The natural disaster rate climbs as industry reevaluates high risk areas. Natural disasters seem to be happening more regularly, a fact that the global insurance industry is becoming uncomfortable with. In terms of insurance, powerful storms and weather-related catastrophes are becoming more commonplace. As such, insurers are feeling the pressure of increased liability and the potential for steep financial losses in the wake of a catastrophic event. There is a strange trend gaining momentum in the industry today, which is spurred by the severity of recent natural disasters. Insurance markets…
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China to strengthen regulations for growing insurance industry
Major changes for China insurance industry. The insurance industry in China is growing at a rapid rate. The country recently opened up its borders to foreign insurers looking to expand into new markets and this initiative has been quite successful. As more insurance companies enter the Chinese market, however, regulators are growing concerned over their ability to comply with the country’s laws and expectations. These concerns have grown too large to ignore any longer and the China Regulatory Commission has announced that it will be strengthening the supervision of the…
Read MoreSevere weather leads to over $1.2 billion in insurance losses in March
Insurance industry gets hit with huge losses for 2012. Global reinsurance intermediary, Aon Benfield, which is also responsible for the Aon plc capital advising, has released its most recent Global Catastrophe report edition, which provided an overview of the global natural disaster events of March 2012. The report was published by the catastrophe model development center of excellence for the company, Impact Forecasting. It showed that a number of serious weather events struck the Tennessee Valley, the American Midwest, and the Southeast of the country during the first week of…
Read MoreClimate Prediction Center heralds the return of El Nino this year
Insurance industry on El Nino watch. The U.S. Climate Prediction Center (CPC), a government agency that provides weather information to the insurance industry and others, has raised concerns that El Nino may make a strong return to the Northern Hemisphere later this year. The weather phenomenon is notorious for the number of natural disasters it spawns throughout the Northern Hemisphere. El Nino brings an increase in rainfall and changes to temperature and wind patterns in some parts of the world. The CPC notes that El Nino could have a disastrous…
Read MoreForce-placed coverage causes probe of New York insurance companies
A closer look into forced placed insurance practices The state insurance regulator in New York is currently performing an investigation as to whether or not the rates for force-placed insurance that are being charged by companies should be deemed excessive, and is requesting data from insurers such as Assurant Inc. The New York Department of Financial Services released a statement that said that it is trying to obtain basis for “consistently high profits” that are occurring at the investors’ and homeowners’ expense. It is also requiring that insurers such as…
Read MoreMedical loss ratio provision could have saved Illinois residents millions according to Commonwealth Fund report
Health care reform medical loss ratio study The Commonwealth Fund, an independent foundation based in New York that researchers health care policies, has released a new report concerning the medical loss ratio (MLR) provision of the Affordable Care Act. The MLR provision requires insurance companies to spend no less than 80% of the money they collect from premiums on improving medical care. If insurers cannot meet this standard, the money must be returned to policyholders. The provision took effect in 2011, but has been mired in litigation and bureaucracy, which…
Read MoreCalifornia pushes for insurance exchange despite fate of Affordable Care Act
California health insurance news update California seems to be moving ahead with its plans to build a health insurance exchange despite the current controversy surrounding the Affordable Care Act. The federal health care law is currently awaiting ruling from the Supreme Court after lengthy and uncomfortable litigation last month. Speculation suggests that the Court may rule the law as unconstitutional, or at least a part of which, which means that states would no longer be required to build insurance exchanges. California lawmakers are well aware of the possibility that the…
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