In what may be the first of many similar moves to come, a large
United States insurer - based in Zurich, Switzerland - has informed
its customers that it has started restricting coverage for claims
related to the outbreak and spread of Ebola. According to The Wall Street Journal, ACE Ltd. said on
Tuesday that it is using the Ebola exclusion in new and renewal
policies "'on a case-by-case basis' for U.S. customers
'that have foreign travel exposure to certain African
countries.'"
The trend that ACE is setting could create insurability problems
for several business sectors including those involved in energy and
commodities as well as NGOs and religious outreach groups.
Relatedly, Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone are all heavily
dependent on agriculture and mining to support their economies.
Both of those types of operations are at greater risk to decline if
Ebola continues to spread because of the nature of the workforce
required to conduct those operations. If the
