Insurance News and Headlines
Insurance News and Headlines
Insurance Pulse
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EMAIL DIGESTS
Daily
Every morning
Weekly
Tuesday recap
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 that rivals geographic disaster risk. Studies from Quadrant Information Services and the NBER reveal that low‑score policyholders paid roughly $550 more in 2024, and the gap is widening. A handful of states have banned credit‑based pricing, providing early evidence that such limits can modestly reduce premiums for the most vulnerable.
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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....
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...
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...
Optum Real has teamed with Microsoft to accelerate claims and reimbursement using Azure, Dragon Copilot and Microsoft Foundry. The joint solution embeds AI‑driven coverage predictions, documentation assistance and prior‑authorization support into Optum Real’s real‑time platform. Pilot data show up to...
SageSure successfully issued the $175 million Gateway Re Series 2026‑2 catastrophe bond, meeting its target size while pricing Class A notes below initial guidance and Class B notes within range. The multi‑peril bond provides reinsurance for Auros Reciprocal and Interboro across storm, earthquake, wildfire, severe...
U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration has issued 19 citations against PCE Petroleum Contractors Enterprises, a Florida tank‑service firm, after a worker died from benzene and toluene exposure in a confined space. The agency proposed a $60,242 fine, which the...
The U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has proposed a new advance care planning (ACP) quality measure, MUC202-020, that would tie reimbursement to documented end‑of‑life conversations for patients 18 and older. The measure would apply to hospitals, home health...
The March 3, 2026 AJMC/MHE webinar examined the Trump administration’s Great Healthcare Plan, focusing on most‑favored‑nation (MFN) drug pricing, the lapse of ACA marketplace subsidies, and the Inflation Reduction Act’s (IRA) impact on community oncology. Sixteen manufacturers have voluntarily adopted MFN pricing,...
Global InsurTech funding topped $1 billion in February, propelled by a $703 million debt raise from Howden Group. Excluding Howden, venture‑backed firms secured roughly $376 million across 11 deals, keeping pace with January’s activity. AI‑centric companies dominated the venture pool, with notable rounds...
Cyber risk intelligence firm KYND has appointed Aaron Aanenson as Head of Insurance for North America, bolstering its leadership as demand for SME cyber‑risk insight rises. Aanenson brings over 18 years of experience in cybersecurity consulting, management consulting and insurance,...
The Federal Reserve’s FedNow service now powers FEMA’s disaster‑relief payouts, moving funds from days or weeks to seconds. Transaction limits have been raised to $10 million, enabling large‑scale disbursements directly to states, municipalities and households. This capability is part of a...
Eclipse Re Ltd., a Bermuda‑based special purpose insurer, issued its first private catastrophe bond of 2026 – a $100 million Series 2026‑1A note listed on the Bermuda Stock Exchange. The bond, likely covering property catastrophe reinsurance or retrocession, matures on December 31 2027, making...
Business email compromise (BEC) and funds transfer fraud (FTF) accounted for 58% of cyber‑insurance claims in 2025, with BEC alone representing 31% of all claims. Average BEC loss fell 28% to $27,000 and FTF loss dropped 14% to $141,000, while...
Severe storms across Kansas generated $879 million in insurance claims for 2025, nearly doubling the payout from 2023. More than 82,000 individual claims were filed, marking a 99% increase in claim volume. Wichita’s Sedgwick County alone accounted for over one‑third of...
Westchester Surplus Lines Insurance is nearing a settlement with the Portofino condominium association over a hurricane claim that originally sought more than $230 million. The dispute began with a modest $6.5 million proof of loss, which later ballooned to a $233 million appraisal...
CyberCube warned that Iranian-linked hacker groups pose a rising cyber risk to U.S. firms, especially in critical sectors, after recent U.S.-Israel military actions. Its AI-driven assessment found 12% of U.S. companies with over $1 billion in revenue at elevated risk, flagging...
The surplus lines market’s premium growth slowed to 9.7% year‑over‑year through Q3 2025, down from 13.5% in the same period a year earlier. Competitive pressure in cyber, commercial property and D&O liability is curbing expansion, even as E&S carriers continue...
New York Assembly Bill A.B. 10413 would codify the right of injured workers to fill workers‑comp prescriptions at pharmacies outside employer or insurer networks when delays, authorization gaps, or emergencies arise. The measure mirrors regulations the Workers’ Compensation Board adopted...
A Gallagher survey reveals that 86% of global companies suffered supply‑chain losses in the past year, yet only about one‑third were fully insured for those events. Rising material costs, geopolitical instability and tariff volatility are cited as the primary disruption...
A new Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America survey shows that only 31 % of Americans review or shop their insurance policies each year, despite 88 % believing insurance is crucial for financial security. Most consumers wait until premiums rise, life...
Ivans, Applied Systems' analytics unit, reports that commercial insurance renewal hikes eased in February compared with January. Commercial auto rates rose 5.18% versus 5.62% in January, while business owners policies increased 6.81% from 6.89%. Property and umbrella coverages still posted...
Empassion Health’s CEO Robin Hefferman says palliative‑care visits are excluded from CMS star‑rating calculations, a practice that can lift Medicare Advantage plans’ scores and protect hundreds of millions of dollars in payments. He explains that while exclusion improves ratings, effective...
