News

North Dakota Rep. George Keiser has applied for a spot on the Federal Advisory Committee on Insurance, says the National Conference of Insurance Legislators.

Over 30 people in South Texas developed a scheme with two doctors south of the border, resulting in the collection of $3 million in fraudulent insurance payouts.

New York lawmakers have sent to the governor a commercial-deregulation bill that allows insurers to go to market with some policies before regulatory approval, while Florida Gov. Rick Scott has signed into law a commercial-dereg bill in that state.

Property and casualty excess capital remains robust, although it has declined since July 2010, an analysis shows, while a separate analysis strictly on reinsurers shows a 6 percent decline in capital for the 2011 first quarter as companies contend with, among other issues, insured catastrophe losses.

Insurers are beginning to see claims as evacuation orders are lifted and residents return to their homes in Arizona while two major wildfires continue to consume thousands of acres in the state.

As one property and casualty industry report points to rising combined ratios for insurers, with experts citing the need for better underwriting results, a separate analysis of first-quarter industry figures indicates the commercial-lines market may be starting to turn.