Latest Trends Headlines
All the headlines from our Trends Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Massachusetts Strikes Down 18.8% Workers’ Comp Rate Hike Proposal
Aug 31 2012 // Massachusetts Division of Insurance announced Thursday that it has rejected a request to raise the state’s workers’ compensation rates by 18.8 percent. Massachusetts regulators’ decision to strike down...
Petersen International Releases Disability Plan for Loss of Future Earnings
Aug 31 2012 // Petersen International Underwriters has released a new disability insurance product intended to pay benefits based on an insured person’s potential future income. The plan, titled “Loss of Future Earnings...
Willis Research Sees Fewer, but Stronger, Hurricanes in Future Years
Aug 31 2012 // New research from the Willis Research Network (WRN) addresses scientific forecasts that “global warming is likely to lead to stronger tropical cyclones, but also that the overall global frequency of tropical storms...
Study: 580 Concussions in North Dakota Prep Sports Last Year
Aug 29 2012 // A study conducted by the North Dakota High School Activities Association found that there were at least 580 sports-related concussions during the 2011-12 academic year. State lawmakers recommended the study. The Forum...
Arkansas in Forecast Zone for Tropical Storm Isaac
Aug 28 2012 // Arkansas is expected to see wind and rain from Tropical Storm Isaac, which is expected to make landfall on the Gulf Coast on Aug. 29. Meteorologist Matthew Clay at the National Weather Service Office in North Little Rock...
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...
