Mark Lawrence and Greg Wilden bring a combined stretch of decades in stop-loss and reinsurance to a candid look at the state of the market. They walk through the forces behind recent turmoil, from rising loss ratios to shifting terms and conditions, and explain why they expect conditions to stay unsettled through the 1/1/27 business cycle before potentially easing.
The conversation gets specific on what is driving claims. Greg and Mark discuss the jump in both frequency and severity since the lifetime maximum went away, the surge in cancer and neonatal claims, the arrival of expensive new therapies, and how hospital billing practices are adding pressure. Their message to producers is one of open, honest communication, even when the news is not what clients want to hear.
Most of all, the two make the case that stop-loss is no longer a commodity. When claims can reach into the tens of millions, they argue, choosing a partner comes down to a simple test: when it is crunch time, will the carrier live up to its end of the bargain. Press play for a practical, relationship-focused perspective aimed at brokers, consultants, TPAs, and group decision-makers.