In “This Month, Amplified” Michael Waitze and Theresa Blissing talked together with David Gritz and Tony Lew about the Florida insurance market, Hippo’s pause on all new business and whether their stock price reflects the reality, the overall challenges property insurance is facing and how to make the list as an insurance influencer.

The Florida insurance market has been making news recently.  Citizens, which was set up as a last resort insurance provider, has grown significantly in recent years, now holding more than 1.3 million policies. Citizens' growth is partly attributed to its capped annual rate increases, which often make it the cheapest option in Florida. However, the takeout offers from companies like Slide suggest that the primary market is catching up.

Hippo has halted all new business across the country. The company plans to review portfolio performance and will decide on resuming operations on a state-by-state basis. We also discussed Hippo’s share price and if it reflects the real value of the business.

We also discussed the devastating wildfire in Maui and the mounting challenges the property insurance sector faces due to the increasing frequency of such disasters. With insurers likely increasing premiums to counterbalance losses from such extreme events, how can we ensure insurance remains accessible to everyone? Can insights be drawn from the health insurance industry? This might be a topic of interest for the InsurTech Influencers out there.

This raised another question; how does one truly define an influencer? The list being circulated by InsurTechNews has sparked curiosity. Is there really a scientific method behind identifying the foremost voices in the sector, or is it merely a compilation of familiar faces? We're keen to hear Matteo Carbone's perspective on this.

Let us know your top InsurTech influencers. Perhaps we can compile a unique list based on your suggestions.