European Union holds back on Iranian oil sanctions, considers exemptions for insurers

The European Union has been deliberating on how to handle sanctions imposed against Iran since late last year. Iran has been the target of oil sanctions from much of Europe and the U.S. These sanctions would have a significant impact of the transportation of oil from the country and much of the Middle East. One of the major problems that would arise from the sanctions concerns the insurance industry. If the sanctions are enacted, insurers in Europe and the U.S. will no longer be able to provide coverage for ships…

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International Monetary Fund claims global economy is improving due to international cooperation

The global economy is showing significant signs of improvement, according to International Monetary Fund (IMF) Director Christine Lagarde. Lagarde traveled to Beijing this week to discuss the economic improvements that are being seen all over the world. Much of the improvements come from bold moves made in the insurance industry as a way to remedy the European financial crisis. With the help of insurers and reinsurers, the European Union was able to conduct the largest debt restructure in history and pull Greece from the brink of economic calamity. Lagarde notes…

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Commercial Insurance Expert John Elbl Appointed Vice President in AIR Worldwide’s Business Development Group

BOSTON, March 20, 2012 – AIR Worldwide (AIR) today announced that John Elbl has been appointed vice president in AIR’s Business Development Group. He joins AIR after 13 years with Zurich Insurance Company, most recently as global head of catastrophe modeling. In his new role, Elbl will assist with service and support for AIR’s commercial insurer clients, as well as aid in developing AIR software and models to better meet the needs of commercial insurers. “John brings extensive experience working with companies to interpret analysis results, optimize modeling workflows, and…

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Insurance payout judgment faces another delay

Louisiana Citizens Property Insurance Corp. policyholders have faced another block from a state of appeals court, which has halted their ability to collect over $100 million from the insurer’s failure to process the 2005 hurricane claims within a reasonable time frame. According to the chief executive officer at Citizens, Richard Robertson, a temporary order was issued by the 5th Circuit Court of Appeal, prohibiting the attorneys of the plaintiff from being able to perform a funds seizure from the insurance company’s accounts. There will be a later decision by the…

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States want to know how the insurance industry will react to climate change

After two years of devastating storms throughout the U.S., many states are wondering if the insurance industry is taking the proper steps to prepare for what the future may hold. Legislators and regulators in California, Washington and New York are now pressuring insurers for answers on what they are doing to adapt to climate change. This marks one of the first times state officials have clearly identified climate change as an issue, something the insurance industry has been doing for years now. Next month, numerous insurance executives, experts and regulators…

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Aetna makes a statement in the industry

At this year’s Health 2.0 event, Mark Bertolini, the CEO of Aetna, gave a very positive outlook for the future of health insurance in his company as a result of the current and upcoming changes to the healthcare system in the United States. The reason is that the insurer has reinvented itself by providing a unique healthtech startup company exit opportunity after having made more than $1.5 billion in acquisitions in 2011. Those acquired companies are playing an important role in assisting healthcare organizations to make their first steps into…

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Drivers in Michigan to see an average car insurance premiums increase of $30

The Michigan Catastrophic Claims Association (MCCA) has just announced that there will be an increase of $30 per vehicle to the auto insurance rates paid by drivers in the state starting on July 1, 2012, as per the new rate for 2012-13. This will raise the average premium by 21 percent, making it $175. Premiums undergo an annual adjustment in Michigan in order to cover the claims that are made under the state’s no-fault insurance law’s unlimited lifetime medical benefits. The results of the assessment are applied to each car…

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