By Life Quotes, Inc. Staff

Life insurers remain divided over health risks associated with global warming, according to a report by the New York Times.

Warmer temperatures may foster the spread of malaria, heat waves and some lung illnesses by allowing disease-carrying insects to increase their range. Extreme storms and wetter weather can also spark the spread of these illnesses.

Severe weather has already been linked to higher home insurance premiums, because rising water levels and powerful windstorms can damage property. Still, surveys conducted at three insurance companies were unsuccessful in linking climate change with health risks.

In similar surveys, insurers will be required to describe efforts to minimize their carbon footprint and inform their customers about the dangers of climate change. Many health and life insurance companies have asked to be exempt, according to the report.

“To be expected to be able to isolate what the impact of climate change over the next several decades will be is virtually impossible,” says Robert Hartwig, chief economist and president of the Insurance Information Institute, in the article.

Another reason insurers are divided is because many diseases associated with warmer temperatures have not been a problem in the United States. Malaria kills millions of people every year, mostly in Africa and the developing world, according to the report.

To learn more about climate change, check out this infographic.

This article was originally published by Life Quotes, Inc.