Around 2.6m Australians currently without health insurance coverage are interested in obtaining it, according to financial services research firm Investment Trends.
Managing director of HDI Global (HDI), Mr Stefan Feldmann, will now be fully responsible for both commercial and specialty business in Australia and New Zealand. He has been managing director of HDI Global Australia since 2012. His new responsibilities are subjective to regulatory approval and effective 1 July 2024.
According to life insurer TAL's blog, "vaping is generally considered by insurers the same as smoking".
Arch Insurance (Arch) has appointed Ms Amanda Seng as Southern Region property underwriting manager, a newly created role. In her new role, she will be responsible for managing the underwriting activities across Arch's property portfolio for the Southern Region. She will also oversee product development.
ProRisk has appointed Ms Deborah Lazarus as general counsel and senior claims specialist. Over the course of her career, she has worked in senior roles at large insurers, in financial lines claims, as well as a special counsel in insurance litigation within private legal practice.
Australian Reinsurance Pool Corporation (ARPC) is in the process of reviewing the current Cyclone Reinsurance Pool premium rates and is considering minor changes that would be applicable from 1 April 2025.
Steadfast Group (Steadfast) has appointed Mr Nick Cook as executive general manager - Australasian networks, broker and insurer services; Mr Mark Senkevics as executive general manager - underwriting agencies, alternative risk transfer (ART), reinsurance and life, effective 1 July 2024 and Ms Meagan Jeffery as executive general manager - technology & information, effective 8 July 2024.
The Commonwealth, state and territory building ministers have decided to include climate resilience as a specific objective of the Australian Building Codes Board (ABCB) from 2025.
The Insurance Council of Australia (ICA) has welcomed the significant funding for resilience in the New South Wales government's 2024-25 Budget as a positive step for communities that should support efforts to improve insurance affordability.
New NRMA Insurance research has highlighted the mental health impacts of Australia's changing climate, with 80% of Australians surveyed stating they feel anxious about the impact of extreme weather.