Insurance news

• Brian Maynard Appointed Insurance Commissioner of Kentucky

  20-01-2016 23:28
  
  Brian Maynard of Louisville was appointed commissioner of the Kentucky Department of Insurance on Jan. 12. He takes over for Sharon P. Clark, who had been in the position since first being appointed in 2008. Republican Gov. Matt Bevin, who …
  
  Read more

• Cognizant Unified Insurance Platform™ - Modernize and Meet Customers’ Lofty Digital Expectations

  20-01-2016 21:12
  
  Cognizant Unified Insurance Platform™ - Modernize and Meet Customers’ Lofty Digital Expectations
  
  Read more

• Baidu looks to artificial intelligence to reduce insurance risks

  20-01-2016 19:51
  
  Chinese search engine company Baidu Inc. is already beginning to apply artificial intelligence to insurance and loan underwriting.
  
  Read more

• Penn. Commissioner Proposes Measures to Stop Surprise Medical Bills

  20-01-2016 18:59
  
  Pennsylvania Insurance Commissioner Teresa Miller has announced a proposal to protect health care consumers from surprise balance bills and is soliciting public comment. Surprise balance bills happen when a consumer receives emergency care or has made a good faith effort …
  
  Read more

• Advertisement

• McClure to Head Insurance Operations for Ohio’s Fifth Third Bancorp

  20-01-2016 18:55
  
  Fifth Third Bancorp hired Howard McClure, a 30- year veteran of the insurance industry, as senior vice president and head of insurance services. He will report directly to Lars Anderson, chief operating officer. McClure previously served as president of Palmer …
  
  Read more

• Zurich plunges after warning of loss in general insurance

  20-01-2016 18:41
  
  Zurich fell to the lowest in more than three years after Switzerland’s biggest insurer put shareholders on notice that it expects a second straight quarterly loss in its general insurance business.
  
  Read more

• WebTPA Appoints Chapman as VP – Business Development

  20-01-2016 18:41
  
  WebTPA, a provider of benefit plan management services and an AmWINS Group company, has named Scott Chapman as vice president of Business Development. He is based in New Orleans. Chapman joins the WebTPA executive leadership team with 20 years of experience …
  
  Read more

• Oklahoma Officials Avoid Tough Measures Despite More, Stronger Quakes

  20-01-2016 18:34
  
  In Oklahoma, now the country’s earthquake capital, people are talking nervously about the big one as man-made quakes get stronger, more frequent and closer to major population centers. Next door in Kansas, they’re feeling on firmer ground though no one …
  
  Read more

• Advertisement

• NYC Could Get $176M in Federal Money for Storm Protection System

  20-01-2016 18:23
  
  U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer, D-New York, says New York City could get $176 million in federal money for a proposed storm protection system. The Democrat says funding would be awarded via a national contest created by the Department of Housing …
  
  Read more

• 156K Indiana Chickens Being Euthanized in Latest Bird Flu Probe

  20-01-2016 18:23
  
  Animal health officials investigating a bird flu strain that affected 10 turkey farms in southwestern Indiana have added 156,000 chickens to the list of thousands of birds being euthanized. The Indiana State Board of Animal Health says the egg-laying chickens …
  
  Read more

• No Evacuation Ordered in Fatal Festival Tent Collapse in Chicago Suburb

  20-01-2016 18:21
  
  Police communications show law enforcement authorities were aware of a powerful August storm heading toward a suburban Chicago festival, but didn’t order an evacuation ahead of a fatal tent collapse, according to a newspaper report. One person died and nearly …
  
  Read more

• Robbers Crash Minivan into Dallas Chanel Boutique

  20-01-2016 18:19
  
  Police have detained seven robbery suspects, two of whom are juveniles, after a minivan smashed into a Dallas-area Chanel boutique and about 50 pricey purses were stolen. Some of the high-end bags, known for selling at thousands of dollars apiece, …
  
