Below you'll find the top 14 insurance trends for 2026, spotted by Rising Trends's trend radar algorithm.
These topics were detected from online sources including TikTok, X (Twitter), Instagram, Reddit, news outlets, and Google Search data. Each trend has at least 1,000+ monthly searches and over 20% year-over-year growth.
All insurance trends with over 20% year-over-year growth, ranked by search volume.
| # | Topic | 5Y Trend | Search Vol. | Growth 1Y |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Auto Insurance Quotes | 1,000,000 | 20X | |
| 2 | Car Insurance Quotes | 673,000 | +50% | |
| 3 | Medicare Advantage Plans | 450,000 | +233% | |
| 4 | Travel Protection Plan | 60,500 | 69X | |
| 5 | Pet Insurance Plans | 60,500 | 17X | |
| 6 | Accident Only Pet Insurance | 33,100 | 56X | |
| 7 | Hospital Indemnity Insurance | 27,100 | +22% | |
| 8 | Compliant Drivers Program | 27,100 | +174% | |
| 9 | Pay Per Mile Car Insurance | 5,400 | +125% | |
| 10 | Telematics Car Insurance | 4,400 | 21X | |
| 11 | Usage Based Car Insurance | 3,600 | +650% | |
| 12 | Ai Insurance | 3,600 | +24% | |
| 13 | Divorce Insurance | 1,900 | +387% | |
| 14 | Claims Processing Jobs Remote | 1,300 | +48% |
Showing top 10 of 14 insurance trends
| Shift | Key Signal | Growth | What It Means |
|---|---|---|---|
| Behavior-Based Pricing | Telematics car insurance | +1,995% YoY | Pay for how you drive, not who you are |
| Pet Insurance Tipping Point | Accident only pet insurance | +5,510% YoY | Pets now have healthcare economics |
| Travel Anxiety Era | Travel protection plan | +6,775% YoY | Protection is now part of trip planning |
| Claims-Free Insurance | Parametric insurance | +19% YoY | Automatic payouts eliminate disputes |
| No-Exam Life Insurance | Ethos life insurance | +83% YoY | Digital underwriting kills friction |
| Medicare Goes Private | Medicare advantage plans | +233% YoY | 54% of seniors now choose private |
YoY = year-over-year search volume growth
For a breakdown of how we spot these movements before they peak, see our guide on Google Trends for market research where we explain our methodology.
Insurance is shifting from "who you are" to "how you behave." "Telematics car insurance" has exploded with +1,995% year-over-year growth, while "usage based car insurance" captures +650% YoY and "pay per mile car insurance" hits +125% YoY. The era of pricing based on age, zip code, and credit score is ending.
For decades, insurers used demographic proxies to estimate risk. Now, actual driving behavior—tracked in real-time—is replacing statistical guesswork.
Behavior-based pricing is transforming insurance because:
The fundamental economics of auto insurance are being rewritten around individual behavior, not population averages.
Telematics Car Insurance (4,400 searches, +1,995% YoY) – In-car monitoring devices assess driving habits and adjust premiums accordingly. Allstate, Progressive, and State Farm all offer telematics programs.
Usage Based Car Insurance (3,600 searches, +650% YoY) – Broader category capturing all pay-as-you-drive models, from mileage-based to behavior-scored.
Pay Per Mile Car Insurance (5,400 searches, +125% YoY) – Simpler model charging a base rate plus per-mile fee. Metromile pioneered this; now mainstream carriers offer versions.
Tesla Insurance (49,500 searches, -33% YoY) – Tesla's native insurance uses vehicle data to score driving behavior in real-time, adjusting premiums monthly.
Pet insurance is following the trajectory human health insurance took 50 years ago. "Accident only pet insurance" has surged with an astounding +5,510% year-over-year growth, while "pet insurance plans" captures 60,500 monthly searches with +1,581% YoY growth. Over 6.4 million U.S. pets are now insured—and that number is accelerating.
The explosion of "accident-only" plans signals demand for affordable entry points—exactly how catastrophic coverage evolved in human healthcare.
