Insurable Interest Canadian Insurance Blog

Enhanced coverage, greater flexibility, and a new underwriting partnership with Zurich reflect evolving traveller needs New ways to travel, covered: New Epic and Annual Multi-Trip plans expand options for both big trips and frequent flyers. More control when plans change: More flexibility for today’s unpredictable travel, with optional Cancel For Any Reason coverage. Shaped by customer feedback: Stronger protection with added benefits like rental car coverage, pet emergency care, and trip exchanges in select plans. Confidence behind every trip: Now underwritten by Zurich, a long-standing global insurer known for strength, stability, and innovation. Vancouver, BC (July 1, 2026) – With flight disruptions, rising travel costs and global uncertainty reshaping how Canadians plan their trips, travellers are increasingly looking for more flexibility and deeper travel protections. Record travel volumes – nearly 100 million trips in just one quarter – are also increasing travellers’ exposure to those unexpected disruptions. In response, World Nomads Canada has introduced expanded travel insurance products, with upgraded benefits, new plan options, and greater flexibility for today’s increasingly complex travel landscape. “Travel today looks very different than it did even a few years ago,” said Christina Tunnah, Head of the Americas at World Nomads. “Canadian travellers are navigating more...

Lévis, QC (July 29, 2026) – A new national survey from Desjardins Insurance, conducted among nearly 4,000 Canadians in 2026, reveals that road safety in Canada is being reshaped by a convergence of risks, as drivers navigate increasingly demanding conditions while under pressure. These insights point to opportunities to better understand risks and encourage safer driving behaviours. A more complex driving environment While distracted driving remains the most widely recognized issue, the findings show that the story is broader. Today’s road conditions are defined by a combination of external distractions, high stress levels and frequent exposure to risky behaviour, all of which are influencing how Canadians experience the road. Six in ten Canadians (60%) rank distracted driving among the top risks, a position it continues to hold nationally. However, distraction itself has evolved. External factors, such as traffic, pedestrians and activity outside the vehicle, are now the leading source (35%), followed by cell-phone related distractions (32%), in-vehicle technology (26%) and everyday habits like eating or drinking (22%). This highlights the importance of maintaining focus and being mindful of both in-vehicle and external distractions. Drivers under pressure At the same time, Canadians are getting behind the wheel under strain. Nearly half (49%) say they frequently feel stressed or tired, pointing to the growing role that mental load...

CFOs must rebalance AI portfolios toward enterprise value to meet board expectations: Gartner survey shows 45% of CFOs say their AI investments lean toward productivity, while 20% say these investments lean toward decision quality Stamford, CT (June 30, 2026) – Finance organizations are often investing in artificial intelligence (AI) in ways that do not align with board expectations, creating a gap between AI activity and perceived business value, according to Gartner, Inc., a business and technology insights company. A Gartner survey of 204 finance leaders in March 2026 revealed that just 20% of finance AI projects lean towards decision quality, while 45% of AI investments in finance lean towards productivity (see Figure 1). “Many CFOs are prioritizing AI use cases focused on productivity and efficiency,” said Shankar Keshav, Principal Analyst in the Gartner Finance practice, “However, boards place greater emphasis on investments that drive growth, improve decision-making and deliver competitive advantage.” Figure 1. Share of AI Investment Outcomes in Finance Source: Gartner (July 2026) Finance AI portfolios are frequently concentrated on use cases that enhance individual productivity or streamline transactional processes. While these investments can deliver measurable efficiencies in the finance function, there is a ceiling to the benefits they...

Already Proven: Hippocratic AI and EmblemHealth Demonstrate How Rapid-Response Climate Resilience Agents Are Helping Vulnerable Members. Expanded Solution Now Available for Payers and Providers Menlo Park, CA (July 31, 2026) – Following record-breaking temperatures that affected more than 200 million Americans over the Fourth of July weekend and on the heels of back-to-back heat waves that have set national records across much of Europe, Hippocratic AI is pleased to announce that its climate-responsive voice AI agents are now available for health systems and payers across the country to deploy immediately, as healthcare organizations prepare for ongoing heatwaves and extreme weather brought on by El Niño. The launch of rapid-response resilience agents builds on the recent successful outreach conducted by EmblemHealth and other clients who have deployed the agents to help vulnerable patients during extreme heat, cold, smoke and other factors. The outcomes are real: During one recent heat wave, EmblemHealth’s bilingual voice AI agent, Rachel, reached more than 16,000 members in 24 hours, identified that 10% needed further help, and earned a 9.02 out of 10 member satisfaction score. The agent, powered by Hippocratic AI, conducted clinical heat stroke assessments, safely routed vulnerable individuals to local cooling centers, and identified...

