Risk & Insurance articles from July 2004

Risk & Insurance archives from July 2004

If there's one topic that won't go away in the insurance business, it's fraud.
July 1, 2004... If there's one topic that won't go away in the insurance business, it's fraud. Now Accenture, the consulting firm, has released the results of another survey on fraud. The result--no surprise--is that more than half of the respondents think...

Outrage at outsourcing column.(Letters To The Editor)(Letter to the Editor)
July 1, 2004... Dear Editor: I can only hope that YOUR job is one of the many "overpaid, low-productivity" positions that are outsourced to India. ("A Passage to India," column by Peter Rousmaniere published April 1, 2004.) Then you too can become a...

Upcoming events.(Calendar)
July 1, 2004... JULY 18-21 9th Annual DMEC National Disability and Absence Management Conference Topics of discussion will include absence, productivity, disease management, behavioral health, corporate culture and data integration. The...

A new alliance pushes for standards in 'Sin City': an estimated 2,500 people flocked to Las Vegas to attend the first annual joint trade fair of ACORD, the data standards organization, and LOMA, the life and annuity educational lobby.(Upfront: news, updates and other emerging strategies from around the world)
July 1, 2004... "We hold these truths to be self-evident," a manifesto of the insurance industry might read, "That the property-casualty side of the insurance business ought never meet with the life and annuity side of the business." This year, not only...

Destruction by natural causes.(Upfront: news, updates and other emerging strategies from around the world)
July 1, 2004... DESTRUCTION BY NATURAL CAUSES The bulk of inflation-adjusted U.S. catastrophe by cause of loss from 1983-2002 are attributed to Mother Nature. SOURCE: INSURANCE SERVICES OFFICE INC., THE INSURANCE INFORMATION INSTITUTE FACT BOOK 2004. ...

Risk-it managers spar over fire suppression systems: with Halon disappearing, managers are having to rely on water or gas systems. But as data centers grow, the fate of gas-based systems may be sealed.(Upfront: news, updates and other emerging strategies from around the world)
July 1, 2004... With the disappearance of Halon as a fire suppressant, thanks to stiffer clean air regulations, two choices have emerged as the best way to protect IT assets from damage by fire. One is effective but old and traditional, and it meets...

WC outlook improving 'somewhat': NCCI: Metrics improve but the line is still unprofitable for many carriers.(Upfront: news, updates and other emerging strategies from around the world)
July 1, 2004... Workers' compensation continues to be a market in transition, The latest industry news reported by the National Council on Compensation Insurance nearly mirrors the previous year's report. Once again, the combined ratio and injury frequency...

Corrections.(Upfront: news, updates and other emerging strategies from around the world)(Correction Notice)
July 1, 2004... The chief risk executive for The Boeing Co. is Mark A. Meyerhoff, senior director of risk management and insurance. The May issue of Risk & Insurance listed Boeing's chief risk executive as Terry Leitch. Meredith Baratz is vice president...

Worth repeating.(Upfront: news, updates and other emerging strategies from around the world)
July 1, 2004... "Three years ago our guys were Keeping out burglars, now it's Keeping out terrorism." City of Tampa Police Capt. John Bennett "People lose because they're the ones who get sick. But the only one who loses monetarily is the insurance...

Who pays for your broker?(The Law)
July 1, 2004... It didn't take long for New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer to turn his ethical business practice attention to insurance brokers and their Placement Service Agreement policies. The latest debate focuses on whether insurance brokers can best...

Newhart's captives monologue.(Alternative Risk)
July 1, 2004... Readers of a certain age will recall Bob Newhart's comedy monologues, in which he played the part of a man on the telephone, trying to understand concepts such as the introduction of tobacco. Here is what Newhart might have sounded like hearing...

Let rigor and a record prevail.(Risk Primer)
July 1, 2004... Managing liability risks is more challenging than ever. Skyrocketing litigation costs, frequent carrier insolvencies and historically high premiums in some lines--particulary commercial liability and excess casualty--make it difficult to cover...

The enemy within.(Cover Story)
July 1, 2004... In out exclusive survey, risk managers report that employee theft is on the rise, especially among top management. One of every four crimes is committed by a top executive and one of every two crimes can be attributed to management. A total of...

Riding a trade show whirlwind: working the trade show circuit is never easy. The hours are long--if you arrive on time--the meetings fleeting, the food often mediocre. Yet, still they come. This year, risk executives from all over the world came to San Diego for the 54th annual meeting of the Risk and Insurance Management Society Inc.(Risk Management)
July 1, 2004... Either risk management is getting more popular, or risk executives thrive on making the rounds. Flocking to RIMS is to risk managers what traveling to Vatican City is for Catholics at Easter. Attendees are on their best behavior--at least...

Braving bitter pills: the exposures are so great in every facet of the health care industry that it is considered by many to be an industry in crisis. That's all the more reason why both providers and payors have been forced to face their risks head-on in order to stay afloat.(Industry risk report: health care providers)
July 1, 2004... Sometimes it seems that health care is under assault from so many sides that it needs a trip to the doctor itself. Costs are rising, insurance premiums for employers, doctors and individuals are soaring, quality is under the microscope and...

Health care providers.(Industry Risk Report)
July 1, 2004... When it comes to health care, consumers take issues to heart. Matters are always personal. Thus, payors and providers must tread lightly, whether they are dealing with medical malpractice, a physicians revolt, thinner profit margins, government...

Preparing for the crunch.(Special report: disability)
July 1, 2004... Thousands of companies in every sector are finding themselves under mounting pressure to retain workers as demographic phenomena alter the landscape of the U.S. workforce. Given this challenge, several disability and return-to-work managers...

The 'Qwest' for integration: one company recognized its need for a new, more integrated way to handle disability management. So it took the plunge and revamped its program from top to bottom. The result: an innovative dual focus on the needs of the individual as well as the identification of broader workplace trends as they emerge.(Special Report)
July 1, 2004... Qwest Communications International, a Denver-based telecommunications company, already had in place several dements of a successful disability management program. The company had integrated its claims adjudication for short/long-term disability...

Directory: insurance company software directory.
July 1, 2004... INSURANCE COMPANY SOFTWARE DIRECTORY Below is a guide to specialty software packages for insurance companies. This guide is not intended to be a complete directory but is an overview of some of the packages available. The software...

The terrorism risk insurance act: let it die: the insurance industry has plenty of capital to survive and doesn't need a taxpayer subsidy.(Point)
July 1, 2004... The nation's terrorism insurance law is not necessary to ensure the availability of affordable terrorism coverage for most areas of the country and should be allowed to expire. The Consumer Federation of America reached this conclusion...

The terrorism risk insurance act: let it live: extending TRIA for another two years at least is essential for property/casualty insurers.(Counterpoint)
July 1, 2004... There is no question that TRIA bas helped stabilize the terrorism insurance marketplace. Since TRIA's enactment, affordable terrorism risk insurance has been more readily available to commercial policyholders, as insurers have passed on the...