coronavirus insurance impact News

Pandemic Reinsurance Solution Gains Wide Support from UK Re/Insurance Industry

UK insurance executives have taken another step toward developing a public-private risk-financing mechanism for future pandemics with the creation of work streams to take the idea from the drawing board to an operating company. So-called “Pandemic Re,” which was first …

Italy’s Regulator Asks Insurer Cattolica to Boost Its Capital by $557M on COVID-19 Impact

Cattolica Assicurazioni said on Monday that Italy’s insurance regulator had told it to raise 500 million euros ($557 million) after the coronavirus crisis knocked its solvency ratio, a measure of financial strength. The Bank of Italy warned last month about …

Pandemic-Hit Re/insurers Expect a Costly Hurricane Season – and Rates Are Rising

The official start of the Atlantic hurricane season on Monday could signal more steep losses for insurers and reinsurers, already battered by the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on their underwriting and investment positions. However, recent years of hefty damage …

British Regulator Enlists 8 Insurers in Pandemic Test Case of Business Interruption Cover

Insurers including Hiscox, RSA and QBE will take part in a UK test case to decide whether their policies should pay out millions of pounds to companies hit by the coronavirus pandemic, the industry regulator said on Monday. A national …

Reinsurers Will Fail to Earn Cost of Capital in 2020, Leading to More Rate Hikes: Fitch

Global reinsurers will fail to earn its cost of capital in 2020 amid the coronavirus crisis, which will help maintain price increases for the sector during the year ahead, said Fitch Ratings. Financial performance will be hit by mortality claims …

SCOR CEO Takes 30% Bonus Cut; 2019 Dividend Scrapped on COVID-19 Crisis

French reinsurer SCOR announced that its Chairman & CEO Denis Kessler will receive 30% less in his annual variable compensation for 2019, which is equal to €325,260 (US$354,333). In addition, the company has decided to cancel its 2019 dividend. Kessler’s …

EU Urged to Create Insurance Catastrophe Backstop for Pandemics, Huge Cyber Attacks

A European Union framework is needed to provide insurance cover for catastrophes such as pandemics and huge cyber attacks, the Federation of European Risk Management (FERMA) said on Tuesday. This would involve public-private partnerships and could cover events which hit …

Update: AXA to Pay Business Interruption Claims to Restaurants After Court Ruling

A Paris court ruled last week that AXA should pay a restaurant owner two months of revenue losses caused by the virus pandemic. AXA had argued its policy did not cover business disruption caused by the health crisis. Stephane Manigold, …

French Court Orders AXA to Pay Restaurant’s COVID-19 Business Interruption Losses; AXA Vows to Appeal

A Paris court ruled that insurer AXA must pay a restaurant owner two months’ worth of coronavirus-related revenue losses, the restaurateur’s lawyer said on Friday, potentially opening the door to a wave of similar litigation. The ruling will be of …

Insurers, Agents Propose Pandemic Business Relief Plan; Plaintiffs Offer BIG Compromise

Key segments of the property/casualty insurance industry, which is facing mounting claims for business interruption losses from the pandemic, have thrown their lobbying weight behind a proposed federal program to replace revenues lost by businesses shut down during pandemics like …