Pet insurance has reached a tipping point because:
The pet insurance market mirrors where human health insurance was in the 1970s—early adopters are becoming mainstream.
Accident Only Pet Insurance (33,100 searches, +5,510% YoY) – Covers injuries from accidents but not illnesses. Budget-friendly option for cost-conscious pet owners seeking catastrophic coverage.
Pet Insurance Plans (60,500 searches, +1,581% YoY) – Generic search indicating consumers are shopping the category, not just specific brands.
Embrace Pet Insurance (60,500 searches, +22% YoY) – Established player offering comprehensive coverage with customizable deductibles and annual limits.
Travelers were traumatized by cancellations and border closures—and the psychological need for protection persists. "Travel protection plan" has exploded with 60,500 monthly searches and +6,775% year-over-year growth. Insurance is no longer an afterthought; it's part of the trip planning ritual.
Even with travel normalized, consumers now instinctively seek protection before booking. The pandemic rewired travel psychology.
Travel protection is surging because:
Travel insurance penetration in the U.S. has roughly doubled since 2019, with no signs of reverting.
Travel Protection Plan (60,500 searches, +6,775% YoY) – Comprehensive coverage including trip cancellation, medical emergencies, and baggage protection.
Allianz Partners (720 searches, +22% YoY) – Global travel insurance leader publishing research on traveler confidence and protection trends.
Single Trip Travel Insurance (1,300 searches, -32% YoY) – Per-trip coverage for those who travel infrequently; declining as frequent travelers shift to annual plans.
The worst part of insurance—fighting for your payout—is being engineered out of existence. "Parametric insurance" captures 1,900 monthly searches with +19% year-over-year growth, while climate-focused "Understory" hits 18,100 searches (+22% YoY). When predefined triggers are met, payment is automatic.
Parametric insurance pays when measurable events occur (wind speed, rainfall, earthquake magnitude)—no claims adjuster, no paperwork, no disputes.
Parametric models are gaining traction because:
Understory's model—automatically triggering payouts when weather sensors detect qualifying events—represents the future of disaster insurance.
Parametric Insurance (1,900 searches, +19% YoY) – Coverage that triggers fixed payouts when predefined criteria (wind speed, rainfall, earthquake magnitude) are met.
Understory (18,100 searches, +22% YoY) – Climate insurance company using proprietary weather sensors to detect events and trigger automatic payouts without claims process.
The friction that prevented younger people from buying life insurance is being eliminated. "Ethos life insurance" generates 90,500 monthly searches with +83% year-over-year growth. No blood draws, no doctor visits, no waiting weeks for approval—just instant digital underwriting.
Ethos and competitors use data (prescription history, credit data, health records) to underwrite policies in minutes, not months.
Frictionless life insurance is surging because:
The traditional life insurance buying process was designed for a pre-internet world. Digital-native insurers are rebuilding it from scratch.
Ethos Life Insurance (90,500 searches, +83% YoY) – No medical exam, instant approval, coverage in minutes. Also offers estate planning tools.
The privatization of senior healthcare is accelerating. "Medicare advantage plans" generates 450,000 monthly searches with +233% year-over-year growth. Now 54% of eligible Medicare beneficiaries choose private Advantage plans over traditional government Medicare—a historic tipping point.
Consumers are trading the simplicity of traditional Medicare for the extra benefits (dental, vision, gym memberships) that private plans offer.
Private Medicare is surging because:
The shift from government to private Medicare represents one of the largest wealth transfers in healthcare history.
Medicare Advantage Plans (450,000 searches, +233% YoY) – Private insurance alternatives to traditional Medicare offering additional benefits like dental, vision, and hearing coverage.
Wellabe Medicare Supplement (2,400 searches, +140% YoY) – Supplemental plans covering gaps in traditional Medicare coverage.
Pennie (90,500 searches, +50% YoY) – Pennsylvania's state health insurance marketplace seeing strong enrollment growth.
