With millions more likely to get health coverage thanks to the new reform law, the worsening shortage of doctors will only get worse, impacting workers' comp insurers, warns NU Editor Sam Friedman in his blog at www.NUSamSoapBox.com.

Soft market rates for the commercial property and casualty sector show little evidence they will change in the near future, according to the Council of Insurance Agents & Brokers.

Property and casualty insurance sector rates will begin to firm up in 2011, according to the most recent industry forecast from Conning Research & Consulting.

Experts say insurers will not likely have to pay business interruption or aviation claims from the Iceland volcano eruption, as such a rare event is not likely to be covered by policies.

Travel delays and cancellations stemming from the Icelandic volcano are expected to cause significant losses for travel insurers, but an exact estimate is not possible yet at this early stage, a travel insurance association president said.

Sedgwick Claims Management Services Inc. announced that it will be acquired for $1.1 billion by investment funds affiliated with Stone Point Capital LLC and Hellman & Friedman LLC.

Brown & Brown reported first quarter profit for 2010 was down 8 percent as the recession continued to take a toll on insurance buying.

Liberty Mutual Surety announced it has created Liberty SuretyFirst as its new operating unit exclusively serving independent agents whose customers have small to mid-sized bonding capacity needs.