HCI Group, Inc. (NYSE:HCI) Files An 8-K Entry into a Material Definitive Agreement
Item 1.01 Entry into a Material Definitive Agreement
To mitigate risk from hurricanes and other catastrophes, each year HCI Group, Inc. and its wholly-owned insurance subsidiaries implement a comprehensive reinsurance program whereby we pay premiums to other entities that agree to indemnify us against costs associated with policyholder claims caused by certain catastrophic events. We have secured our non-flood reinsurance program for the year June 1, 2019 through May 31, 2020 by entering into contracts with multiple private reinsurance companies and the State Board of Administration of Florida, which administers the Florida Hurricane Catastrophe Fund.
The private reinsurance companies include, MS Amlin AG, AXIS Specialty Limited, Chubb Tempest Reinsurance Ltd., Arch Reinsurance Ltd., Swiss Reinsurance America, numerous Lloyds syndicates, Endurance Specialty Insurance Ltd., which is an affiliate of Sompo Holdings, Inc. and National Liability & Fire Insurance Company, which is an affiliate of Berkshire Hathaway, Inc. In the recent past, portions of the reinsurance program were secured through our own reinsurance subsidiary, Claddaugh Casualty Insurance Company Ltd. For the 2019-2020 year we retained no risk within Claddaugh.
The reinsurance contracts offer various coverages, limits, retentions, and durations. The private reinsurance contracts cover, in general, hurricanes, tropical storms, tornados, and other large events. The Florida Hurricane Catastrophe Fund agreement covers only storms designated as hurricanes by the National Hurricane Center.
Our 2019-2020 reinsurance program provides coverage up to $901 million for catastrophic losses in a single event, excluding flood losses, which according to catastrophe models approved by the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation is sufficient to cover the companys probable maximum loss resulting from a 1 in 282-year storm based on projected exposure at September 30, 2019. The total coverage for all occurrences is $1.477 billion.
The Florida Hurricane Catastrophe Fund component of our program is estimated to cover 45% of $707 million of first event loss in excess of $252 million.
We expect to recognize net reinsurance costs of approximately $112 million for the 2019-2020 contract year starting June 1, 2019, assuming no losses occur during that period. Expected growth from TypTap Insurance Company, HCIs technology driven insurance subsidiary, could increase net reinsurance premiums at the exposure true up on September 30, 2019. Based on assumed growth and including reinsurance premiums for flood, HCIs total ceded reinsurance premiums for the 2019-2020 contract year are estimated to be $124 million.
Our non-flood reinsurance retention is $16 million in a first event and $16 million in a second event. Our private reinsurers are AM Best rated A- or better or have fully collateralized their potential obligations to us.