Healthcare insurance costs move back to the top of US voter concerns
Rising medical costs and higher insurance premiums pushed healthcare back to the top of US domestic concerns, with affordability now outpacing the economy
Insurance News
Brittni Mealy says Future ignored court-ordered $500,000 life insurance policy
Brittni Mealy asked a Georgia court to hold Future in contempt, alleging he failed to secure a $500,000 life insurance policy for their son Prince
Missouri court backs Mount Vernon in $875,000 church fire insurance claim dispute
A Missouri federal court ruled Mount Vernon owed no more than $875,000 on a $2.5 mn church fire policy after the insured failed to support its claim under the policy terms
India plans sovereign backing for Gulf shipping insurance cover
India is preparing sovereign support for marine insurers as Gulf war-risk premiums surge, with proposed backstops worth $1.8 bn to keep cover in place
Minnesota home insurance premiums jumped 34% in a year
Minnesota posted the biggest rise in US homeowner insurance premiums, with costs up 34% as severe weather, repair expenses, and aging homes pushed rates higher
Medicare Advantage insurers get bigger 2027 rate lift after CMS revision
CMS raised 2027 Medicare Advantage payments by 2.48% on average, with risk-model changes pushing the total increase near 5% and insurer shares jumping
DFC and Chubb expand Hormuz maritime insurance facility to $40 bn
DFC and Chubb added six US insurance partners, doubling maritime reinsurance capacity to $40 bn to support trade through the Strait of Hormuz
Farmers Insurance targets 1,700 new agency owners in major distribution push
Farmers plans to add nearly 1,700 agency owners, launch an Elite program for well-capitalized recruits, and expand growth across underrepresented markets
Georgia bill would let property owners sue over local enforcement failures
Georgia lawmakers passed a bill allowing property owners to seek damages from local governments over alleged failures to enforce camping and immigration rules
Texas insurance investigator helped trace suspect in $400 mn Medicare fraud case
A Texas insurance investigator and analyst helped identify and track a Russian national accused of filing $400 mn in fake Medicare claims
NHTSA closes Tesla Smart Summon probe after low-speed crash review
NHTSA closed its probe into Tesla’s Smart Summon feature after finding about 100 low-speed crashes caused minor property damage and no injuries
Deere agrees $99 mn settlement in farm equipment repair case
Deere agreed to a $99 mn settlement over repair access claims and said it will provide digital repair tools for large farm equipment for 10 years
Jones Day data breach exposed files tied to 10 client matters
Jones Day said a phishing attack exposed dated files tied to 10 clients, as the Silent cybercrime group claimed responsibility for the breach
Europe’s biggest insurers face slower growth after strong 2025
Moody’s said Allianz, AXA, Generali and Zurich posted strong 2025 results, though weaker pricing momentum and rising geopolitical risk threaten earnings growth
Hail and AI are reshaping severe storm risk management
Allianz says severe convective storms are driving heavy insured losses, with hail as a major factor and AI becoming more important in resilience planning
US mortgage insurers posted strong 2025 underwriting results: Fitch
Fitch said US mortgage insurers delivered a 7.7% loss ratio in 2025, helped by reserve releases, stable home values, and continued high policy persistency
KYND flags website tracking lawsuits as a growing cyber claims risk
KYND says privacy lawsuits tied to website tracking are rising fast, with SMBs showing higher exposure and insurers facing a harder-to-detect accumulation risk
Fitch says private credit transparency in North America is improving slowly
Fitch says private credit disclosure is rising in North America, though the market remains largely opaque, especially around links to the wider financial system
Geneva Association says cyber insurance must do more for resilience
The Geneva Association says cyber threats are rising faster than many firms can manage, with cyber insurance still underused as a resilience tool, especially among SMEs
Mega M&A deals hit post-2008 high in first quarter of 2026
WTW said 12 mega deals worth $10 bn or more closed in Q1 2026, pushing total completed deal value to a five-year high of $438 bn
Ontario-Quebec ice storm became Canada’s costliest weather loss of 2025
Insured losses from the March 2025 ice storm in Ontario and Quebec reached CAD 466mn, sharpening calls for stronger resilience planning across Canada
