75% spread and Class B notes at...
British Friendly Enhances IP Offering with Gender-Specific Added-Value Services
British Friendly has upgraded its income protection (IP) offering, raising benefit limits and adding a flexible deferred‑period option. The insurer introduced gender‑specific added‑value services to tailor wellness support. Its existing Symbio health service has been rebranded as the My HealthHero...
FCA Launches Review of Claims Management Practices
On 6 May 2026 the Financial Conduct Authority announced a comprehensive review of the UK claims management market after mounting evidence that some claims management companies and law firms are failing consumers. The review will probe aggressive marketing, misleading advertising,...
Joint Regulatory Taskforce to Tackle Poor Practice in Motor Finance Claims
On May 6, 2026 the FCA announced a joint regulatory taskforce to address poor handling of motor‑finance claims by certain claims management companies and law firms. The taskforce brings together the FCA, Solicitors Regulation Authority, Information Commissioner’s Office and Advertising Standards Authority...
New IP Rider Rules Could Lower Premiums Despite Rising Private Healthcare Costs, MOH Says
Singapore’s Ministry of Health (MOH) announced that policyholders who switch to the newly revised Integrated Shield Plan (IP) rider framework can expect premium reductions of 35% to 40%, despite a backdrop of rising private‑hospital IP costs. Between 2021 and 2024,...
Ransom Attacks up, but Payments Headed Down as Cyber Becomes Top of Mind
Cowbell’s 2026 cyber‑insurance claims report shows ransomware incidents jumped 45% last year, while average ransom payments fell about 44% from 2022 to 2025. The decline is linked to better incident‑response planning, stronger negotiation tactics, and more disciplined claims handling. Threat...
You Bought a Home—Should Life Insurance Be Next?
Buying a home pushes many young Canadians to add life insurance, often choosing coverage far above the mortgage balance. PolicyMe data shows homeowners commonly purchase $1 million CAD (~$740 k USD) policies, double the amount typical for renters. Experts argue the right...
Margin Coverage Option (MCO) 2026 Input Harvest Prices
The Margin Coverage Option (MCO) for the 2026 crop year now faces a sharp cost shock as harvest‑time input prices—particularly urea and diesel—have risen 65% and 80% above fall projections. This increase adds $71 per acre to corn costs and...
Apollo CEO Flags 30‑35% Chance of Market Correction, Cites Geopolitical and AI Risks
Apollo Global Management chief Marc Rowan told investors the odds of an exogenous shock triggering a market correction are 30‑35%. He warned that a geopolitical reset, inflationary policy moves and an AI-driven labor shift could destabilize markets, and said Apollo...
Australia's National Resilience Plan Links Home Upgrades to Lower Insurance and Mortgage Costs
A coalition of insurers, banks and consumer groups, led by Finity principal Sharanjit Paddam, unveiled the Housing Resilience Action Plan 2030, proposing a National Risk and Resilience Rating System that rewards flood‑ and fire‑proof upgrades with cheaper home‑insurance premiums and...
Gilead’s Yeztugo Sees 9,000 Q1 Prescriptions Yet Faces Insurance Hurdles
Gilead Sciences' long‑acting HIV pre‑exposure prophylaxis, Yeztugo, logged more than 9,000 prescriptions in Q1 2024, but clinicians say uptake is uneven. Insurers’ reliance on medical‑benefit billing and a $14,000‑plus price tag create out‑of‑pocket costs that deter many patients.
Can Companies Insure Against AI’s Growing Risks?
Artificial intelligence is generating a surge of legal and financial liabilities, from fabricated legal citations and biased hiring tools to deep‑fake privacy breaches. High‑profile cases—including Anthropic’s $1.5 billion copyright settlement and a $240 million verdict against Tesla’s autopilot—show that exposure can be...
Werewolf Therapeutics Inc (HOWL) Q1 2026 Earnings Call Transcript
Werewolf Therapeutics reported a record Q1 2026 with net income of $515 million and operating income of $514 million, delivering a 21.2% return on equity. Catastrophe losses fell to $76 million, improving the combined ratio to 90.7% and supporting underwriting profitability. The company...
Assured Guaranty Ltd (AGO) Q1 2026 Earnings Call Transcript
Assured Guaranty Ltd. posted record financial metrics for 2025, including an adjusted book value of $186.43 per share and adjusted operating income of $9.80 per share. The firm repurchased $500 million of stock, retired 12% of its shares, and raised its...
RISKWORLD 2026: Chatting with Lucy Pilko, CEO Americas, AXA XL
Lucy Pilko, CEO of AXA XL Americas, highlighted the firm’s shift toward a client‑centric operating model, emphasizing deeper collaboration and tailored solutions. She announced the launch of two new businesses—mid‑market and wholesale—to broaden the carrier’s market reach and diversify revenue....
What’s the Latest on Prior Authorization Reform?
Prior‑authorization reform is gaining traction as roughly 50 insurers covering 257 million Americans pledged to simplify requirements, cutting 11% of requests—about 6.5 million—since June. An AHIP‑Blue Cross survey shows a 15% drop for Medicare Advantage and a new 90‑day continuity‑of‑care rule for...
