Risk & Insurance articles from September 2003

Risk & Insurance archives from September 2003

New Bermuda leader vows to keep insurers.(up front)
September 1, 2003... The newly installed Bermuda premier vowed in an interview with Risk & Insurance just hours after he took office that his government was committed to the growth and viability of the insurance marketplace in Bermuda. Premier William...

Enhancing risk management.(Risk Stats)
September 1, 2003... To protect their sources of profit, companies are likely to spend on the following: Develop, implement and maintain a business continuity plan 23% Invest in risk improvements 22%...

Rumblings of insurance alternatives at AIRMIC.(up front)
September 1, 2003... Britain is going through another turbulent period with its continental neighbors in Europe. The war in Iraq triggered a serious rift with France and Germany. The government also decided the U.K. would retain the pound as its currency, eschewing...

Worth repeating ...(up front)
September 1, 2003... "The insurance industry doesn't print money. Gary Karr, a spokesman for the American Insurance Association. "Over the past few years, we've had a plethora of investigations, rules, laws aimed at corporate governance. I don't think...

From the editor.
September 1, 2003... Here's one for you risk executives: Try to get your insurance company, or your reinsurer to talk about their asbestos liabilities. Risk execs will discover soon enough that nobody's talking... except, that is, for the numbers. Buried in...

Blowing smoke: mixed signals at IIS powwow.(up front)
September 1, 2003... Insurance industry CEOs at the annual meeting of the International Insurance Society Inc. found themselves pledging allegiance to two very different masters: The laws of profit and the restraints engendered by corporate governance rules. ...

The 12th Annual National Workers' Compensation and Disability Conference[R] & Exhibit: November 19-21, 2003: Lakeside Center at McCormick Place * Chicago.
September 1, 2003... AGENDA Claims Disability and Time Management Managed Care Key Injuries Tuesday, November 18 8 a.m.- Registration for Pre-Conference Symposium and 5 p.m. ...

Hoping to boost sales, GM dealers take a risk and hand over the keys to prospective buyers.(up front)
September 1, 2003... A General Motors Corp.-backed program to allow prospective car buyers to test drive cars for 24 hours in hopes of getting them to buy the next morning has GM dealers staying awake at night. GM's big television advertising push features the...

Willis Group Holdings Ltd., an insurance broker, has formed a joint venture with Bhaichand Amoluk Consultancy Services Pvt. Ltd. to provide insurance broking and risk management services in India.(News and Notes ...)
September 1, 2003... Willis Group Holdings Ltd., an insurance broker, has formed a joint venture with Bhaichand Amoluk Consultancy Services Pvt. Ltd. to provide insurance broking and risk management services in India. The joint venture, called Willis BA India...

Italy's largest insurer, Assicurazioni Generali SpA, has increased its position in the French market with the acquisition of a 99.6 percent stake in Paris-based insurance group Continent Holding.(News and Notes ...)
September 1, 2003... Italy's largest insurer, Assicurazioni Generali SpA, has increased its position in the French market with the acquisition of a 99.6 percent stake in Paris-based insurance group Continent Holding. Trieste-based Generali will pay about $330...

The insurance industry should not be considered as a safety net for society unless people are willing to pay even higher premiums, Dennis Mahoney, the head of global insurance broker Aon, said at a recent meeting.(News and Notes ...)
September 1, 2003... The insurance industry should not be considered as a safety net for society unless people are willing to pay even higher premiums, Dennis Mahoney, the head of global insurance broker Aon, said at a recent meeting. Mahoney said premiums were...

Standard & Poor's Risk Solutions has launched portfolio risk modeling for the banking industry, the ratings agency has announced.(News and Notes ...)
September 1, 2003... Standard & Poor's Risk Solutions has launched portfolio risk modeling for the banking industry, the ratings agency has announced. The software covers a broader range of asset classes and a wider variety of sources of risk than traditional...

A London court has found in favour of Fairfax Financial in the case of Sphere Drake Insurance, a unit of Fairfax Financial's European run-off group.(News and Notes ...)
September 1, 2003... A London court has found in favour of Fairfax Financial in the case of Sphere Drake Insurance, a unit of Fairfax Financial's European run-off group. Fairfax had alleged that the underwriting agent, Euro International Underwriting, fraudulently...

