Yearly Archives: <span>2021</span>

Alphabet-Backed Startup Insurer Oscar Health Raises $1.2 Billion in IPO

Oscar Health Inc., a health insurance startup backed by Google parent Alphabet Inc., sold shares in its initial public offering (IPO) on Tuesday at $39 apiece, above its target range, to raise $1.2 billion. The IPO gives New York-based Oscar …

How a Social Media Fad Is Turning into a Cyber, Fraud Risk for Insurers

Anyone who uses social media has probably come across deepfakes, which refer to media such as videos, photos or audio that have been modified using artificial intelligence. Deepfakes have become increasingly common in entertainment, internet memes and social media over …

Beazley’s CEO Horton to Become Group CEO of QBE Insurance in Australia

Beazley Chief Executive Officer Andrew Horton is leaving to become the group chief executive officer of QBE Insurance Group Ltd. in Australia, the two companies announced. Horton will be succeeded in the role by Adrian Cox, the current chief underwriting …

Hiscox Cites Loss on COVID, BI Dispute ‘Brand Damage’; Will Alter Liability, Cyber Books

British insurer Hiscox reported a big loss for 2020 after a jump in claims from businesses disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic and also faces “brand damage” from a legal dispute over policy wordings for pandemic-linked claims. Hiscox shares plunged 13% …

Security First Insurance of Florida Appoints Nationwide’s Moraski as VP of Claims

Florida-based homeowners insurance provider Security First Insurance has appointed Greg Moraski as vice president of Claims. Moraski will oversee the company’s claims department, which includes specialized areas such as catastrophe response, special investigations and fraud prevention, and litigation. His hiring …

Florida Legislative Session 2021: Insurance Bills to Watch

The Florida insurance industry will be fighting for property insurance reforms in the 60-day legislative session that kicked off this week, but there are several other insurance-related bills to watch. Read on for a breakdown of the bills being considered …

Many Meatpackers, Other Food Workers Still Waiting for Vaccines

COVID-19 vaccines are making their way into the arms of U.S. meat and agriculture workers, but companies and union officials say progress needs to be faster after coronavirus outbreaks idled slaughterhouses and sickened thousands of workers. Vaccinating food workers could …

Global 2020 Cannabis Sales Hit $21B, Insurance Brokers Saw Premium Boost

If one thing can be said about the pandemic, it definitely was not a bad thing for cannabis, a business that many states declared to be essential as numerous other business sectors shut down to help slow the spread of …

Sedgwick Acquires Construction Services Co. in California

Sedgwick has acquired Construction Services Co., a building consulting firm headquartered in California. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. CSC provides loss assessment perspectives with an array of services focusing on the varied needs of the claims industry. Sedgwick …

Supreme Court Won’t Reconsider Verdict for Deaf Costco Worker Firing Case

A deaf former employee of a South Florida Costco store won’t be collecting $775,000 a federal jury awarded her in a discrimination and wrongful termination case. The U.S. Supreme Court last week declined to reconsider a judge’s decision to overturn …