Verlan Fire Insurance sues BioLab for $20 mn over Conyers fire and toxic smoke fallout
Verlan Fire Insurance Co. seeks $20.3mn from BioLab, alleging negligence tied to the 2024 Conyers warehouse fire that blanketed metro Atlanta in toxic smoke
Insurance News
Louisiana tightens 2026 unemployment insurance rules with stricter searches
Louisiana raises weekly work-search requirements and sharpens eligibility rules for unemployment claims filed from Jan. 4, 2026
Colorado ACA marketplace posts early 2026 enrollment dip amid rising rates
Connect for Health Colorado reports a 5% early enrollment drop as expiring tax credits and higher premiums push shoppers to reassess their 2026 plans
OpenAI sees rapid AI uptake as insurers and banks scale real deployments
Insurers and financial firms ramp up generative AI for fraud, claims, lending and analysis, with Europe emerging as a leader in production-scale rollouts
Louisiana regulator launches Insurance Pop-Ups to give policyholders local support
Louisiana’s insurance department opens pop-up offices for in-person policy help as Commissioner Tim Temple pushes market recovery and consumer access
Washington Insurance Commissioner Patty Kudere pushes 2026 bills on restitution and home mitigation
Commissioner Patty Kuderer backs 2026 bills to expand restitution powers, ban AOBs in repair contracts and launch a wildfire-focused mitigation pilot
Helvetia gets Spain’s approval to merge Seguros and Suizo into Caser
Spain clears Helvetia’s plan to fold Seguros and Suizo into Caser, creating a top-10 insurer with 2.5mn customers and both brands running through 2027
Skyward clears approvals for $555 mn Apollo deal, targets Q1 2026 close
Skyward wins regulatory and shareholder approvals for its $555mn Apollo acquisition, adding Lloyd’s syndicates and issuing fresh 2026 pro forma guidance
5th Circuit drops Department of Labor appeal over expanded ERISA fiduciary rule
The DOL ends its appeal on the paused ERISA fiduciary rule, leaving a Texas court stay in force and industry groups claiming it protects access to retirement advice
Swiss Re sets $4.5 bn 2026 profit target and sharpens AI-driven strategy
Swiss Re outlines a $4.5bn 2026 target, lifts L&H Re goals, deepens AI use, and plans a $500mn annual buyback alongside steady dividend growth
Sen. Susan Collins presses experts on ACA subsidy fairness and income-cap debate
At a Senate HELP hearing, Sen. Collins questions experts on ACA subsidy limits, asset tests and whether high-income families should still qualify
Cyber insurance strains to match fast-shifting threats and client demands
Rising attacks, tighter underwriting and sector-specific exposures show cyber insurance maturing but still trailing criminal tactics and network complexity
Private space boom fuels rise in satellite insurance disputes and high-stakes arbitration
Commercial space now drives 80% of sector revenue and fuels a surge in satellite disputes spanning defects, launch issues, collisions and treaty claims
Relm Insurance launched OMEGASPACE and NOVASPACE to insure fast-growing space tech
Relm debuts new space-economy insurance products, adding financial, cyber and E&O cover for firms using or supplying space-based data and systems
Florida’s 2026 laws reshape health benefits, pet insurance and consumer rules
Florida rolls out new 2026 laws covering breast-exam costs, pet insurance rules, overpayment refunds, cruelty penalties and added health protections
CSX pushes insurers to court over Chicago rail worker injury tenders
CSX sues multiple insurers, alleging silence on tenders tied to two worker-injury suits from the Forest Hill Flyover project in Chicago
Hong Kong tower fire triggers surge in insurance claims and pressure on Taiping
A deadly Hong Kong high-rise fire drives major claims for China Taiping, raises volatility risks and tightens renovation insurance terms
Illinois rolls out major 2026 health laws that reshape insurance cover
New Illinois laws in 2026 force insurers to cover more treatments, expand drug access, widen screenings and change how hospitals disclose fees
KFF poll: soaring ACA premiums push many Americans to consider dropping cover
A KFF poll shows rising ACA premiums and expiring tax credits pushing enrollees toward cheaper plans or dropping cover entirely
Digital MGA Ripe buys Schofields to push deeper into UK and overseas holiday-home cover
Ripe acquires Schofields to enter the holiday-home segment, keeping the family team in place while expanding with its tech and marketing engine
Bridgehaven completes SureStone deal to build its EU specialty platform
Bridgehaven buys Dublin MGA SureStone to expand its EU commercial and specialty reach, adding licences, talent and a scaled hybrid model
Nicole Pieterse becomes Swiss Re’s Chief People Officer
Swiss Re announced that Nicole Pieterse, currently Swiss Re’s Head Human Resources for Property & Casualty Reinsurance (P&C Re), will become Chief People Officer
Louisiana Insurance Commissioner fields questions as premiums climb, options shrink
At a West Monroe roundtable, Commissioner Tim Temple faced questions on rising premiums, cancellations and whether homeowners can still find affordable coverage
Why 80% of renters skip insurance – and why experts say that’s risky?