ARC Excess and Surplus, LLC, established in 1986, has opened an office in Pasadena, Calif.(News and Notes ...)
September 1, 2003... ARC Excess and Surplus, LLC, established in 1986, has opened an office in Pasadena, Calif. ARC West Coast Excess & Surplus is a wholesale insurance broker focusing exclusively on management and executive liability coverage such as D&O, E&O,...

Property insurer FM Global and Worcester Polytechnic Institute will increase their collaboration on fire research and fire protection engineering graduate education, FM Global has announced.(News and Notes ...)
September 1, 2003... Property insurer FM Global and Worcester Polytechnic Institute will increase their collaboration on fire research and fire protection engineering graduate education, FM Global has announced. As part of the agreement, FM Global will provide more...

A.M. Best Co. has affirmed the financial strength rating of A- of Lloyd's of London.(News and Notes ...)
September 1, 2003... A.M. Best Co. has affirmed the financial strength rating of A- of Lloyd's of London. The outlook remains stable. The rating reflects Lloyd's excellent business profile and capitalization, its improving performance, stable investment returns and...

A Pennsylvania court has allowed policyholders.(News and Notes ...)
September 1, 2003... A Pennsylvania court has allowed policyholders who can demonstrate third-party beneficiary fights in reinsurance contracts to access directly reinsurance proceeds in the context of an insurance insolvency.

A post-industrial age turnaround.(Workers' Comp)
September 1, 2003... A new workers' compensation claims strategy is gaining momentum among employers and insurers. Some advocates say the strategy's success is a sign that conventional claims practices are deeply flawed and that we have misjudged what many injuries...

How not to spoil your case before going to court.(The Law)
September 1, 2003... Years ago, the term "spoliation"--the destruction or loss of evidence--was rarely used and little understood. But since then the number of spoliation disputes has grown exponentially. Today, anyone involved in potential litigation must be aware...

Ironic risk: world's insurance haven ... at risk.(Bermuda Angle)
September 1, 2003... The winning song in the 1994 Carnival King competition in St. Lucia was called "Alien." It began, "Like an alien/in we own land/I feel like a stranger/and I sensing danger." The cause of this alienation was "all-inclusive tax elusives/and truth...

Reputational risk: Marriott International Inc. hunts for alternatives to protect its brand.
September 1, 2003... At Marriott International Inc., nothing is more important to executives than managing the firm's reputation. For decades the company has been one of the most storied and copied in the hospitality industry. Its founder has become a legend and...

Worker's comp parties: beware of Medicare! A year after settling a claim for $600,000, Medicare came knocking on the carrier's door.(benefits)
September 1, 2003... It starts out innocently enough: A catastrophic workers' compensation claim is settled for $600,000 and that claim is finally off your back. End of story? Wrong! The nightmare's just begun. In a recent case involving a workers' compensation...

A liability your data can't afford: a proponent of online backup systems urges agencies to ditch their tape-based infrastructure.(Technology For Agents)
September 1, 2003... An insurance agency works to preserve the financial stability of its customers in case the unthinkable should happen. But how well can an insurance agency do its job when its own customer data is at risk? If a disaster were to strike your...

Filling a P/C niche: in a world of analysts cranking out studies "a mile wide and an inch deep," one consulting firm opts to go a mile deep and an inch wide.(Technology For Property/Casualty Managers)
September 1, 2003... For property/casualty IT or risk managers unable to justify spending $30 million on an IT project based on an eight page report written by a 20-something consultant on the future of the property/casualty market, there is hope. A new...

Higher yields: how subrogation managers use the Web to recover claims: a subrogation unit may not only experience an increase in recoveries, but also a jump in the speed with which they can recover claims.(Technology For Subrogation Managers)
September 1, 2003... Some have called subrogation the sleeping giant of the insurance industry that now has awakened. While the benefits of proper claims recovery have not always been readily acknowledged within the industry, companies have gradually recognized the...

Safety and W.C. software.(Literature Reviews)
September 1, 2003... PerDatum's PROGNOS product line provides software tools for managing safety, workers' comp, occupational health, and disability programs. Single-user to enterprise solutions include quick and easy data entry features, sophisticated tracking and...

