Drug Pricing, PBM Reform, and the 2026 Midterms: What You Need to Know
Analysts at Avalere Health’s AXS26 summit warned that the 2026 midterm elections will reshape drug pricing and PBM practices. Recent FTC settlements require Express Scripts, CVS Caremark and Optum Rx to end spread pricing and unlink compensation from rebates, while the Department of Labor’s proposed ERISA rule forces plan sponsors to justify rebate retention. Concurrently, the Inflation Reduction Act and MFN negotiations extend price‑control mechanisms to Medicare Part B, and new tariffs target manufacturers without MFN agreements. The combined regulatory pressure forces pharma companies to rethink launch timing, pricing separation, and US‑ex‑US coordination.
USAA, State Farm Win as Court Narrows Cooperation Statute Scope
The Colorado Supreme Court issued a 6‑1 opinion that narrows the reach of the state’s failure‑to‑cooperate statute. The court held that the statute’s notice‑and‑cure requirements apply only to general cooperation clauses, not to specific conditions‑precedent such as medical‑release authorizations. It...
Zurich Appoints Amit Kalra to Lead New Global Capability Center in India
Zurich announced the launch of a new Global Capability Centre (GCC) in Hyderabad, India, appointing Amit Kalra as Head of Zurich Capability Centres effective 1 July 2026. The centre will centralise engineering, data, AI and core business operations, embedding AI‑enabled processes across...
Columbian Banking Firm Forms Bermuda’s First Captive of 2026
Colombian banking group Rojo Re Ltd secured Bermuda’s first captive insurance licence of 2026, receiving a Class 3 license from the Bermuda Monetary Authority on March 31. The captive will operate under Bermuda’s well‑established regulatory framework, giving the bank a local vehicle...
Cayman Licences 13 New Captives in Q1
The Cayman Islands Monetary Authority (CIMA) issued 13 new captive licences in Q1 2026, including six Class B(i) and seven Class B(iii) captives, and also approved four portfolio insurance companies (PICs). The licences reflect continued demand for Cayman’s flexible, tax‑neutral captive structures. CIMA’s...
Beazley Finds Growing Gap Between Business Confidence and Cyber Resilience as Risks Intensify
Beazley’s 2026 Risk & Resilience report, based on 3,500 global executives, finds cyber risk now tops 31% of business concerns, up from 29% in 2025. Yet 78% of leaders remain confident they could fully recover financially from an attack, and...
Insurers Need Real-Time Data Capabilities
Insurers are no longer struggling to collect data but to act on it before it becomes stale. Legacy batch‑processing systems and entrenched data silos create 24‑hour delays that expose insurers to fraud and inefficiencies. The article outlines a five‑step roadmap—prioritizing...
Lynx Specialty Joins with Property Guardian to Strengthen Wildfire Risk Underwriting
Lynx Specialty, an excess‑and‑surplus insurer focused on commercial property, has partnered with Property Guardian to embed parcel‑level wildfire analytics into its underwriting. The collaboration gives underwriters detailed exposure, severity, mitigation and suppression data for individual sites, rather than broad area...
ICA Urges Greater Federal Investment in Flood Defences for Local Communities in Australia
The Insurance Council of Australia (ICA) has submitted recommendations to a federal parliamentary inquiry urging a 10‑year, $30.15 bn Australian (≈$20 bn US) Flood Defence Fund jointly financed by the federal government and the states of Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria....
Berkshire, Chubb, and Travelers Are Removing AI Coverage
Berkshire Hathaway, Chubb, and Travelers have secured state approvals to embed AI exclusion clauses in their standard commercial liability policies, with regulators approving over 80% of such filings. The exclusions cover AI‑driven discrimination claims, intellectual‑property infringements, and damages from autonomous...
Strengthening Compliance Frameworks Around Workers’ Compensation Claims
Workers’ compensation compliance is becoming increasingly complex as state laws, reporting deadlines, and case law evolve. The Bureau of Labor Statistics recorded 2.5 million private‑industry injury cases in 2024, highlighting the scale of potential claims. Major gaps—late reporting, poor documentation, and...
