Reinsurance

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2011

Reinsurance disclosure

Reinsurance disclosure [Text Block]

5. REINSURANCE

        The Company's consolidated financial statements reflect the effects of assumed and ceded reinsurance transactions. Assumed reinsurance refers to the acceptance of certain insurance risks that other insurance companies have underwritten. Ceded reinsurance involves transferring certain insurance risks (along with the related written and earned premiums) the Company has underwritten to other insurance companies who agree to share these risks. The primary purpose of ceded reinsurance is to protect the Company, at a cost, from losses in excess of the amount it is prepared to accept. Reinsurance is placed on both a quota-share and excess of loss basis. Ceded reinsurance arrangements do not discharge the Company as the primary insurer, except for instances where the primary policy or policies have been novated.

        The Company utilizes general catastrophe reinsurance treaties with unaffiliated reinsurers to manage its exposure to losses resulting from catastrophes. In addition to the coverage provided under these treaties, the Company also utilizes a catastrophe bond program and a Northeast catastrophe reinsurance treaty to protect against losses resulting from catastrophes in the Northeastern United States. The Company also utilizes an excess-of-loss treaty in its National Property business unit of the Business Insurance segment to protect against earthquake losses up to a certain threshold.

        The Company evaluates and monitors the financial condition of its reinsurers under voluntary reinsurance arrangements to minimize its exposure to significant losses from reinsurer insolvencies. In addition, in the ordinary course of business, the Company may become involved in coverage disputes with its reinsurers. Some of these disputes could result in lawsuits and arbitrations brought by or against the reinsurers to determine the Company's rights and obligations under the various reinsurance agreements. The Company employs dedicated specialists and strategies to manage reinsurance collections and disputes.

        Included in reinsurance recoverables are certain amounts related to involuntary reinsurance arrangements. The Company is required to participate in various involuntary reinsurance arrangements through assumed reinsurance, principally with regard to residual market mechanisms in workers' compensation and automobile insurance, as well as homeowners' insurance in certain coastal areas. In addition, the Company provides services for several of these involuntary arrangements ("mandatory pools and associations") under which it writes such residual market business directly, then cedes 100% of this business to the mandatory pool. Such participations and servicing arrangements are arranged to mitigate credit risk to the Company, as any ceded balances are jointly backed by all the pool members.

        Also included in reinsurance recoverables are certain amounts related to structured settlements. Structured settlements are annuities purchased from various life insurance companies to settle certain personal physical injury claims, of which workers' compensation claims comprise a significant portion. In cases where the Company did not receive a release from the claimant, the structured settlement is included in reinsurance recoverables as the Company retains the contingent liability to the claimant. In the event that the life insurance company fails to make the required annuity payments, the Company would be required to make such payments if and to the extent not paid by state guaranty associations.

        The following is a summary of reinsurance financial data reflected in the consolidated statement of income:

(for the year ended December 31, in millions)	2011			2010			2009
Written premiums
Direct	$	23,220		$	22,634		$	22,545
Assumed		667			668			740
Ceded		(1,700	)		(1,667	)		(1,949	)
Total net written premiums	$	22,187		$	21,635		$	21,336
Earned premiums
Direct	$	23,146		$	22,533		$	22,658
Assumed		641			664			762
Ceded		(1,697	)		(1,765	)		(2,002	)
Total net earned premiums	$	22,090		$	21,432		$	21,418
Percentage of assumed earned premiums to net earned premiums		2.9	%		3.1	%		3.6	%
Ceded claims and claim adjustment expenses incurred	$	737		$	404		$	582

        Ceded premiums included the premiums paid to Longpoint Re Ltd. and Longpoint Re Ltd. II for coverage under the Company's catastrophe bond programs.

        Reinsurance recoverables include amounts recoverable on both paid and unpaid claims and were as follows:

(at December 31, in millions)	2011			2010
Gross reinsurance recoverables on paid and unpaid claims and claim adjustment expenses	$	6,216		$	6,934
Allowance for uncollectible reinsurance		(345	)		(363	)
Net reinsurance recoverables		5,871			6,571
Mandatory pools and associations		2,020			2,043
Structured settlements		3,291			3,380
Total reinsurance recoverables	$	11,182		$	11,994

Terrorism Risk Insurance Program

        The Terrorism Risk Insurance Program (the Program) is a Federal program administered by the Department of the Treasury that provides for a system of shared public and private compensation for certain insured losses resulting from acts of terrorism or war committed by or on behalf of a foreign interest. The Program has been authorized through 2014.

        In order for a loss to be covered under the Program (subject losses), the loss must meet certain aggregate industry loss minimums and must be the result of an event that is certified as an act of terrorism by the U.S. Secretary of the Treasury, in concurrence with the Secretary of State and the Attorney General of the United States. The annual aggregate industry loss minimum is $100 million through 2014. The Program excludes from participation the following types of insurance: Federal crop insurance, private mortgage insurance, financial guaranty insurance, medical malpractice insurance, health or life insurance, flood insurance, reinsurance, commercial automobile, professional liability (other than directors and officers'), surety, burglary and theft, and farm-owners multi-peril. In the case of a war declared by Congress, only workers' compensation losses are covered by the Program. All commercial property and casualty insurers licensed in the United States are generally required to participate in the Program. Under the Program, a participating insurer is entitled to be reimbursed by the Federal Government for 85% of subject losses, after an insurer deductible, subject to an annual cap.

        The deductible for any calendar year is equal to 20% of the insurer's direct earned premiums for covered lines for the preceding calendar year. The Company's estimated deductible under the Program is $2.17 billion for 2012. The annual cap limits the amount of aggregate subject losses for all participating insurers to $100 billion. Once subject losses have reached the $100 billion aggregate during a program year, participating insurers will not be liable under the Program for additional covered terrorism losses for that program year. The Company has had no terrorism-related losses since the Program was established. Since the interpretation of this law is untested, there is substantial uncertainty as to how they will be applied to specific circumstances. It is also possible that future legislative action could change the Program. Further, given the unpredictable frequency and severity of terrorism losses, as well as the limited terrorism coverage in the Company's own reinsurance program, future losses from acts of terrorism, particularly involving nuclear, biological, chemical or radiological events, could be material to the Company's operating results, financial position and/or liquidity in future periods. While the Company seeks to manage its exposure to man-made catastrophic events involving conventional means, there can be no assurance that the Company would have sufficient resources to respond to claims arising out of one or more man-made catastrophic events involving nuclear, biological, chemical or radiological means.