Risk management software.(Literature Reviews)
September 1, 2003... ATS continues the tradition of innovative RMIS Solutions. True Internet-based and back-office Windows products define the standards that go to the heart of this tradition. In achieving certification as the first RMIS developer to transmit...

Integrated P&C solutions.(Literature Reviews)
September 1, 2003... CSC provides claims, risk and policy management information systems and services for carriers, self insureds, TPAs, health care providers and corporate counsel to help them control costs. CSC's products process, manage and analyze claims and...

Powering claims management.(Literature Reviews)
September 1, 2003... iVOS[TM], browser-based claims management software from Valley Oak Systems, is designed for multiple lines of insurance. Built on solid, scalable Java architecture, iVOS can be installed on your network or hosted on ours. Features include...

Claims management.(Literature Reviews)
September 1, 2003... File Handler is an integrated, multiline claims management system. File Handler and File i2Iandler.com allow clients the flexibility of using the Internet, intranet and client/ server configurations, or a Combination of all three. JW Software...

Risk & Insurance magazine.(Literature Reviews)
September 1, 2003... Risk & Insurance is a magazine for risk management executives and other buyers of business insurance. Each issue features news and analyses of such topics as reinsurance; self-insurance; workers' compensation; employee benefits; property/...

The big split: insurers and reinsurers part ways over a 'malevolent mineral': insurers seem to believe reinsurers will pick up the tab for asbestos liabilities. Reinsurers aren't talking.(Special report: reinsurance)
September 1, 2003... One executive summarizes the dilemma laced by insurers as they grapple with determining their potential asbestos liabilities. "It's a crystal ball-type of question," says the executive, preferring to remain off-the-record citing antitrust...

Assessing the state of the market: companies will be defined by the ability of the reinsurance market to handle future losses.(Special report: reinsurance)
September 1, 2003... In July, Risk & Insurance brought together a group of key players in the Bermuda reinsurance market to assess the state of the industry. They included W. David Brining, executive vice president of Max Re; James P. Bryce, president and CEO of...

Facing a fragile future: though profitable in 2002, reinsurers face long-term challenges.(Special report: reinsurance)
September 1, 2003... Financial strength, pricing discipline, asbestos, terrorism and collateral requirements are just a few of the tough issues facing the world's reinsurance industry as it tries to get back on firm ground after some of its worst years ever. ...

How to manage the risk of punitive damages: companies that manage punitive damages as a separate category of risk are frequently better able to limit their exposures.(risk primer)
September 1, 2003... Despite a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision, punitive damage awards continue to make headlines as juries grant colossal amounts to plaintiffs. It's become so bad that companies need a clear-cut strategy to contain these runaway jury...

A national strategy to fight cyber terrorism falls on risk managers: the federal mandate may well force the closure of the gap between the risk management and IT camps.(risk primer)
September 1, 2003... Of the dozens of measures, suggestions and guidelines embedded in the federal government's National Strategy to Secure Cyberspace risk managers should pay particular attention to one that hints at the importance of establishing security...

Doing battle in this hard market: while risk managers can't do much about premium increases, they are doing something to ease the burden of lengthy applications.(technology)
September 1, 2003... Renewing a casualty policy in this hard market is not easy. Just ask Matt Jablonski, director of insurance for the New York-based media company Hearst Corp. Despite working for one of the most visible companies in the world, Jablonski's insurer...

Rethinking 'sacred cows' in measuring comp claims: defining quality in terms of "process measures" simply won't do in this market.(workers' comp)
September 1, 2003... In an era of estimated reserve deficits of $75 billion, double-digit medical claim cost increases and combined ratios in excess of 110, the property/casualty industry is more focused than ever on improving the quality of claims handling to cut...

How emerging technologies improve claims quality: time to drive a stake in retrospective file audits which impede the improvement in claims measurement.(workers' comp)
September 1, 2003... While many workers' compensation payers have begun to change how they define claims quality, new technology is beginning to facilitate a more revolutionary change in when they measure quality. A recent survey of workers' comp claims payers...

Risk management & benefits software.(Buyers' Guide)
September 1, 2003... Below is the 11th annual guide to specialty software packages for the risk management/employee benefits market. This guide is not intended to be a complete directory, but is an overview of some of the packages available. The software suppliers...

