Andrew Jones CELO COMMUNITY, N.C. — On a 15-degree morning in January, a clinic in the Appalachian Mountains of North Carolina began to fill up with patients. An older couple in flannel pajamas sat together in the waiting room. A toddler waved as Patricia Hall walked past him, a stethoscope draped over her neck. The family physician waved and smiled back. But in the privacy of a conference room, her mood shifted. She is often bogged down with paperwork and can’t get patients timely appointments with specialists. She also fears that a health care worker shortage affecting her clinic —…
Author: Awais
California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara is pushing a change to the state’s long-standing intervenor regulations, which enable groups to intervene in rate hearings. Lara on Friday released the amended text of proposed regulations for the intervenor and Administrative Hearing Bureau processes under Proposition 103, reforms he said will increase transparency, improve efficiency and ensure funds used in the rate review process serve the public interest. Related: California Bill Would Require Insurer Claims Handling Plans, and Double Penalties Lara has proposed several changes to state insurance laws to convince insurance carriers to return to writing homeowners insurance in riskier areas of…
Catastrophe bonds and insurance-linked securities became increasingly embedded in reinsurance programmes in 2025, a trend set to continue as investors increasingly look to long-term allocations to the asset class, executives from Howden Capital Markets & Advisory (HCMA) have explained.Reflecting on a busy year for cat bonds and ILS in 2025, HCMA explained that, “Investor appetite across reinsurance and insurance-linked securities (ILS) evolved markedly in 2025, as capital continued to flow into the sector amid attractive risk-adjusted returns and growing institutional confidence.” Over the course of last year’s record levels of issuance, “catastrophe bonds continued their shift from niche to mainstream…
The California Department of Justice launched an investigation into to the emergency response to the Eaton Fire, one of two large and devastating blazes that hit Los Angeles in January 2025. The investigation will seek to determine whether there was potential race, age, or disability discrimination in emergency preparations and response in the historically Black community of West Altadena, according to an announcement from California Attorney General Rob Bonta. Related: ‘Structural Shift’ Occurring in California Surplus Lines The Eaton Fire killed 19 people and destroyed more than 9,000 buildings, becoming one of the deadliest fires in California history. The average…
Six former players on the women’s basketball team at the University of Pittsburgh have sued coach Tory Verdi and the school over what they call abusive coaching methods and say their efforts to seek help were ignored. “These players aren’t soft. We aren’t talking about sensitive personality types,” lawyer Keenan D. Holmes told The Associated Press on Tuesday. “Obviously, there are expectations placed on players. But this went beyond basketball. It went beyond the bounds of common decency.” Verdi, according to the lawsuit filed Friday, also tried to force players into the transfer portal, putting their scholarships at risk and…
February 13, 2026 Short Answer: Most small businesses benefit from working with an insurance agent. Online insurance is faster, but agents help prevent coverage gaps, compare multiple carriers, and provide claims support. Given that 77% of small businesses are underinsured, professional guidance reduces costly mistakes. Insurance Agent vs. Online: Key Differences Online platforms focus on speed. Agents focus on protection accuracy. Why Working With an Insurance Agent Often Provides Better Protection 1. Most Small Businesses Are Underinsured According to Hiscox (2025): 77% of small businesses are underinsured 90% are unsure if they have enough coverage 96% could not correctly define general liability coverage Underinsurance often happens when owners: Buy…
The U.S. Forest Service’s plan to conduct controlled burning over the next 15 years in Vermont near popular recreation spots Lake Dunmore and Silver Lake has faced public opposition during a comment period that ends this week. The project, called Northern Escarpment Ecological Restoration and Fire Resilience, is designed to promote the area’s resistance to wildland fires, pest infestations and drought, the Forest Service says. The project covers four areas spanning 2,770 acres of the Green Mountain National Forest in the towns of Leicester, Middlebury and Salisbury in Addison County and would begin in the spring of 2027. Among the…
Andy Lea (pictured), chief insurance officer for professional lines at Embroker, said the most significant shift he sees is structural rather than theoretical. “With exposures increasing, threat actors increasing, threat vectors and exposures increasing, businesses need more limit to be adequately protected,” he said. “They certainly need the latest policy forms and coverages to be adequately protected.”
The Act requires Delaware “licensees” (as defined in the statute, with exclusions for certain out‑of‑state risk retention and assuming insurers) to implement information security programs and conduct risk assessments to prevent data breaches involving consumers’ nonpublic information, with such programs to be implemented no later than August 1, 2020 and third‑party service provider oversight no later than August 1, 2021.
Three contract workers suffered burns while working on transport operations at the ExxonMobil XOM.N facility in Beaumont, Texas, KDFM and other media reported late on Thursday. The KDFM report cited a statement from ExxonMobil, which said the contract workers were receiving treatment, and that a comprehensive investigation had been initiated. “We’re told the EMS units went to CHRISTUS St Elizabeth Hospital,” the KDFM report stated. Additional details about the cause of the incident, the severity of the burns, and the conditions of the injured workers were not immediately available, according to the local media reports. Exxon did not immediately respond…
Enstar Group Limited, global insurance and reinsurance group backed by investment vehicles managed by affiliates of global investment firm Sixth Street, announced it has entered into a definitive stock purchase agreement to acquire 100% of the shares of Accident Fund Holdings, Inc. from Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan. Headquartered in Lansing, Michigan, AF Group has been a provider of insurance solutions through its affiliate brands for more than a century. Since its acquisition by Blue Cross in 1994, the organization has strengthened its position in the US property and casualty market and now delivers commercial and specialty insurance solutions…
Kansas Insurance Commissioner Vicki Schmidt announced a Reno County man has been sentenced to 21 months in prison for insurance fraud, making false information, and forgery. Larry Wilson, aged 54, pleaded guilty on December 11, 2025, in Reno County District Court to one felony count of insurance fraud, two felony counts for making false information, and two felony counts for forgery. Wilson allegedly filed an insurance claim to collect lost wages for workdays he stated were missed due to injuries sustained in a prior auto accident. Wilson forged his supervisor’s signature on falsified documents to validate his claim for missed…
Julie Appleby, KFF Health News It’s February, so open enrollment for the Affordable Care Act is over. We’re getting the first glimpses of how sign-ups are shaking out after the expiration of enhanced subsidies that helped most people with their premium costs. While more Americans enrolled than some policy analysts had expected, the number was still 1.2 million below what it was at the same time last year. And experts say it will be months until the numbers are final. The timing will depend on how many of those people who signed up for coverage actually pay their premiums and remain enrolled. In coming weeks, “consumers may find they really can’t afford the premiums and cancel their plans, while carriers may also cancel coverage for nonpayment,” said Pat Kelly, executive director of…
ZestyAI said Marsh McLennan Agency has adopted its risk analytics to enhance risk assessments for a small segment of its high-net-worth clients with catastrophe-prone properties. The provider of AI-powered property and climate risk analytics said its Z-Fire, Roof Age, and Z-Property solutions will be used by the MM Private Client Services team to improve wildfire risk evaluation and offer more precise, customized insurance and risk management solutions for their clients’ high-value homes. “Safeguarding the lifestyles and legacies of our clients requires a forward-looking approach to risk,” said Robert Pritula, national placement and solutions leader of MMA’s Private Client Services division.…