President Trump’s sweeping return to tariff-heavy trade policies in 2025 is sending ripples across the economy, including the cost of property insurance claims. The latest round of tariffs, which include steep duties on imported construction materials and auto parts, many of which are sourced from China, threatens to drive up claims costs in both personal…
As the cost of providing health benefits continues to rise, more employers intend to change or reduce their 2026 offerings to control spending, according to a new survey. In a survey of more than 700 U.S. employers by Mercer — including over 500 large organizations (those with 500 or more employees) — 51% of large…
As wildfire seasons grow longer and more intense due to rising temperatures, utilities in high-risk areas are increasingly using public safety power shutoffs to prevent fires sparked by electrical equipment, one of the leading causes of wildfires. These proactive outages can leave communities without power for hours — or even days — especially during dry,…
On July 4, 2025, President Trump signed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act into law, a sweeping tax and spending measure that includes implications for health savings accounts and employer-sponsored benefits. While an early version of the bill passed by the House of Representatives promised broad reforms to group health insurance, most of those provisions were…
California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara has ordered an 8.7% average advisory pure premium rate hike for policies incepting on or after Sept. 1, 2025. The rate follows a substantial uptick in claims and claims adjustment costs over the past four years, resulting in a $1.3 billion underwriting loss for the industry in 2024, the first…
The typical family’s income slips by more than $12,000 in the year after a breadwinner suffers a critical illness such as a heart attack, stroke or cancer, according to a study by Metropolitan Life Insurance Company. This reduction of income isn’t primarily due to lack of medical coverage. It is actually attributed to the inability…
For companies that rely on fleets of vehicles to deliver goods, transport equipment or provide services, distracted driving is a risk that can pose an existential threat to the company. Collisions resulting from inattentive driving can lead to serious injuries, costly vehicle damage and insurance rate hikes or cancellations. Most fleets are comprised of vehicles…
A growing number of employers are adding menopause-related benefits to their health and wellness programs, recognizing both the personal and business impact of this phase of women’s health. According to a 2023 Mayo Clinic report, menopause-related symptoms are responsible for an estimated $1.8 billion in lost workdays annually in the U.S., largely due to absenteeism…
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration has overhauled its Site-Specific Targeting (SST) inspection program, marking a major shift in how the agency identifies and prioritizes workplaces for inspection. Effective May 20, 2025, the new guidance applies to non-construction employers with 20 or more employees and significantly increases OSHA’s reliance on employer-reported injury and illness data…
In a major announcement, America’s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP) said that more than 50 major insurers — including UnitedHealthcare, Aetna, Cigna and various regional Blue Cross Blue Shield plans — have pledged to significantly streamline the prior authorization process and improve the patient care experience. This shift could bring relief to more than 250 million…