Offshore protection.(Insurance Coverages)
September 1, 2003... Aon Trade Credit's Offshoring Protection Insurance covers the downside of offshore outsourcing. The product insures the extra costs and expenses incurred in the event these services close or face relocation due to political threats. "Offshoring...

Business owners policy.(Insurance Coverages)
September 1, 2003... Victor O. Schinnerer Co. has changed its CNA/Schinnerer business owners policy for architects and engineers to provide broader coverage. The endorsement formerly provided coverage only for "ongoing operations." Once work on the project ceased,...

Grain elevator protection.(Insurance Coverages)
September 1, 2003... Archer Daniels Midland Co. and American International Group Inc. have developed a customized insurance program that offers a broad package of insurance coverage to ADM's grain elevator customers, the companies have announced. The program...

Web-based underwriting.(Insurance Coverages)
September 1, 2003... ACE Casualty Risk, a division of ACE USA, has launched a new product called ACE Complete, a Web-based underwriting product which enables brokers to conduct underwriting transactions--from entry to issuance--in a quick and efficient manner via...

Employee benefits.(Software & Systems)
September 1, 2003... eBenX Inc. has released version 4.2 of ChoiceOne Link, its Web-based employee self-service benefits eligibility, enrollment and status change system. Enhancements include flexible communication capabilities that enable employers to create...

Spill prevention.(Safety & Security)
September 1, 2003... UltraTech International has developed containment berms to help meet spill control measures outlined in the Federal Register. UltraTech International Inc., 11542 Davis Creek Court, Jacksonville, FL 32256 FOR MORE INEO, SELECT # 255

Safety handrails.(Safety & Security)
September 1, 2003... Vestil Manufacturing Co. has developed the steel pipe safety handrails for use as pedestrian barriers. Applications include loading docks, floor openings, walkways and mezzanines. The railings meet OSHA and ANSI standards. Vestil...

Willis North America.(Executive Moves)
September 1, 2003... Mario P. Vitale has been appointed CEO of Willis North America, Willis Group Holdings has announced. "Heading Willis North America, Mario will unify all our development efforts in a single, integrated expansion plan," said Joe Plumeri, chairman...

Calendar of upcoming events.
September 1, 2003... September 5-11 Rendez-Vous de Septembre 2003. Rendez-Vous do Septembre 2003. This year's annual meeting of insurers and reinsurers will feature a roundtable entitled "UK, Germany, Italy, France, USA: the Evolution and Trends of the...

PricewaterhouseCoopers'.(Executive Moves)
September 1, 2003... Matt Duncan has joined Dallas-based PricewaterhouseCoopers' health care Practice. He recently served as research director and leader of Gartner Inc.'s health care strategy practice, a position he held since 1997. He completed a graduate program...

Fireman's Fund Insurance Co.(Executive Moves)
September 1, 2003... Peter W. Presperin has been named executive vice president and president of reinsurance and discontinued operations of the Fireman's Fund Insurance Co. in Novato, Calif. He was CFO of First Colony Life, a part of GE Financial Assurance....

PartnerRe.(Executive Moves)
September 1, 2003... PartnerRe in Pembroke, Bermuda, has named Jean-Marie Nessi head of the property/casualty business. He succeeds Graham Dimmock, who has been appointed executive for client relations. Nessi is a Fellow of the French Actuarial Society and has more...

Mutual of America Capital Management Corp.(Executive Moves)
September 1, 2003... Robert Timothy Stidham has been named vice president of marketing for New York based Mutual of America Capital Management Corp. He brings 18 years of investment experience. Previously, Stidham was senior vice president of marketing at FTN...

Marsh Inc.(Executive Moves)
September 1, 2003... Marsh Inc., the risk and insurance services subsidiary of Marsh & McLennan Cos. Inc. in New York, has announced the appointment of Jerome H. Bailey as CFO. Bailey succeeds Joseph D. Salerno, who is retiring. Bailey is a graduate of the...

Exult Inc.(Executive Moves)
September 1, 2003... Karen Alien has been named vice president of risk management and compliance at Irvine, Calif.-based Exult Inc., a provider of integrated HR business process outsourcing. Allen will continue to have responsibility for security and disaster...