RISKWORLD 2026: Surety Insights with Nationwide’s Tony Albanese
Nationwide’s executive vice president of surety, Tony Albanese, told RISKWORLD 2026 that the surety market has largely recovered from COVID‑related losses and is now healthy and competitive. He highlighted the rewards and risks of underwriting large infrastructure projects, noting the...
CRE Title Firms Turn To AI To Fill Talent Gaps, Speed Transactions
The title insurance sector, responsible for clearing legal and financial clouds in real‑estate deals, is confronting a shrinking, aging workforce that fell 11% from its 2021 peak. To bridge the talent gap and accelerate transactions, firms are deploying artificial intelligence...
Cyber Insurance: Marginal No More
Cyber insurance has shifted from a niche product to a core corporate concern as U.S. breach costs top $10.2 million in 2025, double the global average. Claim severity for large U.S. firms jumped from $700,000 in 2020 to $4.4 million last year,...
NFL Concussion Settlement Lawsuit Delayed Until Mid‑2027
The NFL-insurer lawsuit over coverage of the concussion settlement, set to go to trial in Oct--over a decade after it was first filed--may get push back by at least a month, and maybe till june '27 because of a long...
ALIRT Says US Fronting Insurance Market Entering Mature, Disciplined Phase
ALIRT Insurance Research reports that the United States fronting insurance market is moving into a more mature and disciplined stage. After a surge of about 25 new fronting insurers in 2020‑21, entry has slowed while premium volumes keep rising, signaling...
Uninsured Driver Problem Isn't What You Think
In Florida, roughly one in five drivers lack auto insurance, a rate the article links partly to the fee structures of non‑standard insurers. A missed payment triggers a cascade of late fees, reinstatement fees and higher re‑entry premiums that can...
Massachusetts Court Addresses Limits of Chapter 93A Claims in Vacation Rental Injury Case
On March 24, 2026, the U.S. District Court for Massachusetts granted summary judgment to the owners of a vacation‑rental property and to the listing platform WeNeedAVacation.com in a Chapter 93A suit brought by Isabel Arana after she fell through a pool...
Chubb Walked Away From a Quarter of Its Property Book
Chubb slashed its large‑account property exposure by 55% in Q1 2026 while its North America Commercial segment still posted 7.3% growth. The insurer walked away from shared and layered property risks and bought extra reinsurance on the retained business. This shift...
Trump Administration Supports L.A. Wildfire Victims Suing State Farm
The U.S. Justice Department filed a brief backing 60 Los Angeles wildfire victims who sued State Farm and other insurers for allegedly colluding to push policyholders onto California’s costly FAIR Plan. The brief attacks the insurers’ defense that they are...
How Letters of Credit Compare to Export Credit Insurance When Buying From China
The article explains how letters of credit (LCs) and China’s state‑owned export‑credit insurer Sinosure address opposite sides of the payment‑risk equation for ecommerce brands importing six‑ to seven‑figure inventory from China. LCs provide a bank guarantee that protects the supplier,...
Clear Channel Generally Prevails In FCPA-Related Insurance Coverage Dispute
Clear Channel Outdoor resolved a $26.1 million FCPA enforcement action stemming from bribery by its former Chinese subsidiary, Clear Media. The settlement included $16.4 million in disgorgement, $3.76 million in prejudgment interest, and a $6 million civil penalty. Clear Channel sued insurer AIG for...
InsurTech Funding Slumps 50% in April 2026, Leaving Only Mid‑Size Rounds
Global InsurTech venture capital fell 50% month‑on‑month in April 2026, marking the deepest quarterly pullback since February’s $1 bn peak. The $99 m raised by Counterpart, Zego and PolicyStreet accounted for most of the $199 m total, underscoring a market now driven by...
Artex Hires Aidan Kelly as SVP, Advisory and Property Strategic Risk Transfer
Artex announced the appointment of Aidan Kelly as senior vice president overseeing advisory and property strategic risk transfer. Kelly will collaborate with Artex producers, captive directors, and senior leadership to design and manage sophisticated risk‑transfer programs. The role expands Artex’s...
Texas Leaders Say Summer Camps Should Move Forward With 2026 Applications
Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and House Speaker Dustin Burrows announced that camps can submit licensing applications for the 2026 season under the newly enacted Youth CAMPER Act and Heaven’s 27 Camp Safety Act. The legislation, spurred by the July 2025 Camp...
How to Navigate Riot and Protest Damages (BOMA 2026 Preview)
The 2026 BOMA International Conference will feature a panel on navigating riot and protest damages, moderated by Fortress Consulting partner Paul Merritt. Panelists include Allied Universal’s chief security officer, a leading insurance recovery attorney, and the World Trade Center deputy...
APRA Finalises Targeted Amendments to CPS 230 Operational Risk Management
On 30 April 2026, APRA finalized targeted amendments to prudential standard CPS 230, practice guide CPG 230, and the material service provider register. The changes introduce a list‑based exemption mechanism for non‑traditional service providers such as central banks, regulators, and government agencies,...
