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Reinsurance
 12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2018
Reinsurance Disclosures [Abstract]  
Reinsurance Reinsurance
The Company reinsures a portion of its insurance exposures in order to reduce its net liability on individual risks and catastrophe losses. Reinsurance coverage and retentions vary depending on the line of business, location of the risk and nature of loss. The Company’s reinsurance purchases include the following: property reinsurance treaties that reduce exposure to large individual property losses and catastrophe events; casualty reinsurance treaties that reduce its exposure to large individual casualty losses, workers’ compensation catastrophe losses and casualty losses involving multiple claimants or insureds; and facultative reinsurance that reduces exposure on individual policies or risks for losses that exceed treaty reinsurance capacity. Depending on the operating unit, the Company purchases specific additional reinsurance to supplement the above programs.

The following is a summary of reinsurance financial information:
(In thousands)
2018
 
2017
 
2016
Written premiums:
 

 
 

 
 

Direct
$
6,973,216

 
$
6,726,029

 
$
6,647,600

Assumed
729,278

 
750,934

 
896,101

Ceded
(1,269,267
)
 
(1,216,455
)
 
(1,119,788
)
Total net written premiums
$
6,433,227

 
$
6,260,508

 
$
6,423,913

 
 
 
 
 
 
Earned premiums:
 
 
 

 
 

Direct
$
6,851,795

 
$
6,661,046

 
$
6,492,240

Assumed
755,759

 
812,309

 
900,570

Ceded
(1,236,049
)
 
(1,161,936
)
 
(1,099,462
)
Total net earned premiums
$
6,371,505

 
$
6,311,419

 
$
6,293,348

 
 
 
 
 
 
Ceded losses and loss expenses incurred
$
829,742

 
$
601,769

 
$
707,336

Ceded commission earned
$
268,037

 
$
241,983

 
$
201,957



The Company reinsures a portion of its exposures principally to reduce its net liability on individual risks and to protect against catastrophic losses. Estimated amounts due from reinsurers are reported net of reserves for uncollectible reinsurance of $946,965, $1,010,000 and $1,049,000 as of December 31, 2018, 2017 and 2016, respectively.























The following table presents the amounts due from reinsurers as of December 31, 2018:
(In thousands)
 
 
 
Lloyd’s of London
$
215,370

Munich Re
164,131

Alleghany Group
150,438

Swiss Re
150,280

Partner Re
103,837

Berkshire Hathaway
87,314

Axis Capital
85,377

Hannover Re Group
77,351

Everest Re
62,113

Korean Re
52,746

Renaissance Re
39,944

Liberty Mutual
32,118

Qatar Re GRP
27,731

Chubb Limited
24,628

Arch Capital Group
21,260

Other reinsurers less than $20,000
289,305

Subtotal
1,583,943

Residual market pools
348,348

Total
$
1,932,291