Unearned vs. Earned Premium

In insurance, unearned and earned premiums refer to the portion of the premium that has not yet been used to cover the risk and the portion that has been used, respectively. Here's a definition and example of each:

  • Unearned premium: This is the portion of the premium that the insurer has received but has not yet earned because the coverage period has not yet ended. If the policyholder cancels the policy mid-term, the unearned premium will be returned to the policyholder. For example, if a policyholder pays $1,200 for an annual insurance policy but cancels the policy after six months, the unearned premium would be $600.
  • Earned premium: This is the portion of the premium that the insurer has earned because the coverage period has passed. If the policyholder cancels the policy mid-term, the earned premium will be kept by the insurer. For example, if a policyholder pays $1,200 for an annual insurance policy and cancels the policy after six months, the earned premium would be $600.

The unearned and earned premium are important for insurers to track to ensure they have enough funds to cover potential claims and expenses.

Next Up

Welcome to our latest release. We are excited for you to try the new features.
According to Mployer Insights’ 2026 analysis of 50,000+ employer health plans, prescription drugs account for over 25% of total benefit expenses, with Tier 4 specialty drugs driving the majority of high-cost claims. While Tier 4 copays average $123 with coinsurance requirements in 31% of plans, individual oncology therapies like Darzalex Faspro ($170,800/yr) and Keytruda ($158,200/yr) frequently exceed average individual stop-loss deductibles ($141,938). To mitigate exposure, self-funded employers are increasingly turning to independent, transparent PBM models and biosimilar substitution—which yields up to a 73% net cost reduction per patient.
Most U.S. employers now offer paid maternity leave beyond the legal minimum, but coverage varies widely once you look past the basics. According to Mployer Insights' 2026 analysis of more than 50,000 employer benefit plans, 68% of employers provide paid maternity leave on top of short-term disability, typically adding 8 extra weeks, and half now cover 100% of salary during the disability period. Support drops off from there: only 41% of employers offer paid bonding leave for non-birth parents, and advanced family-building benefits remain even less common, with just 28% covering IVF and 11% offering adoption financial assistance. The data suggests that while baseline maternity leave has become standard, more comprehensive family-building support is still the exception rather than the norm.