Five-year agreement advances Manulife’s strategic priority to become an AI-powered organization Manulife will adopt Microsoft’s Frontier Suite and deploy Microsoft Agent 365 to drive AI solutions at enterprise scale Manulife will expand deployment of Microsoft 365 Copilot to more than 30,000 employees Toronto, ON (July 29, 2026) – Manulife and Microsoft are pleased to announce the renewal and expansion of their longstanding relationship, supporting Manulife’s strategic priority to become an AI-powered organization. As part of this partnership, Manulife has adopted Microsoft 365 E7 Frontier Suite capabilities to enable innovation at scale with secure cloud and AI solutions. This includes expanding adoption of Microsoft 365 Copilot to over 30,000 employees and deploying Microsoft Agent 365 – a next-generation suite that provides a control plane for governing, monitoring, and securing AI agents at enterprise scale. The five-year agreement supports Manulife’s continued transformation and responsible scaling of AI-enabled capabilities across its global operations. “Our partnership with Microsoft is a critical enabler of Manulife’s continued evolution into a truly AI-powered organization,” said Shamus Weiland, Chief Technology & Operations Officer, Manulife. “Adopting the Microsoft Frontier Suite represents the next phase of that transformation, giving us the trusted foundation to advance AI across our global operations...

Toronto, ON (Jan. 22, 2026) – BOXX Insurance, a global cyber InsurTech and part of Zurich Insurance Group, is pleased to introduce affirmative coverage for AI and deepfake related events for social engineering and security failures within its commercial policy offering, Cyberboxx® Business. New AI Endorsement Eliminates AI Coverage Grey Zone This announcement eliminates ambiguity and cements BOXX’s commitment to providing clear cover for AI-driven incidents for their customers and their broker partners. AI is creating new cyber and digital threats for small businesses with 86% of US business leaders with cybersecurity responsibilities reporting at least one AI-related incident in the past 12 months.[1] In Canada, the trends follow similar patterns as 81% of Canadian businesses that experienced fraud in the past year also faced an AI-enabled attack.[2] The sophistication of AI and deepfakes is also changing how attacks are carried out, with threat actors leveraging these tools to target and trick employees at scale via enhanced social engineering attacks. “Threat actors are exploiting trusted relationships amongst employee and executive networks which can result in handing over credentials or misdirecting payments without an actual breach,” said Erik Tifft, Global Head of Underwriting at BOXX Insurance. “That’s why we’ve updated our...

Study reveals more than one-third of Canadians have been personally affected by auto theft; only 18% believe that new vehicles are adequately protected against modern, technology-based theft Toronto, ON (July 28, 2026) – Équité Association’s 2026 Canadian Auto Theft Impact Survey reveals that public safety concerns persist as organized crime’s modern vehicle theft methods easily override the outdated security in today’s vehicles. The survey found that while more than one-third of Canadians have been personally affected by auto theft, only 18% of respondents believe that vehicles sold today can withstand modern technology-based theft tactics. Since 2023, national auto theft has decreased by 33%* as collaborative efforts have been successfully implemented through the federal government’s National Action Plan to Combat Auto Theft. However, Canadians recognize that the fight to end auto theft is not over, as 55% point to the evolving tactics of organized crime, with two-thirds (66%) believing that meaningful progress requires a coordinated response among governments, manufacturers, law enforcement, and vehicle owners, up from 61% in 2023. “The progress we have made in combatting auto theft proves that coordinated action works; however, our communities are justifiably concerned about public safety and evolving criminal tactics,” says Bryan Gast, National Vice...