US lawmakers agreed to advance an automotive safety bill that would require manual releases in new vehicles with electrically powered door handles, bringing the measure that could impact designs popularized by Tesla Inc. a step closer to becoming law. The Securing Accessible Functional Emergency Exit Act, or SAFE Exit Act, was forwarded to full committee during a markup session Tuesday by the House Committee on Energy and Commerce. It still has to pass a number of legislative hurdles and may not be ultimately signed into law. The bill, introduced last month by Representative Robin Kelly, an Illinois Democrat, aims to…
Author: Awais
Skurbe has more than 25 years of financial services experience covering investment management, risk management, capital markets, operational and financial responsibilities. Prior to Westaim, he served as a senior managing director, chief operating officer and chief financial officer of CC Capital.
The Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Program, enacted as part of the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (IRA), was designed to help lower Medicare spending on prescription drugs by requiring the federal government to negotiate the price of some high-cost drugs covered by Medicare. Along with lowering prices, the negotiation program could also improve coverage of drugs selected for negotiation for Medicare beneficiaries because the law requires all Medicare Part D plans to cover each of the selected drugs, including all dosages and forms, when negotiated prices take effect. To measure the effect of the IRA’s coverage requirement for selected drugs,…
BMW is recalling hundreds of thousands of cars due to a potential fire hazard, the German premium carmaker said on Wednesday. The global recall is affecting a mid-six-figure number of cars, a BMW spokesperson said. Newspaper Bild earlier reported on the recall, citing the Munich-based carmaker. Specialty publication kfz-betrieb said a total of 575,000 vehicles from various series are affected. BMW said that product inspections and customer complaints revealed that the starter motor in the identified vehicles could be defective, with an increase in wear and tear in the magnetic switch after a high number of starts, making it potentially…
The OID states there are no immediate changes to how consumers shop for or enroll in coverage for plan years 2026 and 2027, with consumers continuing to use HealthCare.gov in those years, even as Oklahoma begins assuming responsibility “behind the scenes” for key Exchange functions as an SBE-FP, including public engagement and awareness, community assister programs, health plan management, and consumer hotline support. For insurance professionals operating in Oklahoma, the notice indicates that “ownership of various program activities is transitioning” from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to the Oklahoma Insurance Department, including user fee collection, health plan…
The reinsurance market has seen an increase in risk capacity from dedicated parametric underwriters and capital providers, according to reinsurance broker Gallagher Re, who outlined that as traditional reinsurance pricing begins to soften, parametric solutions remain a “competitive option” offering cedants a practical addition to their volatility protection toolkit.In its latest whitepaper, the broker acknowledges that within an environment of increasingly volatile frequency losses and rising reinsurance pricing, parametric solutions have proven to be attractive. The broker noted that 2025 marked a turning point for the global reinsurance sector, as capacity has been ample, and risk-adjusted pricing decreasing from relatively…
The IDOI states the reporting requirement applies to every company authorized to do business in Illinois or accredited by Illinois with assets of at least $50,000,000, including insurance companies, health maintenance organizations, limited health service organizations, dental service plan corporations and accredited reinsurers. The requirement excludes qualified group workers compensation pools, domestic captive insurance companies, fraternal benefit societies, and any risk-bearing entity that in Illinois transacts only Medicare Part C or D plans.
Introduction National spending on health has increased rapidly over time—rising to $5.3 trillion and 18% of GDP in 2024—and is projected to continue to do so into the future. Growth in health spending contributes to higher costs for families, employers, Medicare, Medicaid, and other payers. In 2025, average annual premiums for employer-sponsored family coverage reached $26,993, with workers paying $6,850 for their coverage, according to KFF’s annual survey of employers. Hospital care accounted for nearly one-third of national health expenditures in 2024, and more than doubled in nominal terms over the preceding two decades, making hospitals a major driver of health spending…
Daniel Keeler, head of digital underwriting at CFC, on organizational transformation, digital trading, and the art of partnering for impact
A county commission in Pennsylvania on Tuesday denied a request by Talen Energy to rezone hundreds of acres of land for the development of data centers, marking the latest example of local pushback hampering the U.S. expansion of server warehouses. The rejection by Montour County commissioners follows months of opposition by residents in surrounding communities, who voiced concerns that the project would increase power bills and damage the environment. Talen, in a statement, said it would continue to pursue the development. “We appreciate the opportunity to continue conversations with Montour County leaders and residents about this proposed project,” the company…
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday launched a broad review of a long-used synthetic preservative used in packaged foods, as the agency steps up efforts to reassess chemicals long allowed in the U.S. food supply. The FDA issued a request for information on how manufacturers use Butylated Hydroxyanisole, or BHA, and whether current scientific evidence supports its safety in food and food-contact materials. BHA is a synthetic antioxidant that prevents fats and oils from spoiling in foods, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and animal feed, extending product shelf life. The review is part of an FDA program, announced in 2025, to…
Carbone highlights personal auto telematics as a case in point. Usage-based insurance (UBI) in North America initially focuses on pricing sophistication, but the broader potential of telematics can influence distribution, compliance, and claims. “If you keep this new technology limited only to pricing, the impact is pretty limited. The agents need to be on board, compliance must review, and the product must effectively leverage the data,” he said. “Progressive, for example, built an organizational transformation around telematics. Others with the same technology struggled because they didn’t address the interdependencies.”
About this Dashboard This dashboard monitors the status of the U.S. President’s Malaria Initiative’s (PMI) partner countries’ progress toward global malaria targets. It includes data for 30 countries, including 27 focus countries in Africa (including the three PMI partner countries – Burundi, Gambia, and Togo – that were added in 2023) and three countries in the Greater Mekong Subregion in South-East Asia.1 Together, these 30 countries represent almost 90% of the global malaria burden. Data are from the WHO’s World Malaria Report 2025. The data powering this dashboard are available for download here. KFF will continue to track PMI country…
During the AIG fourth-quarter earnings call today CEO Peter Zaffino highlighted the insurer’s launch of two sidecar-style syndicates at Lloyd’s and said the company has a “strong pipeline of SPV opportunities” suggesting future third-party capital partnerships may be expected.AIG has increasingly been partnering with third-party capital to support underwriting insurance business in an efficient manner, with the insurer looking to Lloyd’s as a venue and utilising that markets insurance-linked securities (ILS) structure London Bridge 2 PCC to channel capital partners funds to the opportunity. Back in December 2024 AIG announced the first of what arrangement of a special purpose vehicle…