Cayman's QJS Application Is More than a Reinsurance Collateral Play
The piece examines the Cayman Islands’ QJS (Qualified Joint Security) application, which many initially viewed as a niche reinsurance collateral vehicle. It reveals that the platform also provides multi‑layered risk‑transfer tools, capital‑efficiency mechanisms, and a regulatory sandbox for global insurers....
STR Business Insurance Guide: Coverage Gaps Killing Property Managers
Short‑term‑rental (STR) managers often rely on standard business insurance that contains the CG2270 exclusion, which removes property‑damage liability for the units they operate. Most also skip Errors & Omissions (E&O) coverage, leaving them exposed to professional‑error lawsuits. Wister Insurance offers...
SRS Altitude’s Stepform Produces “Easy Way In” For Captive Formations
SRS Altitude has introduced Stepform, a captive reinsurance solution that supplies the initial capital needed to launch a new captive insurer. The product addresses the common regulatory hurdle of meeting minimum capital requirements from day one. By structuring the capital...
How Iran’s Speedboat Doctrine Could Redraw Shipping Risk Worldwide
Iran recently seized two container ships in the Strait of Hormuz using coordinated speedboat swarms, a tactic it describes as a replicable doctrine. The operation demonstrated how low‑cost, fast‑moving craft can overwhelm standard maritime security measures. Analysts warn that the...
Agent, Heal Thyself (on Cyber Security)
Independent insurance agents are advising clients on cyber liability while many run their own firms with shared passwords and informal access controls. Underwriters are now scrutinizing agencies with the same rigor they apply to clients, demanding evidence of privileged access,...
Ashleigh Sears to Lead Lockton Alternative Risk Solutions Practice
Lockton has named Ashleigh Sears to head its alternative risk solutions practice, which includes captive consulting, structured risk solutions, and fronting arrangements. Sears joins from Everest, where she served as head of alternative risk, and brings prior senior experience at...
Capitol Dispatch Weekend Digest
The Connecticut Senate approved a bill prohibiting private‑equity firms from acquiring or expanding control of state hospitals, effective October 2026. Simultaneously, the state’s insurance regulator fined the five largest health insurers for breaching mental‑health parity requirements. The state agricultural lab...
Medicare Practice Expense Cuts Will Hurt Patients
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services released a final rule for the 2026 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule that trims practice‑expense inputs, lowering facility‑based physician payments by about 7%. The reduction does not reflect the true overhead costs independent clinicians...
Hyper TPRM: Rethinking Third-Party Risk for Scale, Speed, and Confidence
Third‑party risk management (TPRM) is straining under exploding vendor ecosystems and fragmented risk signals. A new framework called Hyper TPRM replaces questionnaire‑driven reviews with data‑first intelligence, AI‑accelerated assessments, and community‑validated data. The model delivers continuous, risk‑based monitoring while retaining human...
Active Re COO Highlights MGA Opportunity in Barbados
At the Barbados Risk & Insurance Management Conference, Active Re COO Robert Ali highlighted Barbados as an attractive domicile for managing general agents (MGAs) because of its risk‑based capital framework, swift licensing process, and favorable tax regime. He noted that...
Gallagher Re Says April US Storm Outbreaks to Exceed $1bn in Insured Losses
Gallagher Re estimates that the severe convective storm outbreaks across the central and eastern United States in April 2026 will generate more than $1 billion in insured losses. The damage is driven primarily by large hail events, at least 124 confirmed...
The Cost of One Wrong Click How Businesses Reduce Digital Risk
A single phishing click can trigger weeks of downtime, costly recovery, legal exposure, and brand damage. The article explains that modern digital risk requires layered defenses—people, processes, and technology—rather than one‑off tools. It details financial, reputational, and productivity impacts, and...
Agam Capital and 1823 Partners Collaborate on Integrated Capital and ALM Capabilities for Insurers
Agam Capital and 1823 Partners have forged a long‑term strategic alliance to deliver integrated capital and asset‑liability management (ALM) solutions for insurers worldwide. The partnership combines Agam’s AI‑driven pALM and LeadAii platforms with 1823’s expertise in long‑duration capital sourcing and...
