Author: completebodyneeds

A large cyber insurance provider says it saw the number of ransomware attacks rise 45% last year. Cyber insurance MGA Cowbell’s 2026 claims report also shows average ransom payments fell by roughly 44% between 2022 and 2025. The firm attributed the payment decrease to stronger negotiation strategies and more effective claims handling. According to Stephanie Hewerdine, the MGA’s director of claims, the drop is also being driven in part by increased preparedness among insureds. “It’s likely attributable to several factors, but I think one of the most key factors is that insureds are often better prepared for these events nowadays,”…

A dental services provider is paying more than $2 million to settle charges of false advertising by California Attorney General Rob Bonta. Bonta’s office reached a settlement with Aspen Dental Management Inc. for engaging in false and misleading advertising. Aspen Dental describes itself as a dental support organization that provides business management and administrative services to dental offices, each of which operates under “Aspen Dental.” The California DOJ says the company exceeded that role by unlawfully directing the practice, ownership, and management of dentistry in California. The settlement, which remains subject to court approval, includes injunctive terms, $2 million in…

The Virginia Department of Health said on Thursday it is monitoring a resident who recently returned from a cruise ship linked to a deadly Hantavirus outbreak. The person had been aboard the MV Hondius, a Dutch-flagged expedition cruise ship that is at the center of an international public-health response after multiple cases of the rare virus were identified on board. The department said the person was in good health and posed a low risk to the public. The traveler has returned to Virginia and is under public health monitoring, officials said. Hantavirus usually spreads through contact with infected rodents and…

Ashley Lefebvre has joined Alliant Insurance Services as vice president within its employee benefits group in Houston, Texas. She will serve a national client base, partnering with clients to deliver strategic employee benefits and HR solutions that boost ROI and align with long-term growth strategies. Lefebvre joins Alliant with a multifaceted background that encompasses employee benefits consulting, strategic growth, and operational strategy. With a focus on small businesses, she has extensive experience in plan design, risk assessment, and process improvement. She also supports clients in growing and scaling their operations, driving revenue and client retention. Prior to joining Alliant, Lefebvre…

New York State has a 2026-2027 budget agreement. The budget totals about $268 million and includes some but not all of Gov. Kathy Hochul’s proposals for auto insurance reform to lower premiums along with some lawmakers’ proposals for consumer protections. The budget was supposed to be ready by April 1. But state lawmakers passed nine deadline extensions to keep the government functioning until they and the governor could come to an agreement. According to Hochul’s summary, the budget does not raise income or statewide business taxes and it maintains the governor’s powers to make future adjustments if actions by the…

Newswise — Adolescents in California consistently perceive cannabis as less harmful than other commonly used substances, according to a new study analyzing data from two large statewide school surveys. Shu-Hong Zhu, PhD, professor at the UC San Diego Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and Human Longevity Science and co-authors, examined how teens view the risks of everyday and occasional use of cannabis compared to alcohol, nicotine vapes and cigarettes, drawing on responses from more than 175,000 students across surveys conducted in 2019–2020 and 2024. The findings show a clear and persistent pattern: Cannabis is viewed as the least harmful…

A decade ago, wind power was surging in popularity and attracting huge investments that made Texas a national leader in renewable energy. But today, gas generation is making a big comeback, driven by a wave of data centers flooding into the state. For the last six months, the volume of gas generation in the Texas grid’s interconnection queue — the yearslong waiting list for electric generators wanting to connect to the grid — has surpassed wind. It’s the first time since January 2016 that gas has overtaken wind in the queue, a shift that reflects the policy and economic headwinds…

Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul announced a settlement with Vee Pak LLC, doing business as Voyant Beauty (Vee Pak) that resolves allegations the manufacturing company entered into no-poach agreements with several temporary staffing agencies. The settlement requires Vee Pak to pay $625,000 to compensate temporary workers impacted by the unlawful activity. Vee Pak is the last remaining defendant in a lawsuit Raoul’s office filed against it and six staffing agencies in 2022. The settlement with Vee Pak means that litigation is now fully resolved, with the office recovering a total of $2.52 million from all defendants. In 2022, Raoul’s office…

MS Amlin, the Lloyd’s re/insurer, has launched a consortium to boost property treaty capacity for all property per-risk lines. This additional capacity is expected to be particularly relevant for global data centers, where demand for higher limits continues to grow, MS Amlin said. The Property Treaty Per Risk (PPR) Consortium expands MS Amlin’s maximum line size from $50 million to $67.5 million, providing a 35% uplift in capacity for placements while maintaining a single coordinated underwriting and claims process. The consortium brings together four Lloyd’s syndicates behind MS Amlin including Nephila Syndicate 2358, Nephila Syndicate 2359, Hampden Syndicate 2689 and…

The Ohio State Bar Association (Ohio Bar) and ALPS Insurance (ALPS) today announced that they have entered into a definitive agreement under which ALPS will acquire the Ohio Bar Liability Insurance Company (OBLIC), a leading provider of professional liability insurance for attorneys in Ohio. The transaction reflects a shared commitment to strengthening the long-term delivery of legal malpractice insurance to Ohio lawyers by aligning OBLIC’s strong reputation and history of lawyer-focused service with ALPS’ national scale, infrastructure and specialized expertise serving lawyers. OBLIC was founded by the Ohio Bar in 1978 to serve the professional liability needs of Ohio attorneys…