Most program business insurers believe gross premium volume for their segment totals at least $20 billion, but a growing subset now has doubts that they are actually writing that much as a group, a survey reported.

Despite a 67 percent drop in net income in 2008, excess and surplus lines insurers are still financially strong, according to a rating agency report prepared for the National Association of Professional Surplus Lines Offices Ltd.

Most program business insurers believe gross premium volume for their segment totals at least $20 billion, but a growing subset now has doubts that they are actually writing that much as a group, a survey reported.

Despite a 67 percent drop in net income in 2008, excess and surplus lines insurers are still financially strong.

Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke declared that the recession is "very likely over," but the pace of recovery will be uneven across states and industries, according to a leading insurance industry economist.

There's been a lot of talk on the acquisition front by excess and surplus lines insurance companies, but little action to date--even in a year that followed back-to-back declines in organic growth for the segment overall.

Most program business insurers believe gross premiums for the segment total at least $20 billion, but a growing number now have doubts they are doing that much volume, a survey reported.

Excess and surplus lines insurance executives at a meeting here expressed worries that pending federal legislation for their sector could be a precursor to U.S. regulation for all insurance activity.