Large groups of private educational institutions, hospitals, hotel chains and even officials of Major League Baseball can buy insurance for income losses and extra expenses incurred during a pandemic, but the broker that designed the coverage last year is only taking orders for future events right now.

Wally Kerr and Jim Finch, executives of Hays Companies of Illinois–who spoke to National Underwriter in late June, a few weeks after the World Health Organization raised the pandemic alert on Swine flu to Level 6–said they bound one such policy for a group of colleges in September 2008.

But because one key coverage trigger has already been met for the Swine flu–a WHO pandemic alert level of 3, 4, 5 or 6–the brokers said offers to extend coverage for Swine flu to other interested organizations now aren't feasible. It would be like covering a hurricane that already hit the coast, making the cost prohibitively expensive, said Mr. Finch, who is a vice president for the brokerage firm.