Acrisure UK adds four businesses to deepen specialist broking reach
Acrisure UK Broking acquired Confidas, Heathwoods, Marrs and Smith Greenfield, expanding its specialist strength in commercial, property and private client insurance
Aon expands digital infrastructure risk team with two senior hires
Aon appointed Stephen Fox and Brian Hearst to strengthen digital infrastructure and builders’ risk advisory as demand rises for data centres and AI projects
Geospatial Insight launches FireWatch for wildfire risk analysis
FireWatch uses satellite data, weather forecasts, and environmental signals to help insurers, utilities, and governments track wildfire risk in near real time
US shipping insurance plan for Hormuz set to launch soon, Scott Bessent says
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said a US insurance programme for Strait of Hormuz shipping will begin soon, aiming to support safer tanker traffic
Connecticut court backs insurer GEICO in towing fee complaint immunity case
A Connecticut appeals court ruled GEICO is protected by absolute immunity when filing DMV complaints over towing and storage charges
QBE and insurtech Aurora launched an automated underwriting capability for Yacht P&I
QBE and Aurora launched an automated underwriting capability for Yacht P&I, cutting broker submission-to-bind time to under 10 minutes
Federal Housing Finance Agency chief accuses Letitia James of false insurance filings
FHFA Director William Pulte sent criminal referrals accusing Letitia James of false statements in insurance filings tied to a Virginia property
Massachusetts insurance brokers plead guilty in $750k fraud scheme
A New Bedford couple pleaded guilty in federal court after prosecutors said they stole more than $750k from insurance clients, lenders, and providers
China rolls out long-term care insurance as ageing pressure builds
China launched a long-term care insurance system to support people with lasting disabilities and ease pressure on families as the population ages
Prudential cuts 54 more jobs in Newark as layoffs reach 237
Prudential filed another WARN notice in New Jersey, bringing total planned job cuts in Newark to 237 since July despite stronger recent earnings
Oklahoma House passes insurance bill to tighten claims oversight
Oklahoma lawmakers advanced HB 2933, adding claims reporting, mediation rules, a Homeowner Claims Bill of Rights, and stronger consumer protection
US Senator Jeanne Shaheen bill targets crop insurance subsidies and aims to save $40 bn
Senator Jeanne Shaheen introduced a bill to cut crop insurance costs, curb abuse, save $40 bn over 10 years, and shift support toward smaller farms
First Central hires banks for potential £1 bn London IPO
UK insurer First Central is working with Deutsche Bank and UBS on a potential London IPO that could value the company at around £1 bn
UK targets Russian shadow fleet with boarding powers in home waters
The UK will board Russian shadow fleet vessels in its waters, tightening pressure on oil shipments tied to Moscow’s war funding and sanction evasion
Illinois bill to review home and auto insurance rates moves ahead
Illinois lawmakers advanced a bill giving regulators power to review home and auto insurance rates, with insurers warning the overhaul would raise costs
Senate bill would cap insulin costs at $35 for private insurance plans
A bipartisan Senate bill would cap insulin at $35 for privately insured Americans and launch a pilot to extend the same limit to uninsured patients
Hail now rivals major hurricanes in insured loss potential in the US
Cotality says hail has become a major insured loss driver, with modern storms causing damage on par with a Category 4 hurricane in the US
AI is reshaping life underwriting workflows, Pacific Life survey shows
Pacific Life’s underwriting survey shows wider AI use, stronger demand for structured health data, and growing concern over underwriting talent
Agent-based AI will change cyber offence and defence, Munich Re says
Munich Re says agent-based AI will change cyber offence and defence, widening attack surfaces, pressuring trust, and raising the pace of cyber threats
Munich Re says cyber insurance needs wider uptake as threats intensify
Munich Re says cyber risks are widening beyond ransomware and calls for stronger resilience, broader cyber insurance uptake, and closer market collaboration
MSIG Asia backs insurtech Ancileo to expand travel insurance across Asia
MSIG Asia made a strategic investment in Ancileo and formed a regional partnership to grow digital travel insurance across Asia’s fast-moving travel market
