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Reinsuring pandemics: the role of government and public–private partnerships between reinsurers and governments

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  • Senara Eggleton

    (King’s College London)

  • Özlem Gürses

    (King’s College London)

Abstract

Pandemic-related business interruption (BI) losses are generally considered ‘uninsurable’ because, in order to pool sufficient premium revenue to meet valid claims, premiums would be unaffordable for the majority of policyholders. This paper explores whether and how such losses might be made insurable in the U.K. The authors consider post-pandemic governmental responses, including the role of the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and the meaning and implications of FCA v Arch Insurance (U.K.) Ltd ([2021] UKSC 1). The central premise of the paper is to highlight the importance of reinsurance in increasing an underwriter’s insuring capacity and to illustrate how, with the support of government in the form of a public–private partnership (PPP), ‘uninsurable’ risks of this type may be made insurable. The authors propose a PPP, ‘Pandemic Business Interruption Re’, which provides, in their view, a feasible and defensible solution that would confer the benefit of increasing policyholders' faith in the industry's ability to underwrite pandemic-related BI claims and reduce reliance on ex post government aid.

Suggested Citation

  • Senara Eggleton & Özlem Gürses, 2023. "Reinsuring pandemics: the role of government and public–private partnerships between reinsurers and governments," The Geneva Papers on Risk and Insurance - Issues and Practice, Palgrave Macmillan;The Geneva Association, vol. 48(3), pages 552-576, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:pal:gpprii:v:48:y:2023:i:3:d:10.1057_s41288-023-00290-0
    DOI: 10.1057/s41288-023-00290-0
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Gründl, Helmut & Regele, Fabian, 2020. "Pandemic insurance through pandemic partnership bonds: A fully funded insurance solution in a public private partnership," SAFE Policy Letters 86, Leibniz Institute for Financial Research SAFE.
    2. Robert Hartwig & Greg Niehaus & Joseph Qiu, 2020. "Insurance for economic losses caused by pandemics," The Geneva Risk and Insurance Review, Palgrave Macmillan;International Association for the Study of Insurance Economics (The Geneva Association), vol. 45(2), pages 134-170, September.
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    4. Andreas Richter & Thomas C. Wilson, 2020. "Covid-19: implications for insurer risk management and the insurability of pandemic risk," The Geneva Risk and Insurance Review, Palgrave Macmillan;International Association for the Study of Insurance Economics (The Geneva Association), vol. 45(2), pages 171-199, September.
    5. Helmut Gründl & Danjela Guxha & Anastasia Kartasheva & Hato Schmeiser, 2021. "Insurability of pandemic risks," Journal of Risk & Insurance, The American Risk and Insurance Association, vol. 88(4), pages 863-902, December.
    6. Sylvestre Frezal & Laurence Barry, 2020. "Fairness in Uncertainty: Some Limits and Misinterpretations of Actuarial Fairness," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 167(1), pages 127-136, November.
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