Most renters go without insurance, leaving them exposed to theft, fire, liability and costly temporary housing after a covered loss
How Advanced Driver Assistance Systems alter car behavior and insurance
Modern cars hide costly ADAS sensors behind bumpers and glass, turning small collisions into four-figure repairs and reshaping auto insurance rules nationwide
Navacord–Acera merger set to form Canada’s largest private brokerage
Navacord and Acera plan a 2026 merger that creates a $7.2bn-premium brokerage with 5,000 staff, 150 offices, and a unified national platform
State Farm sued over PHL policies as buyers insurance claim fraud, gutted payouts
A new class-action suit says State Farm sold PHL-issued life products despite a $2.2bn shortfall that left policyholders with sharply reduced payouts
US Congress stalls on Affordable Care Act subsidy deal as partisan rifts deepen before Jan. 1
Talks on extending ACA subsidies collapse into partisan deadlock, raising the odds of sharp premium hikes for millions starting Jan. 1
State-regulated insurers in New Jersey face new caps on vital medication costs
New Jersey adopts final rules forcing state-regulated insurers to cap out-of-pocket costs for insulin, asthma inhalers, EpiPens and expand hearing-aid coverage
Washington homeowners sue oil majors, blame climate change for soaring insurance rates
A new class-action lawsuit claims oil companies drove climate-related damage that helped push Washington homeowners insurance rates up more than 50% in six years
California pushes insurance overhaul as FAIR Plan growth signals deep strain
California’s insurance market reforms expand coverage in wildfire-distressed regions as FAIR Plan counts surge and rate reviews accelerate under new rules
Most insurance customers trust AI for simple tasks, not pricing or claims
A J.D. Power survey shows customers accept AI for routine insurance tasks but doubt insurers share its benefits, with strong resistance to AI pricing and claims decisions
Hesperia and Adelanto suspects tied to staged rideshare crash and insurance fraud case
Four men face felony convictions after a staged rideshare crash on I-215. A fifth suspect from Adelanto now confronts added charges including pimping and false imprisonment
Medicare costs jump in 2026, and supplemental plans may soften the blow
With Medicare premiums rising in 2026, supplemental plans can cover bigger deductibles, rising coinsurance and replace volatile costs with predictable expenses
Baldwin Group to merge with CAC, creating a major US insurance platform
Baldwin and CAC plan a 2026 merger that expands specialty insurance, analytics strength, and middle-market distribution across a 5,000-colleague platform
Farmers Insurance drops policy cap as California seeks stability amid wildfire risk
Farmers removes its cap on new homeowners policies in California, pressuring rivals and expanding coverage in wildfire-distressed regions
Americans rethink career moves as employer health insurance falters
Survey shows employer health insurance drives career decisions, yet most workers say their plans fail to meet real health needs
Cyclone Gabrielle machinery dispute shows how strict insurance policy terms bite
A forestry firm loses an $85k claim after moving equipment without insurer consent, raising questions about recovery wording and disaster-response realism
Late-season snow could threaten homes and cars in Canada
A winter system dropping across Nova Scotia and parts of New Brunswick this week may bring 15-35 cm of snow inland and in elevated terrain, with coastal zones possibly getting 30-50 mm of rain
UK P&I and TT Club explore merger to build a larger maritime mutual
UK P&I Club and TT Club begin merger talks aimed at creating a stronger, more diversified maritime and transport insurance mutual
ICEYE adds five SAR satellites to boost catastrophe insight for insurers
ICEYE launches five new SAR satellites on SpaceX’s Transporter-15 to expand rapid, high-resolution imaging for insurers and government missions
Redkik and Cargors team up to deliver data-driven cargo insurance into digital workflows
Redkik partners with Cargors to embed instant, data-driven cargo insurance into digital road-transport workflows for SMEs and enterprise shippers
Hawaii’s Act 296 revives hurricane fund to ease soaring condo insurance premiums
Hawaii expands state-backed hurricane coverage for condo buildings as Act 296 aims to cut premiums, boost market capacity and draw insurers back
