Mercury Insurance, a multi-line insurance organization operating in 13 states, is offering a new commercial auto insurance product it says uses technology to enable its independent agents to more easily rate, qualify and issue new business.

The Maryland Insurance Administration has approved the Cigna‘s acquisition of Bravo Health, a Baltimore, Md.-based operator of Medicare Advantage plans.

The Obama Administration rejected Texas’ request that it be allowed to phase in federal health reform‘s medical loss ratio to prevent the state’s health insurance market from destabilizing.

Houston’s HCC Insurance Holdings said Pioneer General Insurance Co. will merge into American Contractors Indemnity Co., both of which are wholly owned subsidiaries of HCC.

Texas insurance regulators expect a decision soon from the Obama Administration on whether they can delay forcing insurers to pay rebates to health plan members if the companies exceed new medical loss ratio requirements.

Federal securities regulators say a Texas-based life-settlement firm and three of its senior executives “systematically and materially underestimated the life expectancy estimates,” which in turn caused its shareholders to be “duped.”

Natural disasters cost insurance companies more than $32 billion in direct insured losses in the first nine months of 2011, nearly double the average of other years, according to the Insurance Information Institute.

A Willis, Texas, man’s allegedly defrauding of an insurance company, to whom he claimed that his classic Harley-Davidson motorcycle had been stolen, appears to have been discovered by his former girlfriend.

A defunct produce processing company’s insurer is arguing that it is not responsible for a $1.1 million default judgement awarded to the family of man who died after eating the company’s celery.

BenefitMall, a national broker services company based in Dallas, added a new service, company payroll services, to its roster of offerings.