ACORD.(Executive Moves)
September 1, 2003... The board of directors of Pearl River, N.Y.-based ACORD has appointed Marilyn Norman, the senior vice president of distribution management at Zurich North America, as its chairwoman, and Dave Findley, senior vice president of Travelers...

XL Capital.(Executive Moves)
September 1, 2003... XL Capital has appointed Robert L. Nason as group risk and underwriting of ricer of XL Re. Nason, formerly executive vice president and chief underwriting officer of XL Re, will relocate to Stamford, Conn.

Fair, Isaac and Co. Inc.(Executive Moves)
September 1, 2003... Fair, Isaac and Co. Inc. in Minneapolis, has appointed William Nowacki to lead its professional services group. Before joining the company, Nowacki served as a partner at KJE. He holds a master's from Benedictine University.

American International Group Trading.(Executive Moves)
September 1, 2003... Donald Lee has been named senior vice president for American International Group Trading. He will be AIG Trading's global head of foreign exchange options and head of foreign exchange in Greenwich, Conn. He joins the company from Goldman Sachs...

Regional sales managers by territory.
September 1, 2003... ED BANIAK E-MAIL: ebaniak@lrp.com PHONE: (215) 784-0910, ext. 430 FAX: (215) 784-0870 New England/New York State New Jersey/Eastern Canada MATTHEW KAHN E-MAIL: mkahn@lrp.com PHONE: (212) 685-7629 FAX:...

Why dot-net isn't 'dot-not': interoperability and operational stability give Microsoft's platform an edge.(point/counterpoint)
September 1, 2003... Ask any corporate risk manager, "What is Microsoft.NET?" and you're likely to get a blank stare. Ask them the same question about J2EE (Java 2nd Enterprise Edition) and they are likely to drool. However, ask that same risk manager about...

Waking up to Java: why risk managers need J2EE: integration, open standards and IBM's backing favor Sun Microsystems, platform.(point/counterpoint)
September 1, 2003... Because our company serves the property and casualty insurance marketplace exclusively, choosing J2EE as our new product strategy was a critical decision. The more we looked at J2EE, the more we liked what we saw. Survey the insurance...

Inadequate pricing blamed for workers' compensation's 'poor performance'.(up front)
September 15, 2003... Look for workers' compensation premiums to continue rising, at least in the immediate future. Fitch Ratings said recent price hikes have helped insurers turn the corner on profitability, but it's not enough. The New York-based international...

Business continuity plan.(Risk Stats)
September 15, 2003... Changes Since Sept. 11, 2001 How would you say your business continuity plan has changed since Sept. 11, 2001? Changed significantly 15% Changed moderately 27% Changed slightly 29% Has changed ...

Medical cost tidal wave threatens RMs.(up front)
September 15, 2003... Gary Earl, vice president of benefits for Park Place Corp. in Las Vegas, exhorted the crowd at the end of the Disability Management Employer Coalition conference in July to warn senior management of a coming "Benefits Tsunami." Because of...

Worth Repeating ...(up front)
September 15, 2003... "Right after 9/11, we saw a lot of companies talk about dispersed locations or redundant locations for their computer centers. When it was time to put their money where their mouth was, it became difficult to justify the capital layout." ...

LTC once again on lawmakers' agenda.(up front)
September 15, 2003... The Long-Term Care and Retirement Security Act of 2003 (HR 2096 and S 1335), sponsored in the House by Nancy Johnson (R-Conn.) and in the Senate by Charles Grassley (R-Iowa), provides a tax deduction for people who purchase LTC insurance...

American International Group Inc. has agreed to acquire the GE Edison Life Insurance Co. in Japan and GE's U.S.-based auto and home insurance business, AIG has announced.
September 15, 2003... American International Group Inc. has agreed to acquire the GE Edison Life Insurance Co. in Japan and GE's U.S.-based auto and home insurance business, AIG has announced, The value of the transaction is between $2.1 and $2.2 billion. The...

Employee benefits vendor Work & Family Benefits Inc., Cedar Knolls, N.J., has been selected by University Behavioral Health Care to provide the work/life component for its Employee Assistance Program to promote employee wellness, balance and productivity in the workplace, Work & Family Benefits has announced.
September 15, 2003... Employee benefits vendor Work & Family Benefits Inc., Cedar Knolls, N.J., has been selected by University Behavioral Health Care to provide the work/ life component for its Employee Assistance Program to promote employee wellness, balance and...

