Market News
US Employer Healthcare Costs Projected to Rise 9.5 Percent
US employer healthcare costs are projected to rise 9.5 percent in 2027, exceeding $19,000 per employee, according to Aon. Higher medical utilization, chronic conditions, costly claims, and prescription drugs are driving increases. Employers continue to absorb most plan expenses, while employees face higher premiums and out-of-pocket costs nationwide. Read More
Captive Insurance Metrics Must Evolve with Program Goals
Panelists at the Vermont Captive Insurance Association Annual Conference explained why captive insurance metrics should reflect each organization's objectives, risk profile, and lines of coverage. The session examined regulatory ratios, loss ratios, capital adequacy, and investment measures, while emphasizing the need to reassess benchmarks as captive programs evolve and communicate results clearly to stakeholders across the organization. Read More
Risk Retention Groups Balance Governance, Regulation, and Growth
Panelists at the Vermont Captive Insurance Association Annual Conference discussed how risk retention groups can support long-term success through planning, active governance, adequate capitalization, disciplined underwriting, and regulatory communication. The session also examined multistate registration challenges, board education, member participation, and the importance of pursuing sustainable growth rather than increasing premium or membership without sufficient risk controls. Read More
Munich Re, Lloyd's Top AM Best's Largest Reinsurer Rankings
Munich Re and Lloyd's topped AM Best's latest rankings of the world's largest reinsurers, aided by currency gains against the US dollar. Reinsurers maintained strong underwriting performance in 2025 despite price softening, while favorable hurricane activity, investment returns, and record capital levels supported profitability across the global reinsurance market overall. Read More
Christine Brown Outlines Captive Insurance Priorities at VCIA
Christine Brown discussed five audience-selected captive insurance topics during a Vermont Captive Insurance Association (VCIA) conference session. Ms. Brown addressed evolving captive structures, regulatory oversight of artificial intelligence, medical stop-loss underwriting, liability pressures, litigation funding, and reinsurance security, emphasizing sound governance, disciplined pricing, and continued evaluation of captive programs as risks and markets evolve. Read More