Jun 22, 2018 | RIsk Management News
While the number of incidents and casualties declined in 2017, a report released Monday by Marsh L.L.C. said terrorism is still a significant threat and that the insurance market is adapting to handle the evolving risk.
Marsh’s 2018 Terrorism Risk Insurance Report, which explores the state of the terrorism insurance marketplace, said that in the wake of recent events, terrorism insurers are expanding terrorism definitions to include active assailant events.
In some cases, the report said, insurers also are developing specialty products that offer first- and third-party business interruption protection for businesses that suffer lost income or revenue without the need for a direct property damage trigger.
Although fewer people were killed in terrorist attacks in 2017 than in 2016, the Marsh report said the means of attack and perpetrators have shifted.
“Past attacks were carried out primarily by specific groups against perceived high-value-high-profile targets,” the report said. “While that threat remains, many recent attacks have come against soft targets and been perpetrated by ‘lone wolves’ and small groups with no direct connection to known terrorist organizations. Weapons of choice now include vehicles, knives and other handheld devices.”
In 2017, the report said, pricing increased in five of the 17 industries surveyed by Marsh, with the sharpest increases being felt by hospitality and gaming companies, public entities and nonprofit organizations, which have been targets of terrorist acts in recent years.
Pricing declined in seven industries, the report said, most notably for energy and mining and construction companies, reflecting the generally positive conditions in the property insurance market prior to the 2017 Atlantic hurricane season.
Sixty-two percent of U.S. companies in 2017 purchased coverage embedded in property policies under the Terrorism Risk Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2015, or TRIPRA. Companies in the Northeast U.S. were most likely to purchase terrorism insurance, Marsh said.
The number of Marsh-managed captive insurers actively underwriting one or more insurance programs that access the TRIPRA increased 44% to 166 captives in 2017.
After incurring sizable ransomware losses in 2017, kidnap and ransom insurers are seeking to restrict coverage for cyber risks in their policies.
Terrorism insurance capacity remains strong, the report said, but pricing could increase as global insurance costs generally increase following natural catastrophe losses in 2017. January 2018 year-over-year pricing changes for a majority of reinsurance program renewals that included terrorism coverage averaged flat to an increase of 10% on a risk-adjusted basis, according to the report.
The Marsh report made several suggestions for businesses in the face of evolving terrorism risk, including continually reviewing and reevaluating their risk financing programs to ensure they have adequate protection for property, business interruption, workers compensation, general liability and cyber losses.
The report also encouraged businesses to effectively model their terrorism risk and to build and test robust crisis management and business continuity plans.
Source: Business Insurance
Author: Rob Lenihan
Jun 1, 2018 | Informative, RIsk Management News
Claims magazine, PropertyCasualty360.com and RMS recently participated in a Twitter chat (#PC360ClaimsTech) discussing the effect of technology on the insurance claims process. Insurance executives from multiple companies shared their insights on what’s working and how it affects claims and communication with policyholders.
“Companies are looking to reduce costs by allowing customers to self-serve and use digital tools to inspect property without having to send out an adjuster,” shared Kristin Marr, president of Valen Analytics.
In addition, “many of the leading companies are leveraging digitalization to improve processes, quality and outcomes,” according to Chris Tidball, vice president of sales and claims transformation strategy for EXL Group.
Related: InsurTech & the latest trends in core systems purchasing
Some insurers are concerned that implementing new technology could preclude human involvement with the claims process, leading to less satisfied customers. However, as Rebecca Morgan, senior director of product management for Mitchell’s Workers’ Compensation Solutions pointed out, “If we look at Amazon as an example, we have very little human interaction with Amazon employees, yet Amazon customers continue to be incredibly loyal because of the excellent overall customer experience. The same is true for insurance.”
Technology & disasters
A series of devastating hurricanes last fall allowed insurers to see first-hand the impact InsurTech can have on the claims process. “Technology is making the interactions more accurate, timely and faster,” said John Sarich, vice president of strategy for VUE Software.
RMS COO John O’Connell agreed, tweeting, “Claims processors with event response capability undoubtedly reacted fast to claims based on their real-time analytics.”
Neeraj Sibal, assistant vice president of EXL Analytics, recognizes the value InsurTech brings to the claims process and how it exceeded conventional boundaries as mobile apps allowed for the easy transmission of information. “A photo share, a video chat with an adjuster or reporting through chatbots are changing the customer experience. Early adopters of these technologies are leveraging reduced cycle times and creating happier and more satisfied customers.”
“In addition to creating a more seamless, hassle-free process, InsurTech can also help members become smarter about risk and prevent future losses,” added Derek Zahn, vice president of claims for the western division of PURE Insurance.
InsurTech is also changing the first notice of loss for policyholders and insurers. “Historically, FNOL has been very manual,” tweeted Jonathan Silverman, director, worldwide insurance at Microsoft. “It makes sense to target it as an area for improvement. Today, we can automate the identification of an accident (for example) using manufacturer’s data and the alerts when there is an impact or an airbag deployment.”
Technology is also changing the interaction between insurers and policyholders. “The use of InsurTech is key to reducing the friction points that occur at every level, including with providers,” shared Don Lipsy, managed care specialty products manager with Sedgwick.
Farhana Alarakhiya, vice president of RMS concurred, tweeting, “There are many ways – delivery of analytics to the point of impact so smarter decisions can be made that are of benefit to both the customer and insurer.”
The experts agreed that InsurTech is a positive addition to the insurance claims process for carriers and policyholders. PC360 will continue the conversation at #PC360ClaimsTech.
Source: PropertyCasualty360
Author: Patricia L. Harman