Insurance is disappearing into the purchase itself. "Tesla insurance" captures 49,500 monthly searches as the automaker bundles coverage at vehicle delivery. "Embedded insurance" (480 searches) has lower volume but represents infrastructure-level change—insurance integrated at checkout across every industry.
The standalone insurance purchase is being replaced by contextual, embedded protection offered at the moment of need.
Invisible insurance is trending because:
When you buy a Tesla, it offers insurance. When you book a flight, it offers protection. When you rent equipment, it offers damage coverage. Insurance is becoming a feature, not a product.
Tesla Insurance (49,500 searches, -33% YoY) – Tesla's native insurance uses vehicle data for behavior-based pricing, offered seamlessly at purchase.
Embedded Insurance (480 searches, -19% YoY) – Insurance integrated into non-insurance purchase journeys. Low search volume but high strategic importance.
Costco Auto Insurance (49,500 searches, 0% YoY) – Membership retailer offering insurance through CONNECT by American Family, leveraging existing customer trust.
A Korean drama drove massive search interest in a product most people didn't know existed. "Divorce insurance" surged with 1,900 monthly searches and +387% year-over-year growth after "The Divorce Insurance" drama aired in 2025. Entertainment now creates insurance awareness faster than traditional marketing.
This signals a fundamental shift: insurance product discovery is moving from agents and ads to entertainment and social media.
Entertainment-driven insurance awareness is significant because:
Divorce insurance—which pays out to help cover alimony or support obligations after a marriage ends—existed before the drama, but cultural exposure transformed awareness overnight.
Divorce Insurance (1,900 searches, +387% YoY) – Supplemental policy paying out after marriage dissolution to help cover support obligations. Awareness exploded after Korean drama "The Divorce Insurance" aired.
Insurance is becoming the delivery mechanism for mental health care, not just the payment layer. "Grow Therapy" generates 246,000 monthly searches with +82% year-over-year growth. The platform connects therapists directly to insurers, making insurance networks the infrastructure for therapy access.
Therapists now build practices through insurance networks, not despite them. Insurance is enabling mental health care, not just reimbursing it.
Insurance-integrated mental health is trending because:
Grow Therapy has become a talent platform for therapists, using insurance networks as the distribution channel for mental health care.
Grow Therapy (246,000 searches, +82% YoY) – Mental health platform connecting therapists, clients, and insurers. Simplifies insurance billing while helping therapists build independent practices within major networks.
Consumers now shop insurance like airline tickets. "Auto insurance quotes" has exploded with 1 million monthly searches and +1,920% year-over-year growth, while "car insurance quotes" captures 673,000 searches (+50% YoY). Brand loyalty is dead—people will switch for $50/year savings.
The +1,920% growth in quote searches signals that insurance has been commoditized. Comparison platforms and direct-to-consumer brands are the winners.
Insurance shopping behavior is transforming because:
The insurance industry spent decades building brand loyalty. Comparison technology destroyed it in years.
Auto Insurance Quotes (1,000,000 searches, +1,920% YoY) – Generic search indicating massive demand for comparison shopping.
Car Insurance Quotes (673,000 searches, +50% YoY) – Alternate phrasing showing sustained comparison behavior.
Progressive Insurance (823,000 searches, -18% YoY) – Major carrier benefiting from comparison shopping through Name Your Price tool.
The insurance landscape of 2026 reveals an industry being rebuilt from first principles. Whether consumers are paying for how they drive (telematics +1,995% YoY), protecting pets as family members (pet insurance +5,510% YoY), buying travel protection as ritual (+6,775% YoY), or shopping quotes relentlessly (+1,920% YoY)—the common thread is that traditional insurance assumptions are collapsing.
The winning insurance strategies of 2026 share these characteristics:
For entrepreneurs and investors, the data points to several high-growth opportunities: behavior-based pricing platforms, pet insurance innovation (especially affordable tiers), parametric insurance for climate risk, embedded insurance APIs, and mental health + insurance integration. The insurers winning in 2026 are those reimagining what insurance fundamentally is—not just how it's sold.
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