  Read more

• Bicycle Fatalities Jumped in New Jersey in 2015

  20-01-2016 17:49
  
  Preliminary state police figures indicate that cycling and passenger deaths ballooned, while motorcycle deaths and pedestrian fatalities fell last year in New Jersey. The Record reports cycling deaths jumped 64 percent to 18 last year. That’s the most since 2008. …
  
  Read more

• Maine Obtained $1.5M in Recoveries for Consumers, Businesses in 2015

  20-01-2016 17:48
  
  Cases filed with the Maine Bureau of Insurance in 2015 resulted in nearly $1.5 million in recovered funds for Maine residents, according to Maine Insurance Superintendent Eric Cioppa. More than $1.2 million was recovered by the Bureau’s Consumer Health Care …
  
  Read more

• New York aims to improve storm forecasts with automated weather stations

  20-01-2016 17:30
  
  The state's Mesonet stretches from the shores of Lake Erie to the tip of Long Island, and it is expected to be completed by the end of the year.
  
  Read more

• GE’s Move Leaves Many Unsettled in Connecticut Communities

  20-01-2016 17:30
  
  It’s not just the loss of loyal customers that worries jeweler Howard Diamond, or the extra tax burden that businesses like his may have to carry as General Electric pulls the plug on Fairfield, Connecticut. As he approaches retirement and …
  
  Read more

• EPIC Taps Rappleye as Producer in California

  20-01-2016 17:16
  
  Edgewood Partners Insurance Center has hired Cameron Rappleye as a property/casualty insurance broker/producer in the Sacramento, Calif. office. Rappleye will be responsible for new business development and the design and management of insurance and risk management programs for clients across …
  
  Read more

• First GM Ignition Switch Trial Sidetracked by Check Fraud Allegation

  20-01-2016 17:04
  
  An Oklahoma family’s eviction from their “dream house” following allegations of check fraud is threatening to derail the first trial over General Motors Co.’s deadly ignition-switch flaw. Robert Scheuer, a mail carrier who claims the defect disabled his air bag …
  
  Read more

• Supreme Court Rules Monetary Offer Doesn’t End Class Action

  20-01-2016 16:42
  
  The U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday ruled against advertising firm Campbell-Ewald in a class action case, saying the lawsuit can proceed over claims the company violated a federal consumer law by sending unsolicited text messages on behalf of the U.S. …
  
  Read more

• Casino sues cyber security company for ‘woefully inadequate’ investigation

  20-01-2016 16:30
  
  Affinity Gaming's lawsuit against Trustwave alleges the company's work was a ‘grossly negligent’ data breach investigation involving 300,000 customers.
  
  Read more

• Auto insurance up 5.7% in December consumer price index

  20-01-2016 15:45
  
  Tenants’ and household insurance saw a decrease of 1.9%.
  
  Read more

• Aspen Acquires Crop Insurer AgriLogic

  20-01-2016 15:29
  
  Specialty insurer Aspen Insurance has acquired AgriLogic Insurance Services and certain affiliates for cash in a transaction that further diversifies Aspens’s specialty insurance business. AgriLogic, headquartered in Overland, Kansas, is a specialist U.S. crop insurer and agricultural consultant that reported …
  
  Read more

• Supreme Court Agrees to Hear Challenge to U.S. Patent Review Process

  20-01-2016 14:42
  
   The U.S. Supreme Court will consider whether a federal agency’s procedures have made it too easy to successfully cancel patents after agreeing last Friday to decide a case involving a vehicle speedometer that alerts drivers if they are speeding. The …
  
  Read more

• When Are Employee Wellness Programs No Longer Voluntary?

  20-01-2016 14:31
  
  Dale Arnold, who worked for Wisconsin plastics maker Flambeau, chose not to take his work-sponsored health assessment and biometric screening. The company responded by pulling his insurance coverage. Like many employers, Flambeau uses a wellness program to cut insurance costs by encouraging healthy employee habits. In …
  
  Read more

• Around the P&C insurance industry: Jan. 20, 2016

  20-01-2016 14:30
  
  News from Verisk, USI, NASP and more.
  
