8-K

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 8-K

CURRENT REPORT

Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported) April 9, 2008

Eastern Insurance Holdings, Inc.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

Pennsylvania	001-32899	20-2653793
(State or other jurisdiction of Incorporation)	(Commission File Number)	(IRS Employer Identification No.)

25 Race Avenue, Lancaster, Pennsylvania	17603
(Address of principal executive offices)	(Zip Code)

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code (717) 396-7095

Not Applicable

(Former name or former address, if changed since last report)

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions:

¨ Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)

¨ Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)

¨ Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))

¨ Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))

Item 8.01 Other Events.

On April 9, 2008, the Company issued a press release announcing that its board of directors increased its repurchase authorization of its issued and outstanding shares of common stock by $10 million. This authorization is in addition to the 2,046,500 shares previously authorized by the board of directors.

A copy of the press release is furnished as part of this Form 8-K and is attached hereto as Exhibit 99.1.

Item 9.01 Financial Statements and Exhibits.

(d) Exhibits.

99.1 Press Release dated April 9, 2008

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

	EASTERN INSURANCE HOLDINGS, INC.
Dated: April 10, 2008	By:	/s/ Kevin M. Shook
		Kevin M. Shook
		Chief Financial Officer

EXHIBIT INDEX

Exhibit Number	Description
99.1	Press Release, dated April 9, 2008

EX-99.1

Exhibit 99.1

	Eastern Insurance Holdings, Inc.
	Eastern Alliance Insurance Company
	Eastern Advantage Assurance Company
	Allied Eastern Indemnity Company
	Eastern Life & Health Insurance Company
	Employers Alliance, Inc.

DATE: April 9, 2008	FINANCIAL CONTACT:
	Kevin Shook, Treasurer and Chief Financial Officer
	(717) 735-1660
	kshook@eains.com
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE	MARKETING CONTACT:
	Bob Gilpin, Sr. Vice President Marketing
	(717) 239-1641
	bgilpin@eains.com

EASTERN INSURANCE HOLDINGS, INC. INCREASES

REPURCHASE AUTHORIZATION OF COMMON STOCK

(Lancaster, PA) – Eastern Insurance Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: EIHI) (“EIHI,” the “Company”) announced today that its board of directors has increased the repurchase authorization of its issued and outstanding shares of common stock by $10 million. This authorization is in addition to the 2,046,500 shares previously authorized by EIHI’s board of directors. As of April 7, 2008, 1,880,702 shares have been purchased of the 2,046,500 previously authorized.

The Company now will have the right to repurchase up to $10 million of issued and outstanding shares of common stock, above the previously authorized 2,046,500 shares, unless the Company’s board of directors further expands the program. The repurchases are authorized to be made from time to time in open market or privately negotiated transactions as, in management’s sole opinion, market conditions warrant. The repurchased shares will be held as treasury shares.

EIHI operates through its subsidiaries a domestic casualty insurance group specializing in workers’ compensation, a domestic life and health insurance company, an offshore specialty reinsurance company, and a third-party claims administration company.

EIHI is located at 25 Race Avenue in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. The company’s Web address is www.easterninsuranceholdings.com.

The Eastern Alliance Insurance Building · 25 Race Avenue · P.O. Box 83777 · Lancaster, PA 17608-3777

888.654.7100 · Fax 717.399.3781 · www.easterninsuranceholdings.com · www.eains.com · www.elhins.com

April 9, 2008	EIHI Increases Repurchase Authorization of Common Stock
	Page 2

Some of the statements contained in this press release are “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by terminology such as “may,” “will,” “should,” “expect,” “plan,” “intend,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “predict,” “potential” or “continue,” the negative of these terms or other terminology. Forward-looking statements are based on the opinions and estimates of management at the time the statements are made and are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated in the forward-looking statements. Factors that could affect the Company’s actual results include, among others, the fact that our loss reserves are based on estimates and may be inadequate to cover our actual losses; the uncertain effects of emerging claim and coverage issues on our business; the geographic concentration of our business; an inability to obtain or collect on our reinsurance protection; a downgrade in the A.M. Best rating of our insurance subsidiaries; the impact of extensive regulation of the insurance industry and legislative and regulatory changes, a failure to realize our investment objectives; the effects of intense competition; the loss of one or more principal employees; the inability to acquire additional capital on favorable terms; a failure of independent insurance brokers to adequately market our products; and the effects of acts of terrorism or war. More information about these and other factors that potentially could affect our financial results is included in our Form S-1 Registration Statement, filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and in our other public filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance upon these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this release. The Company undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements.

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