FCA to Review Claims Management Practices
The FCA announced a comprehensive review of the claims management sector after identifying persistent consumer harm from aggressive marketing, misleading adverts and unfair exit fees. The inquiry, conducted with the Solicitors Regulation Authority and other regulators, will assess fair value,...
Weightmans Collaborates with Global Insurance Analytics Leader, Verisk, to Launch New Anti-Fraud Intelligence Platform ‘Fraud Rely’
Weightmans has teamed up with global insurance analytics firm Verisk to launch Fraud Rely, a next‑generation anti‑fraud intelligence platform. The solution blends Verisk’s AI‑driven detection engine with Weightmans’ proprietary fraud database, offering insurers and in‑house fraud teams early, evidence‑based risk...
The Risk of Keeping Humans in Healthcare AI's Loop
Regulators are mandating that clinicians review AI‑generated recommendations before any patient‑care decision is made. Blue x Blue founder Julia Zarb cautions that this pre‑emptive oversight could expose doctors and health systems to heightened liability. The shift moves the safety net from post‑decision...
White Mountains Gets Positive Income From Ark’s Outrigger Re Sidecar in Q1 2026
White Mountains reported that its Ark subsidiary’s Outrigger Re sidecar delivered positive income in Q1 2026 despite no fresh capital injection for the year. The sidecar’s capital fell to $70 million, fully supplied by unaffiliated investors, while the vehicle posted a...
Red States Lose 550k Marketplace Enrollees After Subsidy Cuts
Red states have disproportionately benefited from the health insurance subsidies expanded by Biden and then cut by Trump. Georgia is a clear example: in just one year, marketplace enrollment has dropped by more than 550,000 people — a 37% decline. My @morningjoe...
Tinubu Is Building the First AI-Native Surety System, Integrating and Automating Broker and Carrier Workflows
Tinubu Surety, serving over 150 agencies and 17 carriers, unveiled an AI‑native platform that unifies broker and carrier workflows across the entire surety lifecycle. The roadmap introduces a rebuilt real‑time rating engine, an AI‑powered underwriting workbench, and a digital highway...
Renew Risk Launches Severe Storm Model for US Market
Renew Risk has launched a U.S. severe convective storm model designed specifically for utility‑scale solar farms. The model uses an asset‑first, machine‑learning approach and integrates hail, tornadoes and straight‑line wind to produce granular loss estimates. It draws on a monthly‑updated...
Corgi Debuts AI‑Risk Insurance to Plug Growing Coverage Gap
Corgi announced the launch of an AI Insurance Coverage that plugs a widening protection gap for tech firms. The modular product nests inside existing technology errors‑and‑omissions policies, letting companies buy only the AI‑risk modules they need. The move comes as...
Medicare Launches $50 GLP‑1 Bridge Pilot for Weight‑Loss Drugs
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services announced a two‑year GLP‑1 Bridge pilot that will let eligible beneficiaries obtain Wegovy, Zepbound or Foundayo for a $50 monthly copay starting July 1, 2026. The program aims to lower cost barriers for...
Trump’s Cuts Will Strip 10 Million Americans of Coverage
Over 10 million Americans will lose health insurance because of Trump’s cuts. 4 million from losing subsidies and 6 million more from cuts to Medicaid. My @morningjoe Chart.
Insurtech AkinovA Hires Gilpin as Group Chief Operating Officer
AkinovA, a technology‑driven re/insurance platform, has appointed Matthew Gilpin as Group Chief Operating Officer. Gilpin, a qualified UK barrister with over 20 years of senior leadership in regulated finance, joins as the firm moves into a new growth phase. His...
California Workers’ Comp Costs Per Claim Rose 6% in 2025, Driven by Growth Across All Key Components
The Workers Compensation Research Institute reported that total costs per lost‑time workers’ compensation claim in California increased 6% in 2025, extending a multi‑year upward trend. All three cost components—indemnity benefits, medical payments, and benefit‑delivery expenses—contributed, with delivery expenses jumping 9%...
MFA Misconfiguration Is the Costliest Point of Failure in Manufacturing Cyber Claims
Manufacturing has been the world’s most targeted industry for cyberattacks for five straight years, yet its security spending lags behind exposure. Resilience’s five‑year claims analysis shows ransomware accounts for 90% of losses while representing only 12% of claim volume. The...
New COSO ERM Guidance
COSO released its 2026 paper “From Guidance to Action: Exploring Practical Enterprise Risk Management,” urging firms to shift ERM from a static list of risks to a decision‑focused capability. The guidance stresses embedding risk signals into planning, investment and delivery...
GEICO's Modest 2% Growth Lags Progressive's 11%
Greg Abel: "In Q1 2026, GEICO's auto policies-in-force (PIFs) grew by ~2%. Compare that to our #1 competitor, Progressive, where PIFs grew by ~11%... As we go through 2026 and into 2027, two important objectives are to retain our customers...