  Read more

• Supreme Court Declines Another Challenge to Affordable Care Act

  20-01-2016 14:12
  
  The U.S. Supreme Court refused to take up a new constitutional challenge to the Affordable Care Act, turning away an appeal that said lawmakers used flawed legislative procedures to pass the measure. Opponents of President Barack Obama’s healthcare law were …
  
  Read more

• Grants Now Available to Strengthen Older California Homes

  20-01-2016 14:00
  
  California homeowners have until Feb. 20 to apply for up to $3,000 in funding for retrofits to protect their homes from catastrophic earthquake damage. The Earthquake Brace + Bolt program today opened the registration period for $4.8 million in seismic …
  
  Read more

• What to Expect in U.S. Casualty Markets in 2016: Marsh

  20-01-2016 13:58
  
  The sharing economy, expanded litigation, surplus capital, custom account underwriting and further consolidation are likely to challenge the U.S. casualty insurance marketplace in 2016, according to broker Marsh. Marsh expects that the new year will also see wider use of …
  
  Read more

• Armour Group Invests in Cobalt, Shariah Compliant Re/Insurance Provider

  20-01-2016 13:31
  
  Cobalt Insurance Holdings Ltd., the London-based provider of Shariah compliant insurance and reinsurance has announced a strategic investment by Armour Group Holdings Ltd., the Bermuda-based diversified insurance group. Financial considerations were not disclosed. The strategy of Bermuda-based Armour focuses on niche …
  
  Read more

• 15 surefire prospecting tips to acquire more customers

  20-01-2016 13:30
  
  Is cold-calling a thing of the past? And if it is, how else do you find new customers?
  
  Read more

• Seeing diversity in action

  20-01-2016 13:15
  
  Society has moved beyond diversity as a talking point. Being more diverse is good for business.
  
  Read more

• An adventure in flying: The 16 least-safe airlines

  20-01-2016 13:00
  
  Here are the carriers that are at the bottom of AirlineRatings.com’s list, with only one or two stars.
  
  Read more

• Carpenter Appoints Miller-van der Schild as Managing Director of Benelux Unit

  20-01-2016 12:41
  
  Guy Carpenter & Co. has appointed Susanne Miller-van der Schild as managing director, Guy Carpenter Benelux, effective 1 February. Miller-van der Schild will be responsible for further developing Guy Carpenter’s platform in the region, and in particular strengthening its position …
  
  Read more

• ILS Market Hits New Record of $70B in 2015: Willis Capital Markets & Advisory

  20-01-2016 12:14
  
  Total non-life insurance linked securities (ILS) capital reached a record $70 billion at year-end 2015 – topping the previous record of $65 billion at year-end 2014, according to the latest ILS market update from Willis Capital Markets & Advisory, the …
  
  Read more

• Zurich Insurance Faces $275 Million in Storm Claims Costs - Wall Street Journal

  20-01-2016 11:06 via
  Wall Street Journal
  Zurich Insurance Faces $275 Million in Storm Claims Costs
  Wall Street Journal
  ZURICH— Zurich Insurance Group AG ZURVY -9.47 % , an insurance giant that remains without a permanent chief executive, saw its shares fall sharply on Wednesday after it said that its largest unit has continued to suffer losses. The Zurich-based firm ...
  Zurich Insurance Group Expects Q4 2015 Loss in General InsuranceInsurance Journal
  Zurich Insurance forecasts $100 million nonlife fourth-quar
  

• Poland’s Largest Insurer, PZU, Appoints Executive at Bank of America as CEO

  20-01-2016 10:08
  
  PZU SA appointed Michal Krupinski, an executive at Bank of America Inc. and former deputy treasury minister, as chief executive officer of Poland’s largest insurer, in the latest change as Poland’s new government extends its influence over the economy. Krupinski, 34, …
  