Meta and Alphabet’s Google verdicts put Section 230 appeals fight in motion
Jury verdicts against Meta and Google in child harm lawsuits set up appeals over Section 230, with wider consequences for social media and other online platforms
AccuWeather sees slightly softer 2026 Atlantic hurricane season
AccuWeather forecasts 11-16 named storms in 2026 as El Nino may suppress activity, though warm Atlantic waters still raise rapid intensification risk
Lloyd’s keeps Hormuz insurance cover available as war risk rates jump
Lloyd’s will keep insuring Strait of Hormuz voyages, though shipowners stay away as war risk premiums jump and underwriting shifts to case-by-case review
Delaware court says insurers don’t have to defend Meta Platforms in lawsuits
Delaware judge ruled Meta insurers owe no duty to defend social media harm lawsuits, citing intentional conduct not covered under liability policies
Fannie Mae updates property insurance standards and condo project rules
Fannie Mae revises condo review, reserve, and insurance rules, giving lenders more flexibility while tightening standards for long-term project stability
Fannie Mae opens door to crypto-backed mortgages with Better, Coinbase
Fannie Mae will accept crypto-backed mortgages through Better and Coinbase, letting buyers pledge bitcoin and other holdings for down payments
First Mutual Insurance extends AI home inspection deal with Chrp to cut risk costs
First Mutual expands Chrp AI inspections, speeds underwriting, cuts review time 50%, and flags home risks across NC, SC, TN markets
Allianz reshuffles Board of Management as Tomas Kunzmann joins in 2027
Allianz announced board changes effective 2027, including Tomas Kunzmann’s promotion, new regional responsibilities, and a CFO mandate extension
Vienna Insurance Group reports record 2025 profit and proposes 12% dividend increase
Vienna Insurance Group posted strong 2025 growth, lifted profit above EUR 1 bn, and proposed a 12% dividend increase as expansion plans continue
Neptune Flood launches ChatGPT quoting app as growth accelerates
Neptune Flood introduced a ChatGPT quoting app, extending automated flood insurance access while reporting strong 2025 growth across revenue and written premium
Oklahoma Senate advances bill mandating liability insurance for events
Oklahoma Senate passes bill requiring $1mn liability coverage for special event alcohol licenses, raising concerns over costs for small businesse
P&C insurers using AI outperform peers on profitability and growth
WTW survey shows North American insurers investing in AI and analytics achieve lower combined ratios and stronger premium growth
North Carolina court backs insurance firm in agent exit dispute
North Carolina Court dismisses most counterclaims by former agents in dispute over client poaching, leaving wage claim as sole surviving issue
US vehicle thefts fall 23%, National Insurance Crime Bureau data shows
Vehicle thefts fall to multi-decade lows in the US, with sharp declines across states and cities, NICB reports
US urges tighter Microsoft Intune security after Stryker cyberattack
CISA warns firms to secure endpoint systems after cyberattack disrupted Stryker operations and exposed risks in Microsoft environments
Florida mitigation program faces scrutiny over roof funding and limited insurance savings
Florida’s My Safe Florida Home program draws criticism over roof funding, limited insurance savings, and inspection challenges
Florida bill easing permit rules raises risks for insurers
Florida lawmakers approve bill exempting small projects from permits, prompting concerns over inspections, contractor practices, and insurance claims
Virginia ruling expands workers comp insurance coverage for incidental workplace acts
Virginia commission awards benefits for injury during workplace courtesy, reinforcing broad interpretation of employment scope
Finding affordable health insurance in California can be overwhelming. You’re faced with dozens of plan options, unfamiliar terms and questions about whether you qualify for subsidies through Covered California
Health insurance is an integral part of employee benefits packages in the United States. However, any employer federally required to provide this compensation could admit that their costs can be burdensome
Fitch Ratings warns U.S. health insurers face a tougher 2026 as medical costs rise, ACA subsidies expire, and policy uncertainty weighs on margins
Providing health insurance in California is becoming a competitive necessity for attracting and retaining top talent, particularly in industries such as technology, finance, cyber