Latest Trends Headlines
All the headlines from our Trends Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Hawaii Faces Doctor Shortage Due to Rising Med-Mal Premiums
May 23 2005 // Hawaii faces doctor shortages in at least two fields, obstetrics and orthopedics, because fears of lawsuits and the rising cost of medical malpractice insurance premiums are forcing some to quit. Premiums for physicians...
Sarbanes Oxley Drives Up Large Companies’ Audit Costs by $1.4 Billion
May 23 2005 // Fortune 1000 companies’ auditing costs have increased by $1.4 billion collectively so far, and much of this increase is in response to the corporate governance act known as Sarbanes-Oxley, according to University of...
The Doctors Company’s Rates Increase in Wyoming
May 20 2005 // The Doctors Company, which provides medical malpractice insurance to Wyoming physicians, has received approval from the state for a 7.3 percent base rate increase for medical malpractice insurance premiums. To be approved,...
Best Affirms FSR for United Fire & Casualty; Outlook Stable
May 19 2005 // A.M. Best Co. has affirmed the financial strength rating of A (Excellent) of the property/casualty members of United Fire & Casualty Group (United Fire), which operate under a business pooling agreement. Additionally,...
The Hartford’s CEO Highlights Record Performance, Future Positioning
May 19 2005 // The Hartford Financial Services Group Inc., approaching its 200th birthday, is a strong company poised to grow even stronger, with 2004 marking record performance across the enterprise, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer...
R&M: Rates Declining in U.K. Commercial Property Market, as Capacity Increases
May 18 2005 // Dublin-based Research and Markets has added a report on UK Commercial Property Insurance 2005 to their offering, which provides “an in-depth analysis of the commercial property market in the UK, analyzing the key...
AIA: Massachusetts Drivers Need a Competitive Auto Insurance Market
May 16 2005 // An auto insurance market where companies can compete on the prices charged and the products provided would benefit Massachusetts drivers, according to the American Insurance Association (AIA). AIA testified Monday at the...
Committee Votes to Carry Over AIA-Opposed Maine Premium Tax Increase
May 13 2005 // The Joint Labor Committee of the Maine state legislature has voted to carry over a proposal (LD 1021) opposed by the American Insurance Association that would increase the premium tax by 25 percent. This measure would...
Fitch Gives Berkshire Hathaway New $1.5B Debt ‘AAA’; Negative Outlook
May 12 2005 // Fitch Ratings has assigned ‘AAA’ ratings to two new issues of debt from Berkshire Hathaway Finance Corporation (BHFC), a wholly owned subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (Berkshire). The newly rated debt...
S&P Reports Munich Re’s ‘A+’ Ratings, Outlook ‘Unaffected’ by Q1 Results
May 12 2005 // Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services announced that its ratings and outlook on Germany’s Munich Reinsurance, (currently “A+”/Stable) and its related entities–collectively known as the...
S.C. Malpractice Premiums Going Up 12.7 Percent in July
May 12 2005 // Despite a bill signed into law last month in South Carolina capping pain and suffering awards in medical malpractice lawsuits, two of the state’s largest malpractice insurers have announced plans to increase...
‘Mixed Feelings’ Result as Fla. Legislature Passes SB 1486; Carriers’ Burdens Could Increase Overall Costs
May 9 2005 // The Florida Legislature debated SB 1486, an 83-page insurance bill, until the early morning hours on Saturday and approved a document that makes major changes in how claims will be handled, starting with the next storm....
Sarbanes-Oxley Rules Drive Up Large Insurers’ Audit Costs
May 9 2005 // Fortune 1000 companies’ auditing costs have increased by $1.4 billion collectively so far, and much of this increase is in response to the corporate governance act known as Sarbanes-Oxley, according to University of...
Hurricane Forecast: New Jersey To Get Hit Sooner or Later
May 9 2005 // For decades, New Jersey has been spared the wrath of major hurricanes, the storms usually veering out to sea before they can wreak havoc on the densely developed coast. But eventually the state’s luck will run out,...
AIA Urges Lawmakers to Defeat Maine Premium Tax Increase
May 5 2005 // The American Insurance Association (AIA) is urging Maine lawmakers to reject a proposal (LD 1021) that would increase the premium tax by 25 percent. “This tax increase would damage the state’s economy by making...
NCCI State of the Line Report: Workers’ Comp Combined Ratio Best Since 1997
May 5 2005 // The workers’ compensation calendar year combined ratio dropped four points to 105 percent, the best performance for the first time since 1997, according to NCCI Holdings Inc.’s State of the Line preliminary...
Guy Carpenter Publishes Specialty Program Survey
May 3 2005 // Guy Carpenter & Company Inc., a global risk and reinsurance specialist and a part of the Marsh & McLennan Companies, has announced the results of its premier survey of domestic insurance companies that write a...
Best Affirms Ratings for Erie’s P/C Companies; Outlook Stable
May 3 2005 // A.M. Best Co. has affirmed the financial strength rating of A+ (Superior) of Pennsylvania-based Erie Insurance Group’s property and casualty companies (Erie), which are managed by its publicly-traded company, Erie...
W. Va. Insurers React to Passed Legislation, Five Companies Decreasing Auto Rates
May 2 2005 // Insurers in West Virginia, reacting to the legislation singed last week that eliminates third-party, bad-faith lawsuits, have begun to take the first steps toward lowering insurance rates. State Farm Insurance Friday...