Japan shifts fully to My Number health ID despite low public adoption
Japan retires traditional insurance cards as the My Number system becomes mandatory, though distrust, errors and slow usage cloud the national rollout
Black Sea sanctioned tanker attacks push war risk premiums higher for shippers
Ukrainian drone strikes on two tankers near Novorossiysk drive up Black Sea war risk rates, widening exposure for vessels calling at Russian ports
Convr marks 10 years of AI underwriting with expanded submission ontology
Convr celebrates a decade of its commercial P&C submission ontology, now powering unified data, workflows, and risk insights across underwriting teams
Wisconsin Bill 699 pushes new LTC guaranty fund funded by insurer assessments
A Wisconsin proposal would add an LTC guaranty account to the state security fund, backed by life and disability insurer assessments with targeted tax credits
Cuts to US social programs raise economic risks as 2026 ACA cliff nears
Reduced federal support, tariff pressure, and the 2026 ACA credit lapse threaten household stability and weaken local economies
Marsh McLennan buys Hawai‘i brokerages from Tradewind Group
Marsh McLennan Agency acquires Atlas, Pyramid, and IC in Hawai‘i, expanding its brokerage reach while keeping local teams and offices in place
MetLife declares preferred dividends and closes $10 bn annuity transfer
MetLife sets preferred dividends and completes a $10bn variable annuity risk transfer to Talcott, cutting legacy exposure and trimming hedge costs
Piraeus Bank completes €600 mn takeover of Ethniki Insurance
Piraeus Bank closes its €600mn acquisition of Ethniki Insurance, adding scale in protection, investment and Greek insurance markets
BlueFive Insurance launches GCC platform for consolidation and expansion
BlueFive launches a GCC insurance platform targeting consolidation, digitisation, specialisation and regional expansion, backed by a new Oman legal entity
LifeSearch launches UK’s first fully digital in-journey life insurance trust
LifeSearch adds a digital trust engine to its online life insurance journey, aiming to place most policies in trust and close a major protection gap
Insurers race to tackle “silent AI” exposures with new wordings, products
DAC Beachcroft says silent AI risk is reshaping policy wordings, products and reinsurance as agentic AI, fraud and regulatory gaps fuel 2026 challenges
ICA extends catastrophe declaration as storms in Queensland trigger 44k insurance claims
ICA broadens its Cat 255 declaration after severe storms and hail hit Qld and NSW, with 44,600+ claims and insurers deploying support across communities
Australia ranks second globally for extreme weather losses over 45 years
ICA data shows Australia has faced the world’s second-highest per-capita extreme weather losses for 45 years, urging major investment in resilience
Medica to acquire UCare contracts, expanding coverage for 300k members
Medica will acquire key UCare contracts and assets in 2026, expanding coverage for 300k members as UCare exits Medicare Advantage and scales back Medicaid
NY court says insurers must pay no-fault benefits despite referral kickbacks
New York’s top court rules auto insurers can’t deny no-fault benefits for referral-fee misconduct unless providers fail core licensing requirements
Marsh names James Addington-Smith CEO of UK business from early 2026
Marsh appoints James Addington-Smith to succeed Chris Lay as UK CEO in early 2026, as Lay prepares to retire after four decades
US insurers add generative AI exclusions as regulators approve new forms
Filings show carriers adopting ISO-based generative AI exclusions in commercial policies, with regulators in multiple states signing off on the updates
Over 40% of agentic AI projects will be canceled by the end of 2027, due to escalating costs, unclear business value or inadequate risk controls
Insurers enter 2026 with longer settlement cycles, rising volumes, and slow AI adoption, increasing costs and operational risk, AutoRek finds
How insurers use AI, parametric models and data to close the global protection gap, support climate finance, and strengthen resilience amid regulatory fragmentation
Although cyber incidents have not resulted in a significant systemic event for the U.S. financial services sector to date, they could pose risks to financial stability