Latest Trends Headlines
All the headlines from our Trends Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Employers Committed to Offering Health Plans; Cost Seen Going Up 5.3% in 2013
Aug 28 2012 // Following the U.S. Supreme Court decision on health care reform, most employers (88 percent) have affirmed their commitment to offer health care benefits to their active employees for the foreseeable future, according to a...
Study: Workers’ Comp Reform Bill Increases Costs $300M
Aug 27 2012 // A workers’ compensation reform bill was officially introduced on Monday, and the same day the California Workers’ Compensation Insurance Rating Bureau issued a study saying the bill could produce a savings of...
Swiss Re Reports Italian Insurance Market at ‘Crossroads’ of Change
Aug 27 2012 // According to Swiss Re’s latest study – The Italian insurance market: opportunities in the land of the Renaissance – “Italy stands at the crossroads of economic and social change, and therefore offers...
Insurers Seek 6.1% Increase in Florida Workers’ Compensation Rates
Aug 24 2012 // Florida employers may see their workers’ compensation rates increase as the National Council on Compensation Insurance announced it is seeking a statewide average 6.1 percent rate hike on behalf of insurers. If...
Best Assigns ‘B+’ Ratings to UAE’s Al-Sagr; Outlook Stable
Aug 24 2012 // A.M. Best Europe – Rating Services Limited has assigned a financial strength rating of ‘B+’ (Good) and issuer credit rating of “bbb-” to United Arab Emirates-based Al-Sagr National Insurance Co.;...
Reforms May Save Florida Drivers Up to 24.6% on PIP Premium: Report
Aug 24 2012 // Florida’s new no-fault auto insurance law could result in savings of 14 percent up to as much as 24.6 percent for drivers’ on their personal injury protection premiums, although it remains to be seen whether...
Louisiana Private Sector Jobs Grow 39,500 Over the Year
Aug 21 2012 // Louisiana’s private sector employment grew 2.6 percent from July 2011 to July 2012, adding 39,500 jobs. July was the 23rd straight month with over-the-year private sector job growth in Louisiana. Louisiana’s...
Ore. Workers’ Compensation Claims Down In Decade
Aug 21 2012 // Despite a 30 percent increase in Oregon’s workforce, the state’s workers’ compensation claims are down sharply since the system was overhauled two decades ago. Workers’ Compensation Division...
West Virginia Workers’ Comp Rates Going Down 9%
Aug 20 2012 // West Virginia employers’ rates for workers’ compensation are heading down again after regulators approved a statewide average 9.1 percent decrease in loss cost rates. Insurance Commissioner Michael D. Riley...
As Dec. 21 Nears, Demand for Zombie Protection Rises
Aug 20 2012 // Editor’s Note: This article originally appeared in Insurance Journal’s Satire Issue, August 20, 2012. The content in this issue is not real and is not to be taken seriously. It’s supposed to be humorous....
Ban on Workers’ Medical Care Cuts Down Florida Comp Costs
Aug 20 2012 // Editor’s Note: This article originally appeared in Insurance Journal’s Satire Issue, August 20, 2012. The content in this issue is not real and is not to be taken seriously. It’s supposed to be humorous....
Price Tag For Fighting Utah Wildfires Up To $50M
Aug 16 2012 // State officials say it’s cost $50 million to fight wildfires in Utah this season, and that number is expected to keep climbing. Department of Natural Resources chief Michael Styler told lawmakers Tuesday that more...
Best Upgrades QBE Optima’s Ratings to ‘A-‘; Outlook Stable
Aug 16 2012 // A.M. Best Co. has upgraded the financial strength rating to ‘A-‘ (Excellent) from ‘B++’ (Good) and issuer credit rating to “a-” from “bbb” of QBE Optima Insurance Company,...
Future Impact of Self-Driving Cars Would Be Big: Study
Aug 15 2012 // Consulting firm KPMG and the Center for Automotive Research in Michigan released a report this month about how close the industry is to rolling out self-driving cars. They see the first such vehicles hitting showrooms in...
Driving Toward a Future Without Humans Behind the Wheel
Aug 15 2012 // It’s been more than half a century since some of the first concept cars boasting self-driving features were presented to the world and they’re still not on the roads. But many auto executives say the industry...
Audit: Texas Traffic Fatalities Down Since 2006
Aug 14 2012 // A state audit indicates traffic fatalities in Texas have declined nearly 15 percent since 2006. Texas Department of Transportation officials say increased seatbelt usage and “Click It or Ticket” traffic...
Florida Regulators Question Castle Key Rate Increases
Aug 14 2012 // Florida regulators are questioning the increases sought by two property insurers that could raise rates on some homeowners by more than 40 percent, even as they reduce their number of policies. Castle Key Insurance Co., is...
June, July Ohio Storm Losses Rise to More than $400M
Aug 13 2012 // Insured losses from a round of summer storms in late June and early July have risen to more than $400 million, a state-based insurance information group reported. Property casualty insurers are reporting losses of at least...
NAIC CEO Vaughan to Step Down in 2013
Aug 13 2012 // Dr. Therese M. (Terri) Vaughan announced she will step down as chief executive officer of the organization of state insurance regulators, the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC), during the first quarter...
Washington Explores Insurance, Other Protection for Futures Customers
Aug 10 2012 // U.S. regulators and futures industry players said on Thursday that there is no perfect solution to safeguard customer money in the wake of two major brokerage scandals, but added that policymakers should move quickly on...
