Insurance Journal’s Most Popular East Region Stories of 2015

As the year 2015 comes to a close, here’s a look at InsuranceJournal.com’s most popular East region news stories of the year. Among the 1,100 stories posted in the East region this year, the following were 50 most popular stories as arranged by topics.

Weather & Insurance: Stories on climate and extreme weather generated a lot of traffic online. One of the most popular stories was Farmers’ Almanac’s prediction for a harsh winter for Northeast in 2016. Stories covering Massachusetts’ record-setting snowfall last winter were also popular.

• Farmers’ Almanac Predicts Harsh Winter for Northeast in 2016
• Top Writers of Homeowners, Blizzard-Exposed Commercial Lines in New England
• Insured Losses From Joaquin Might Be Minimal at This Juncture: Macquarie
• Update: Category 4 Joaquin, After Pounding Bahamas, May Bypass East Coast

Healthcare Reform: The healthcare reform continued to be a popular topic. Stories covering the troubled Health Republic Insurance of New York, a health insurance co-op, and its shutdown were among the most-read stories.

• New York Regulators to Shut Obamacare Insurer Health Republic
• Sudden Collapse of Health Co-Op in N.Y. Leaves Doctors Owed Millions
• Officials Say Shutdown of Health Republic Insurance of N.Y. Should Accelerate

Business Moves & Mergers: The insurance industry saw a large number of mergers and acquisitions across the country this year. The following were some of the most-read business moves and M&A stories in the East region.

• MiddleOak Exiting Personal Lines; Selling Business to Mapfre
• Arthur J. Gallagher to Acquire William Gallagher Associates in Boston
• NFP Acquires BWD Group in New York
• Nationwide to Close Virginia Call Center; 340 Jobs to Leave Area
• Anthem-Cigna Deal Could Erode Hartford Region’s Insurance Power Base
• AmTrust to Acquire ARI Mutual Insurance in Pennsylvania
• CRC Insurance Services to Acquire Connecticut Underwriters
• Woodruff-Sawyer to Acquire Capstone Insurance in Massachusetts

Regulation & Legislation: Stories on regulatory and legislative developments also attracted a lot of traffic. Popular topics ranged from certificates of insurance and electronic proof of auto insurance to the price optimization.

• N.Y.’s New Regulations Aim to Reduce Title Insurance Costs
• N.Y., Mass. Adopt Certificates of Insurance Law
• Pennsylvania Says Insurers Are Prohibited From Using Price Optimization
• N.J. Gov. Signs Electronic Proof of Auto Insurance, Reverse Rate Evasion Bills
• Erie Insurance Receives FAA Approval to Use Drones in Claims, Underwriting
• Delaware Bans Use of Price Optimization in Insurance Pricing
• Penn.: Fracking Exclusion Not Allowed in Homeowners Earthquake Endorsements
• Connecticut Bans Use of Price Optimization in Insurance Rates
• N.Y. DMV’s New Rule Allows Proof of Auto Insurance in Electronic Format

Safety & Risk: Stories on safety and risk management, including articles on Delaware’s annual pumpkin-flinging event and the Pope’s visit to the City of Brotherly Love, were among the most popular stories this year.

• NTSB: Pilots in Fatal Katz Crash Ignored Safety Check on 99% of Trips
• Va. Retailer Lumber Liquidators to Pay for Safety Testing of Flooring
• Delaware’s Pumpkin Flinging Event Canceled Due to Insurance Issues
• Planning the Special Event Insurance for Pope’s Philadelphia Visit
• Taxi Owners’ Credit Union, Hurt by Uber, Seized by New York Regulator

Insurance Fraud: Fraud stories also attracted a lot of readers. Some of the stories described frauds committed by insurance insiders, including a former insurance company CEO in Maryland who was sentenced to prison for a $100 million premium fraud.

• N.Y. Broker Pleads Guilty to Stealing Nearly $830K in Premiums, Other Funds
• Former Insurance Exec Gets 37 Years for $100M Premium Fraud in Maryland
• Penn. Mansion Fires Spark $20M in Payouts, Suicide, Fraud Case
• 5 Arrested in N.Y. for Alleged Accident Staging, Insurance Fraud
• Penn. Man Accused of Buying Auto Insurance From Scene of Car Wreck
• Ex-N. Y. Senate Leader Accused of Getting Son No-Show Job at Insurance Co.
• Former Mass. Brokerage Owner Pleads Guilty to Stealing $10M From Aetna

Lawsuits & Liabilities: Lawsuit articles also generated a lot of traffic. Stories on Wal-Mart’s legal disputes stemming from the Tracy Morgan crash were among the most popular.

• New York Knicks Heckler Tossed From Arena Sues Over Lost ING Job
• Wal-Mart Settles With Family of Comedian Who Died in N.J. Turnpike Crash
• Attorneys: N.Y. Woman’s Lawsuit Against Nephew Was an Insurance Case
• Flood Insurance Does Not Cover Debris Removal From Insureds’ Land
• Workers’ Comp Upheld for Maine Man Who Died on Treadmill
• Roger Clemens’ Insurer AIG to Pay for Settlement Reached in Defamation Suit
• Wal-Mart Sues Insurers for Alleged Breach of Contract in Morgan Settlement Case

FEMA & Flood Insurance: Stories on FEMA’s handling of flood insurance continued to generate online traffic. Some 18,000 National Flood Insurance Program claimants signed up for FEMA’s Sandy Claims Review this year and the federal agency has vowed to give policyholders every dollar they deserve.

• FEMA Sets Up Review Process for Sandy Flood Claims
• FEMA Exec Tells ’60 Minutes’ He’s Seen Evidence of Fraudulent Reports
• FEMA Official: ‘We Are Undertaking Sweeping Reforms’ at NFIP

People: There were many executive hires and promotions in the East region this year. The insurance world also mourned the loss of a number of notable industry leaders.

• Cross Insurance Executive Vice President Brent Cross Dies at 58
• Judson Announced as Massachusetts’ New Insurance Commissioner
• Philadelphia Insurance Companies Announces 4 Promotions
• Insurance Executive Leaves $20M to Pittsburgh Theological Seminary

Topics Legislation Auto Fraud Flood New York Massachusetts FEMA