March 19, 2026 Insurance agents advising small business clients frequently face a foundational coverage question: Should this client purchase General Liability insurance or a Business Owners Policy (BOP)? General Liability insurance covers third-party bodily injury, property damage, and advertising injury claims. A Business Owners Policy includes that same liability coverage plus commercial property and business interruption protection. For many small businesses, agents begin with General Liability because it satisfies lease and contract insurance requirements. However, once a business acquires equipment, inventory, or a physical location, agents often recommend a Business Owners Policy to address property damage and operational downtime risks. Understanding when each policy structure makes sense allows agents to close…
Author: Awais
Following the expiration of the enhanced premium tax credits for people with Affordable Care Act (ACA) Marketplace plans, a new KFF follow-up survey of the same Marketplace enrollees KFF surveyed in 2025 finds half (51%) of returning enrollees say their health care costs are “a lot higher” this year compared to last year, including four in 10 who specifically say their premiums are “a lot higher.” In all, a large majority (80%) of these enrollees say their health care costs, which can include premiums, deductibles, co-pays, or coinsurance, are higher. This new survey, which was fielded about a month after…
With premiums up 28% since 2017 and carriers fleeing high-risk states, three economists argue the private reinsurance market has reached its limits
The suit, filed March 17, 2026, in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, was brought by 1970 Group, Inc., a collateral funding provider, against ACE American Insurance Company, part of the Chubb group of insurance companies. The case centers on what the filing describes as an “unjust collateral grab” tied to the insurance program of a now-defunct New York construction company.
The home of the world’s highest-flying social media companies is considering a measure to clip their wings. A bipartisan bill in California would establish a minimum age requirement for social media accounts, curtailing the access of minors to platforms such as TikTok, Alphabet Inc.’s YouTube and Meta Platforms Inc.’s Instagram. The bill’s author, Assemblymember Josh Lowenthal, says he’s looking to bar anyone under 16. The proposed rules — which would rank among the toughest in the world — are setting up a clash between prominent Democrats and some of Silicon Valley’s most powerful companies. Governor Gavin Newsom, a potential presidential…
Most people who get their health coverage through the Affordable Care Act say they face sharply higher costs, with many worried they will have to pare back other expenses to cover them, according to a poll released Thursday. Some are uncertain whether they will be able to continue paying their premiums all year. Still, 69% of those enrolled last year signed up again this year, often for less generous coverage. About 9% said they had to forgo insurance, according to the survey by KFF, a health information nonprofit that includes KFF Health News. The KFF poll revisited the people who…
An employee has been awarded workers’ compensation benefits after being injured when performing a “common courtesy” even though her employer maintains what she did was outside the course and scope of her employment. The Virginia Workers’ Compensation Commission (VWCC) has affirmed benefits for an Abbott Laboratories employee who suffered a cervical spine injury at the company’s national sales conference when she attempted to move her manager’s heavy backpack to another table where she and her team colleagues were sitting. The VWCC agreed with a deputy commissioner that the claimant’s attempt to move her manager’s (also named Abbott) backpack to their…
The number of companies suing for tariff refunds has spiked in recent weeks, a sign that many importers aren’t confident yet in the Trump administration’s plans to create a claims process after the US Supreme Court struck down the president’s trade policies. Nearly 1,000 new cases were filed in a US trade court since March 1, according to a Bloomberg News review of publicly available records. That’s roughly a third of the more than 3,000 tariff lawsuits brought over the past year. Customs officials have told a judge that they’re building a new system to handle repayment demands after he…
International insurance markets are entering a new phase of the cycle. Rates have become increasingly competitive across the majority of businesses classes for some time, with recent market reports estimating that rates declined 4% in the fourth quarter of 2025 – the sixth consecutive quarter of moderation. One notable exception is US casualty, where capacity constraints in certain classes of businesses and price increases in Q4 2025 have largely been driven by growing litigation funding, class actions and increasing court awards. Across the broader market, however, capacity is strong and competition is healthy, which comes as no surprise after several…
Speaking at the International Forum of Terrorism Risk (Re)Insurance Pools in Sydney, Australia today, Guy Carpenter’s Asia Pacific CEO, Tony Gallagher, has explained the importance of retrocession markets in supporting provision of terrorism reinsurance, highlighting catastrophe bonds as an important and growing mechanism.The IFTRIP event brings together the government regulators, insurance and reinsurance companies that manage the risk pools for terrorism risk around the world. Giving a keynote address at the Forum, reinsurance broker Guy Carpenter’s regional CEO for Asia Pacific explained that access to private market risk capital remains an important part of the equation, for ensuring provision of…
About the Survey At the end of 2025, despite a government shutdown over the policy, the enhanced premium tax credits expired, decreasing financial assistance for subsidized Marketplace enrollees and contributing to significant increases in the Affordable Care Act (ACA) Marketplace costs for most enrollees overall. Amid the debates leading up to the expiration, KFF conducted a probability-based survey of 1,350 adults covered by ACA Marketplace plans in late 2025 to better understand their worries about potential cost increases for their health coverage. Now—without the enhanced tax credits in place—KFF re-interviewed 1,117 individuals (more than 80% of the original sample) to…
Strong capital position underpins strategy shift The market’s balance sheet strengthened further over the year, with total capital, reserves and subordinated debt rising 5.7% to £49.8bn. The central solvency ratio increased significantly to 496% (2024: 435%), while the market-wide solvency ratio edged down slightly to 200% (2024: 205%), both remaining comfortably above regulatory requirements.
“We continue to invest to make it easier to do business with New York Life,” he said. “That includes expanding digital capabilities, leveraging artificial intelligence, and strengthening the technology that supports our operations – all with a focus on enhancing service, security, and long-term value.”
A cardiology business and three physicians in Arizona were ordered to pay $4.75 million to resolve allegations they performed medically unnecessary vein ablations. Tri-City Cardiology, P.C., a physician group based in the metro area of Phoenix, and three physicians, are paying the sum to resolve allegations that they violated the False Claims Act by performing the procedures. The U.S. Department of Justice alleged that from January 1, 2017, to April 27, 2022, Dr. Jaskamal Kahlon, Dr. Joshua D. Cohen, and Dr. M. Joshua Berkowitz knowingly performed ablations on perforator veins that did not qualify for treatment under accepted standards. Perforator…