Latest Trends Headlines
All the headlines from our Trends Topic Page, ordered by recency.
China Reinsurance Group’s Premiums Rise 20% in First Half
Sep 1 2020 // In the first half of 2020, China Re Group Corp. enjoyed rapid growth in premiums and steady profitability despite the pandemic. In the first half of 2020, gross written premiums increased 20.5% year-on-year to RMB102.1...
Check Up: The Post-Pandemic Future of the Current Telehealth Sensation
Aug 31 2020 // Telehealth is a bit of American ingenuity that seems to have paid off in the coronavirus pandemic. Medicare temporarily waived restrictions predating the smartphone era and now there’s a push to make telemedicine...
4 Killed as Hurricane Laura Slams Louisiana, but Less Damage Than Forecast
Aug 27 2020 // Hurricane Laura ripped through Louisiana on Thursday, destroying buildings in towns across the southwestern corner of the state and killing four people who were crushed by falling trees as they sheltered in their homes,...
Experts Puzzled by Decline in Insurance Fraud Tips via Technology
Aug 25 2020 // Even though insurers have invested heavily in fraud-fighting technology, the percentage of referrals from automated systems accepted by special investigation units has declined to 15 percent from 22 percent in the past two...
Sierra Leone Residents’ Damages Suit Against Miner Is Part of Activist Trend
Aug 25 2020 // FREETOWN – At the foot of a slag heap some 40 meters high, Adi Kalie Bangura showed the black welts that dot his arms and legs that he says are the result of drinking and bathing in water contaminated by Sierra...
Commercial Insurance Prices Up 19% in Q2: Marsh Index
Aug 24 2020 // Global average commercial insurance prices increased 19% in the second quarter of 2020, the eleventh straight quarter they have risen. Average price increases were driven principally by increases in property insurance...
Louisiana Governor Sets Goal: Net Zero Greenhouse Gases by 2050
Aug 21 2020 // Louisiana’s governor has signed an executive order setting a state goal for net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, drawing swift praise from environmental groups. At least 23 other states and the District of...
Drug Costs for COVID-19 Patients in U.S. Hospitals Drop But May Rise Again
Aug 20 2020 // Medication costs for COVID-19 patients hospitalized in the United States have dropped sharply since May, reflecting advances in treatment, shorter stays and use of cheaper generic drugs. But costs may rise again as...
Report: COVID-19 Workers’ Comp Claims on The Rise in California
Aug 19 2020 // The number of California workers’ compensation claims for COVID-19 continues to climb, according to a new report compiled by the California Workers’ Compensation Institute. Data from the Division of...
Wisconsin Reinsurance Group’s Credit Rating Outlook Drops From Positive to Stable
Aug 19 2020 // AM Best has revised the outlook to stable from positive for the Long-Term Issuer Credit Ratings (Long-Term ICR) and affirmed the Financial Strength Rating (FSR) of B++ (Good) and the Long-Term ICRs of “bbb” of...
Maine Firefighters Get Meters to Prevent Future Explosions
Aug 14 2020 // Twenty fire departments in Maine are getting gas detection meters from the state to help prevent another disaster like the Farmington gas leak explosion. The explosion last September killed Farmington fire Capt. Michael...
Last Year Was Among Earth’s 3 Hottest Years on Record, Climate Report Shows
Aug 13 2020 // Last year will be remembered as among the world’s hottest, while greenhouse gases reached their highest levels on record, according to the 30th annual State of the Climate report. The international annual review of...
COVID-19 a Growing Share of Shrinking Work Comp Claims in 2 States
Aug 11 2020 // COVID-19 has become a large chunk of a dwindling number of workers’ compensation claims in Florida and California, limited data shows. The number of COVID-19 workers’ compensation claims reported in California...
Global Commercial Insurance Rates Up 19% on COVID-19, Other Large Losses: Marsh
Aug 10 2020 // Global average commercial insurance prices increased 19% in the second quarter of 2020, according to the latest Global Insurance Market Index released by broker and risk adviser Marsh. The increase, the largest since the...
Half of Insurance Agencies Lack a Digital Strategy, Applied Systems Survey Finds
Aug 10 2020 // A little more than half (51%) of independent insurance agencies and brokerages say they have some sort of digital strategy in place, with larger firms more likely than smaller to have one. That’s according to...
World’s Three Hottest Julys on Record Occurred During Last Five Years
Aug 7 2020 // Last month was the world’s third-hottest July on record, new data show — the latest milestone in a global warming trend that has seen the three hottest Julys within the last five years. With the heat has come a...
Australia to Spend $1.2B to Beef Up Private Sector’s Cyber Defenses After Rise in Attacks
Aug 7 2020 // Australia will spend A$1.66 billion ($1.19 billion) over the next 10 years to strengthen the cyber defenses of companies and households after a rise in cyber attacks, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Thursday. Cyber...
The Future of Insurance Industry Will Not Be Decided by Insurtechs Alone: Viewpoint
Aug 6 2020 // Insurtech was once the Wild West of the insurance industry. Many of insurtech’s early players came from outside insurance after observing the industry struggle to deliver what was, in their view, a competitive...
Increasingly Popular Industrial Robots Are Vulnerable to Cyber Attacks, Report Warns
Aug 6 2020 // Industrial robots are now being used to assemble everything from airplanes to smartphones, using human-like arms to mechanically repeat the same processes over and over, thousands of times a day with nanometric...
Insurer AXA, With H1 Net Income Down 40%, Warns of Future COVID-19 Shocks
Aug 6 2020 // AXA SA’s profit sank in the first half as it booked a 1.5 billion-euro ($1.8 billion) charge for claims related to COVID-19 and warned of further shocks from the pandemic. The French insurer saw net income fall 39%...