The U.S. Department of Justice secured a $556 million settlement with Kaiser Permanente for allegedly submitting unsupported diagnosis codes to boost risk‑adjusted Medicare Advantage payments. The case, covering nearly a decade of overcoding, underscores the systemic pressure on clinicians to add...
Insurance carriers are confronting a surge in acute mental‑health cases that demand intensive crisis care, stretching traditional underwriting models. Emerging psychedelic therapies and widespread telehealth add layers of regulatory ambiguity and cross‑state liability. Social inflation is amplifying verdicts, especially in...
JP Morgan analysts warned that the Development Finance Corporation’s (DFC) insurance cap of $205 billion is far too low to cover the estimated $352 billion needed to insure all oil tankers transiting the Strait of Hormuz. The firm highlighted that private war‑risk insurers...
Underwriting is transitioning from retrospective portfolio reviews to AI‑driven, real‑time decision support. A 2025 Accenture study shows 71% of underwriting executives view AI and automation as critical, and 75% expect meaningful AI impact within three years. Modern workbenches now surface...
Health insurance coverage is slipping for many Americans as ACA marketplace sign‑ups fell by roughly one million this year and federal subsidies expired, driving premiums higher. Stricter Medicaid eligibility rules further limit options for low‑income households. KFF Health News correspondent...
Sedgwick’s 2026 State of the Nation Product Safety and Recall Index shows European recall events hit a record 15,608 in 2025, up from 14,484 in 2024. Every sector except medical devices posted year‑over‑year growth, with automotive and consumer‑product sub‑sectors jumping...
Kinsale Capital Group reported a 26% jump in diluted operating earnings per share to $5.81 in Q4 2025, while net written premiums rose 7.1% and the combined ratio improved to 71.7%. The insurer’s operating return on equity hit 26%, book value...
A federal appeals court ruled that Reliance Standard Life missed the ERISA‑mandated 45‑day deadline to decide a long‑term disability appeal, forcing the insurer to forfeit deference and pay $210,769.49 in past‑due benefits plus $22,544.95 in interest, totaling over $233,000. The...
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has opened a competitive window for an eight‑year contract to deliver a unified, commercial‑off‑the‑shelf software platform called ClaimsCore. The system must consolidate four legacy claim‑processing applications, support over 2 million active users and...
WCRI’s preliminary study links the 2023 Medicaid work‑requirement policy to a 2‑3% rise in medical payments per workers‑comp claim, especially for lower‑wage, male employees in construction, manufacturing and leisure. About 12% of the labor force lost Medicaid coverage, prompting higher...
More than half of U.S. executives expect growth in 2026, yet 60% feel more stressed than last year, according to Sentry’s 2026 C‑Suite Stress Index. The survey of 1,250 leaders reveals a gap between perceived top risks—supply chain, economic pressure,...
Andover Companies, a long‑standing mutual insurer in the Northeast, is seeking to upsize its upcoming Locke Tavern Re cat‑bond to between $250 million and $300 million. The new Series 2026‑1 issuance will feature two tranches—Class A and Class B—each expanded to $125‑150 million, with price guidance...
Catastrophe‑bond yields stayed flat in February 2026, ending at 8.91% versus 8.87% in January. Primary issuances were priced roughly 30% lower than recent historical levels, generating price pressure that muted the expected seasonal spread widening after the hurricane season. Strong...
Beazley’s CEO Adrian Cox announced that the insurer will move beyond issuing cyber catastrophe bonds to full‑scale securitisation and transformation of cyber risks. A dedicated cyber insurance‑linked securities (ILS) fund is slated for launch in 2026, built on the company’s...
Ryan Specialty Underwriting Managers announced three senior promotions within its Ryan Financial Lines (RFL) division. Deborah Egel‑Fergus was named president of lawyers errors‑and‑omissions, succeeding retiring veteran Kevin Sullivan. Brooke Tanner was elevated to chief claims officer for North America, overseeing...
Consumers are intensifying year‑round shopping for auto and property insurance, defying traditional seasonal patterns, according to TransUnion’s Q1 2026 Personal Lines Trends report. Auto insurance searches rose 10.6% year‑over‑year in Q4 2025, while property insurance activity increased 5.3% over the same period....
Berkshire Hathaway’s new CEO Greg Abel disclosed a sharp decline in 2025 underwriting profit, with GEICO alone responsible for more than half of the $1.9 billion drop. Across all property‑casualty units pretax underwriting profit fell 16.5% to $9.7 billion and combined ratios...
Georgia’s House passed HB 1344, a sweeping insurance reform moving to the Senate, targeting lower premiums and stronger consumer protections. The bill raises fines for insurers and auto‑fraud perpetrators, expands the insurance commissioner’s investigative powers, and creates a $6,000 matching...
U.S. District Judge Analisa Torres ruled that American Transit Insurance Co. (ATIC) breached its duty to defend Uber Technologies in 23 crash lawsuits, ordering the insurer to pay damages and Uber’s legal fees. ATIC, New York’s largest taxi insurer, has...
President Donald Trump announced that the United States will provide war‑risk insurance for vessels navigating the Strait of Hormuz after commercial insurers pulled coverage. The move may be paired with U.S. naval escorts to safeguard tankers amid heightened regional tensions....
Data analytics is reshaping risk assessment from a reactive practice into a predictive science across finance, insurance, healthcare, and transportation. Predictive modeling, machine‑learning, and real‑time dashboards now enable firms to forecast exposure, micro‑segment customers, and allocate capital with greater confidence....