Moody’s Upgrades Peak Re’s Ratings on Consistent Operating Performance and Underwriting Discipline
Moody’s upgraded Peak Re’s Insurance Financial Strength Rating to A3 from Baa1, citing consistent operating performance, disciplined underwriting and strong risk management. The agency also raised the rating of the subsidiary’s perpetual subordinated capital securities to Baa2. Peak Re reported...
Universal Reports 31% Rise in Q1’26 Net Income on Improved Loss Ratio and Investment Income
Universal Insurance Holdings posted a 31% jump in first‑quarter 2026 net income, reaching $54.3 million, driven by a lower loss ratio and higher investment income. The loss ratio fell to 63.9% from 70.5% a year earlier, pushing the combined ratio to...
The BALANCE Model Pause, the GLP-1 Bridge Extension Thru Dec 2027 & What the 80% Part D Participation Threshold Miss...
CMS announced on April 21, 2026 that the Medicare Part D component of the BALANCE anti‑obesity drug model is paused for calendar year 2027 after the required 80 percent NAMBA‑weighted enrollment threshold was not met. The GLP‑1 Bridge demonstration, which provides $50‑per‑month access outside the...
Self-Inflicted Wounds
CMS has proposed CJR‑X, a mandatory, nationwide bundled‑payment model for all Medicare joint replacements effective October 2027. The original CJR program saved roughly $112 million over two years, mainly by reducing post‑acute care, but CJR‑X projects only $725 million in savings over five...
BMA Launches "Streamlined" Innovation Entry Process for Lloyd's Lab Participants
The Bermuda Monetary Authority (BMA) unveiled a streamlined Market Entry & Innovation Pathway aimed at Lloyd’s Lab participants and alumni with Bermuda‑focused insurance solutions. The new process grants firms access to live testing through BMA’s regulatory sandbox and coordinated engagement...
Severe Bodily Injury Claims Fuelling Widening Cost Gaps Between Geographies
Severe bodily injury claims are climbing faster in some regions, widening cost gaps between geographies. North America saw an 18% year‑over‑year increase, while Europe’s claim severity remains lower than Asia’s by roughly $1.2 billion. Insurers are responding by adjusting premiums and...
LMA Brings Out AI Adoption Toolkit
The Lloyd’s Market Association (LMA), together with Barnett Waddingham, has released an AI adoption toolkit aimed at helping managing agents build robust governance frameworks. The toolkit outlines five core principles—governance and accountability, risk tiering, data protection, security and intellectual property,...
Reassured Partners with Adviser.Ai to Support Digital Transformation and Customer Experience
Reassured, a UK life‑insurance broker, has partnered with cloud‑based platform Adviser.AI to accelerate its digital transformation and enhance customer engagement. The collaboration automates marketing, enquiries, policy communications, cross‑selling and retention, freeing agents to focus on service quality. A trial that...
Medicare Steps Up on Obesity Care. Will Health Insurers?
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced an extension of its GLP‑1 Bridge program through 2027, offering seniors obesity drugs at a $50 monthly copay. The bridge operates outside Medicare Part D, removing financial risk for private insurers. CMS...
Liberty Specialty Markets Restructures Its European Fine Art & Specie Unit
Liberty Specialty Markets has reorganized its European Fine Art & Specie (FA&S) underwriting team, effective May 1, 2026. Bjoern Reusswig is now European Underwriting Manager for Contingency, Fine Art & Specie and War & Terrorism, reporting to Chief Underwriting Officer David Saillen. Paolo Frassetto has...
Insurance's Operational Debt Coming Due
Insurers are confronting a growing "operational debt" as years of underinvestment in claims payment infrastructure finally surface. A recent survey of over 200 senior U.S. and U.K. insurance leaders shows that 80% see internal inefficiencies as a barrier, while two‑thirds...
JBA Risk Management Releases Global Climate Change Flood Mapping Suite
JBA Risk Management launched a global flood‑mapping suite that integrates climate‑change projections into its existing flood hazard models. The new tools let insurers, investors and corporates visualize how river, surface‑water and coastal flood exposure could evolve under multiple climate scenarios....
Openly Expands Reinsurance Partnership with Allianz Re Alongside New Growth Investment
Openly announced an expanded reinsurance partnership with Allianz Re and closed a growth investment round led by Eden Global Partners, Advance Venture Partners and Gradient, with strategic participation from Allianz X. The deeper alliance boosts Openly’s capacity and financial footing,...