  Read more

• NFIB, Markel to Offer Workers’ Comp Coverage to Small Businesses

  20-01-2016 10:00
  
  The National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) and Markel FirstComp, a division of Markel Service, Inc., have formed a new relationship through which eligible small business owners across the country can qualify for workers’ compensation insurance at competitive rates. NFIB, …
  
  Read more

• Intact Insurance Launches Commercial Drone Insurance in Canada

  20-01-2016 10:00
  
  Canadian insurer Intact Insurance has launched drone insurance for its commercial lines customers. This Unmanned Air Vehicle (UAV) coverage caters specifically to small and medium-sized businesses in Canada that currently use or plan to use drones to complement their business …
  
  Read more

• Zurich Insurance Group Expects Q4 2015 Loss in General Insurance

  20-01-2016 09:53
  
  Zurich Insurance Group AG expects its biggest unit to record a second straight quarterly loss after estimating it will pay out $275 million to cover damage claims from storms in the U.K and Ireland. The general insurance unit is expected to post an operating …
  
  Read more

• Update: Zurich Insurance Group Expects Q4 2015 Loss in General Insurance

  20-01-2016 09:53
  
  Zurich Insurance Group AG fell to the lowest in more than three years after Switzerland’s biggest insurer put shareholders on notice that it expects a second straight quarterly loss in its general insurance business. Operating losses in the non-life unit will probably amount to …
  
  Read more

• 39 Alabama Counties Impacted by Christmas Storms to Receive Aid

  20-01-2016 08:08
  
  Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley has requested federal disaster assistance for counties impacted by the severe storms last month. Bentley announced Jan. 14 that 39 counties will receive assistance through the Federal Emergency Management Agency. The governor declared a state of …
  
  Read more

• Tennessee City Seeking Solutions to Flash Flooding Problem

  20-01-2016 07:45
  
  South Pittsburg, Tenn., officials are hoping to find a way to end flash flooding in the town after a Christmas morning storm damaged property and killed one resident. Marion County Mayor David Jackson says it is the second flash flood …
  
  Read more

• Florida-Based BKS-Partners Promotes Desmarais to Benefits Director

  20-01-2016 07:39
  
  Baldwin Krystyn Sherman Partners (BKS-Partners) has promoted Kristy Desmarais to Benefits director.   As Benefit’s director, Desmarais is responsible for the strategic planning and execution of employee benefits programs for some of the firm’s largest clients. In her new role, …
  
  Read more

• Kentucky Health Cooperative Placed in Liquidation

  20-01-2016 07:23
  
  Citing the need to preserve remaining assets, the Kentucky Health Cooperative (KYHC) was placed in liquidation Jan. 15 at the request of the Kentucky Department of Insurance. The order was signed by Franklin Circuit Judge Phillip J. Shepherd. KYHC was …
  
  Read more

• Former NAIC President, California’s First Insurance Commissioner Dies

  20-01-2016 02:40
  
  Richards D. Barger, California’s first insurance commissioner and a former president of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners, died on Sunday. The cause is not yet known. He was 87. Barger, who went by the name Dick, devoted his practice …
  
  Read more

• Former California Insurance Commissioner, past NAIC President Dies

  20-01-2016 02:40
  
  Richards D. Barger, a former California insurance commissioner and a former president of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners, died on Sunday. The cause is not yet known. He was 87. Barger, who went by the name Dick, devoted his …
  
  Read more

• Former California Insurance Commissioner, Past NAIC President Barger Dies

  20-01-2016 02:40
  
  Richards D. Barger, a former California insurance commissioner and a former president of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners, died on Sunday. The cause is not yet known. He was 87. Barger, who went by the name Dick, devoted his …
  
  Read more

Follow @Insurance_Newsl on Twitter!