In the UK members of the British Beekeepers' Association have automatic
insurance cover against AFB and EFB for 2 hives included in their
subscription.  Additional hives cost another 33 pence (say 50 cents US) each.
 There is a separate scheme for commercial bee farmers who are defined as
those with more than 40 hives.  I may be slightly out of date on these
details from my memory.  Perhaps the BBKA will correct me.  Compensation is
paid according to the number and quality of combs destroyed by burning.
The policy of burning and burying the contents of infected hives combined
with a compensation scheme financed by the beekeepers themselves has enabled
the UK to reduce the incidence of AFB to about 1% and keep it at that
seemingly irreducible level for many years.
EFB is more problematical and less understood.  More research is needed and
the BBKA is providing some pump priming funding to encourage this.  Until
recently the policy was to burn and bury as with AFB but now in cases of
slight infection the beekeeper is given the option to accept treatment which
is applied by the Man (or woman, sorry Beulah) from the Ministry.  Anecdotal
evidence suggests that EFB has been increasing since this policy was
introduced.  This may not be correct and even if it is correct there may not
be a direct cause and effect.  Perhaps one of the MAFF experts lurking on the
list will be kind enough to comment on this.
Chris Slade