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The terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, inflicted enormous personal and property losses on the United States. Insurance payments for economic losses on that day will surpass $30 billion and could top $50 billion. Among the many adverse economic effects that resulted from the attacks is a continuing shortage of insurance against losses of property from terrorism. Coverage is difficult to obtain, especially for buildings or sites that are landmarks; where coverage is available, prices are high and restrictions are numerous. Policymakers have developed two types of federal proposals to increase the supply of property and casualty insurance. Under one set of options, which was created following Hurricane Andrew in August 1992 and the Northridge earthquake in January 1994, the federal government would auction reinsurance contracts to primary insurance companies and state-sponsored insurers. Reinsurance is an established practice among private insurers. By buying reinsurance, primary insurers spread the risk of loss more widely and strengthen their ability to insure against catastrophes. The intent of those proposals is to offer federal reinsurance when coverage is in short supply, at market prices that are expected to cover the government's costs. By contrast, under proposals developed since September 11, the government would pay for most losses from a terrorist attack directly, without reimbursement or with only partial reimbursement. Even though one type of proposal was created in response to natural disasters and the other from an act of terrorism, both types could be considered viable alternatives, whatever the source of catastrophic loss.
This book considers the effectiveness of insurance coverage for low-probability, high-consequence events such as natural disastersâ€"and how insurance programs can successfully be used with other policy tools, such as building codes and standards, to encourage effective loss reduction measures. The authors discuss the reasons for the dramatic increase in insured losses from natural disasters since 1989 and the concern that insurers have about their ability to provide coverage against more such events in the future. It addresses why there has been an increasing demand for hazards insurance, what types of coverage private insurers are willing to offer, and the role of reinsurance and private-/public-sector initiatives at the state and federal levels for providing protection to victims of natural disasters. Detailed case studies of the challenges facing Florida in the wake of Hurricane Andrew in 1992 and California following the Northridge earthquake in 1994 reveal the challenges facing the insurance industry as well as other concerned stakeholders. The National Flood Insurance Program illustrates how a public-/private-sector partnership can mitigate damages and provide financial protection to victims. The book identifies new initiatives for reducing future losses and providing funds for recovery through cooperation by the relevant parties.
Is it possible that the insurance and reinsurance industries cannot handle a major catastrophe? Ten years ago, the notion that the overall cost of a single catastrophic event might exceed $10 billion was unthinkable. With ever increasing property-casualty risks and unabated growth in hazard-prone areas, insurers and reinsurers now envision the possibility of disaster losses of $50 to $100 billion in the United States. Against this backdrop, the capitalization of the insurance and reinsurance industries has become a crucial concern. While it remains unlikely that a single event might entirely bankrupt these industries, a big catastrophe could place firms under severe stress, jeopardizing both policy holders and investors and causing profound ripple effects throughout the U.S. economy. The Financing of Catastrophe Risk assembles an impressive roster of experts from academia and industry to explore the disturbing yet realistic assumption that a large catastrophic event is inevitable. The essays offer tangible means of both reassessing and raising the level of preparedness throughout the insurance and reinsurance industries.
A recent surge in natural disaster losses in the United States has created widespread disruptions in the property insurance market and generated calls for federal protection against natural disaster risk. This article examines the market for disaster insurance in the United States and finds that insurance markets are limited in their ability to intertemporally diversify catastrophic risk. In a targeted response, this article proposes a new form of federal reinsurance based on the auctioning of multiple peril catastrophe call spread options that cover industry losses in the range of $25 - $50 billion. This article argues that the sale of these catastrophe excess-of-loss contracts utilizes the unique intertemporal diversification capabilities of the federal government to expand the market for natural disaster risk while enhancing the private market equilibrium for insurance.
In recent years, much attention has been focused on the roles that the private sector and federal government play in providing insurance and financial aid before and after catastrophic events. In this context, the authors examined (1) the rationale for and resources of federal and state programs that provide natural catastrophe insurance; (2) the extent to which Americans living in catastrophe-prone areas of the United States are uninsured and underinsured, and the types and amounts of federal payments to such individuals since the 2005 hurricanes; and (3) public policy options for revising the federal role in natural catastrophe insurance markets.