Kristyn Smallcombe Named CUO of Ascot U.S.
Ascot, a global specialty insurer, has named Kristyn Smallcombe as Chief Underwriting Officer for its U.S. operation. Smallcombe will shape and execute the U.S. underwriting strategy, emphasizing profitability, growth, and portfolio diversification. She reports to CEO Matt Kramer and will...
Telematics Drives Shift in Commercial Insurance
Commercial insurers are moving from a reactive, periodic underwriting model to a continuous, data‑driven approach powered by real‑time telematics. By streaming driver behavior, vehicle usage and environmental conditions, insurers can monitor exposure as it happens and intervene before losses occur....
NEW: P&C Commercial Tracker
Intelligence Council launched the P&C Commercial Tracker, a carrier‑level database focused initially on Florida commercial property. The platform catalogs 169 carriers across 90 parent groups and provides a baseline directory plus a weekly moves feed that records rate filings, appetite...
IVF Insurance Coverage Depends on Your ZIP Code
Infertility affects roughly one in eight U.S. couples, yet access to in‑vitro fertilization (IVF) hinges on state insurance mandates rather than medical need. As of 2026, 25 states and the District of Columbia have some infertility‑insurance law, but only about...
Flora Fertility Raises $5M to Build Customer-Owned Reproductive Insurance
Flora Fertility announced a $5 million Series A round to expand its customer‑owned reproductive insurance platform. The funding will accelerate product development, grow the provider network, and increase user acquisition. By letting patients pool contributions and tying payouts to treatment outcomes, the...
Debanking, Crypto, and the Next Wave of D&O Exposure
Federal regulators, led by the OCC and FDIC, are eliminating “reputation risk” from bank supervision following the 2025 “Guaranteeing Fair Banking” executive order. The new guidance forces banks to base service decisions on measurable credit, liquidity, operational and legal risks,...
Micro-Captive Insurers Have a Small Victory in Court
The U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas ruled that the IRS exceeded its statutory authority by designating micro‑captive insurers as listed transactions. The court struck down the mandatory listed‑transaction filing requirement, though it allowed the IRS to...
CT Insurance Dept. Cracks Down on Rogue Insurance Companies
Connecticut's Insurance Department announced that the state’s five largest health insurers—Aetna, Anthem, Cigna, Connecticare and UnitedHealthcare—were fined for violating the state’s mental‑health parity law. The penalties are capped at $625,000 per carrier, but the department has not disclosed the exact...
Blackwell Captive Solutions Launches Group Stop Loss Captives for Cannabis Industry
Blackwell Captive Solutions has launched a homogeneous group medical stop‑loss captive tailored for cannabis growers and operators. The new structure pools risk across participating firms, aiming to curb the historically high insurance premiums that have plagued the sector. While cannabis...
Insurance Must Improve Decision Velocity
Insurance leaders warn that traditional underwriting cycles are too slow for today’s volatile environment. The article argues that decision velocity—making pricing and coverage choices at the speed of change—is the industry’s biggest constraint, not model sophistication. It calls for continuous...
Spoofed Tankers Are Flooding the Strait of Hormuz. These Analysts Are Tracking Them
A surge of spoofed tankers is disappearing through the Strait of Hormuz, prompting analysts to piece together fragmented data to monitor movements. US satellite providers recently restricted high‑resolution imagery of the area, forcing firms like TankerTrackers.com to revive older sources...
Government Backs Fertiliser Imports, Farmers Gain Certainty, Taxpayers Take the Exposure
The Australian government has introduced an underwriting scheme to backstop fertilizer imports amid supply disruptions caused by tensions in the Strait of Hormuz. The policy guarantees losses for importers who lock in cargoes at high global prices, shifting downside risk...
Beyond the Deal: Why Risk Assessment Is the Foundation of Business Success
Risk assessment is increasingly vital for businesses and creators across entertainment, media, and technology. The article argues that evaluating legal, financial, and reputational hazards early—rather than after a problem emerges—creates a solid foundation for deals. It outlines a four‑question framework...