Insurance

Insured losses from the storm, the second-most intense hurricane to hit the state of Louisiana, will probably range between $28 million and $30 million, the reinsurer said in a statement Tuesday. It estimated its own cost from claims related to the storm at about $750 million.

Haven Technologies will make the platform behind MassMutal’s Haven Life available as a software-as-a-service insurtech.

The Chinese insurance giant is working with financial advisers on the potential sale, which could value Founder’s life insurance unit at as much as $1 billion, the people said, asking not to be identified because the matter is private.

The Palo Alto, California-based company is now valued at $900 million, according to people with knowledge of the matter.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency in April announced the first significant update to the beleaguered National Flood Insurance Program, which covers about 5 million properties. Premiums have risen steadily, but the program is more than $20 billion in debt, thanks in part to rising seas and stronger storms. Now, a quarter of the participants will see lower costs, while the remainder will see premiums rise in increments as high as 18% annually.

Recent EY research confirms how the pandemic fundamentally changed consumer needs, how they plan to increase their financial security, and what insurers can do to seize the opportunity.

Global warming was ranked as the biggest risk to society over the next five to 10 years in a report released Tuesday by French insurance giant AXA SA. While that also topped the ranking in 2018 and 2019, it was outstripped by diseases and pandemics last year as the virus spread across the globe.

Keynova Group released its Q3 2021 Mobile Insurance Scorecard, which evaluates the mobile websites and mobile apps from the 12 largest U.S. property and casualty firms. Geico placed first overall and leads scoring in mobile web and app.

Sempra’s Southern California Gas Co. utility said it reached a $1.8 billion settlement for individual claims for the 2015 leak at the Aliso Canyon storage facility near Los Angeles, according to a statement Monday. The company reached separate agreements to settle property and business claims for about $40 million.

Resolution and Allianz have been working with advisers on a deal that could be announced as early as this week pending regulatory approval, the people said, asking not to be identified because the information is private. The transaction would affect roughly $6 billion in liabilities that would be ceded to Resolution Life, which is run by former GE Insurance executive Clive Cowdery, they said.

As many as 2.4 million homes are at risk of losing protection in 2021 as year-long grace periods expire – though new disasters may extend their shields. In all, 18% of the state’s households could effectively lose protection, the largest single group since the moratorium law took effect three years ago.

In other news: Amerisure implements One Inc ClaimsPay tech; California drivers report distracted driving is getting worse; HSB adds social media income to home cyber protection.

Europe’s largest insurer is discussing a potential reinsurance deal for a portfolio with tens of billions of dollars in assets and liabilities, according to the people. It is working with advisers on the possible transaction, the people said, asking not to be identified because the information is private.

Renaissance Insurance, Russia’s largest online policy provider, is trawling the country’s traditional insurers for acquisition targets as it prepares for a possible initial public offering.

Insurtechs have secured more access to capital in the last few years and by the end of 2020 the total market cap of listed insurtechs surpassed $22 billion, according to the World Insurtech Report 2021.

“Spot,” created by Boston Dynamics, known for its viral robot videos, and customized for Farmers, a P&C insurer, is the first collaboration of its kind.

Jerry launched a car insurance comparison service in 2019 using artificial intelligence and machine learning. The company has more than 1 million customers across the U.S. and has expansion plans.

The pandemic has served as a catalyst for putting digital transformation across insurance on the fast track, and claims is one of the focus areas that is primed for implementing digital capabilities. As more claims information is captured and managed digitally, new opportunities to leverage artificial intelligent technologies arise. This leads to a vision of full automation, high levels of straight-through processing, and (logically) a diminishing role for claims professionals.

Forrester research finds that even the most tech-savvy claimants want the reassurance of a human voice handling their claim.

In other news: Hippo launches Builders Program; handdii wins the 2021 ACORD Insurtech Innovation Challenge New York; Blockchain-backed title insurance launches in five states.