Standard Insurance Co. and Crawford & Co. have agreed to develop a disability management service.
September 15, 2003... Standard Insurance Co. and Crawford & Co. have agreed to develop a disability management service. The agreement combines the disability insurance expertise of The Standard with Crawford's workers' compensation ad ministration experience. "This...

Castlewood Risk Management Ltd. And Avondale Holdings Ltd. Have agreed to the sale of their captive insurance management operations and alternative risk reinsurance facilities to the current management, the firms have announced.
September 15, 2003... Castlewood Risk Management Ltd. and Avondale Holdings Ltd. have agreed to the sale of their captive insurance management operations and alternative risk reinsurance facilities to the current management, the firms have announced. The newly...

Willis Group Holdings Ltd. Has acquired three San Diego-area insurance operations, which the New York-based broker plans to combine with Willi's existing San Diego office, the company said.
September 15, 2003... Willis Group Holdings Ltd. has acquired three San Diego-area insurance operations, which the New York-based broker plans to combine with Willis' existing San Diego office, the company said. In separate transactions, Willis acquired the...

The vulnerability of computer networks was tested in mid-August, first by a new "worm" program, then by the record-setting power blackout that hit the Northeast, and has highlighted the need for cyber-insurance, according to industry observers.
September 15, 2003... The vulnerability of computer networks was tested in mid-August, first by a new "worm" program, then by the record-setting power blackout that hit the Northeast, and has highlighted the need for cyber-insurance, according to industry observers....

SWISSLife will cut 300 more jobs at its Liverpool base over the next two years.
September 15, 2003... SWISSLife will cut 300 more jobs at its Liverpool base over the next two years. The loses come in addition to 200 people put out of work over the summer by the insurance firm. In January, 250 people based at the Albert Dock headquarters of...

Minutiae Matters.(Workers' Comp)
September 15, 2003... The Disability Management Employers Coalition's annual conference in Newport Beach, Calif., this year started off on the right foot with a keynote address by an executive from Dell Corp., the computer services firm. Dell has melded a vast...

A go-slow approach to Sarbanes-Oxley; a "culture of conservatism" surrounds technology spending on the new law. companies prefer to hire consultants or retool existing technology rather than sink millions into new systems.(technology)
September 15, 2003... The Sarbanes-Oxley Act, regulators' response to the rash of financial scandals that plagued much of 2001 and 2002, has left scores of CEOs, CFOs and CROs shuddering as they try to figure out exactly what it means to be "fully compliant" in the...

Caveat emptor: "claims-made" coverage.(Risk Primer)
September 15, 2003... As the hard market continues, insurers that once offered liability coverage on an occurrence or "claims-made" basis are limiting certain policyholders to purchasing liability coverage on a claims-made basis only. In most cases, insurers...

Corrosion confusion cleared up.(Property)
September 15, 2003... There's a risk manager out there looking to find coverage under an existing commercial property insurance program for pinhole leaks in a building's sprinkler piping. Most risk management professionals who can lay claim to a high level of...

Calendar of upcoming events.
September 15, 2003... September 21-24 Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America Inc. The IIABA will hold its InfoXchange at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. The conference will feature workshops on claims investigations, mold, how to survive in the hard...

An aversion to dispersion; as the drive toward dispersing workers and physical property wanes, firms favor alternatives like business continuity planning and outsourcing.
September 15, 2003... In the wake of the terrorist attacks oil the World Trade Center and the Pentagon on Sept. 11, 2001, there was a lot of thought about mitigating the risk borne by corporate employers by splitting up employees among multiple locations. But two...

EAPs: cost or benefit? Employers tread the fine line between cost and productivity for their employee assistance programs.(Special report: benefits)
September 15, 2003... Employee assistant programs, which began in the 1930s. initially focused on alcohol abuse. By the 1970s, the focus began to shift from substance abuse to mental health issues, which affected employee productivity. Eventually, companies began...

Bracing for EMPAQ; business group launches benchmarking-standards initiative designed to improve absence and disability management programs.(Special Report: Benefits)
September 15, 2003... When Ascension Health Inc. wanted to compare how quickly its employees returned to work after an injury, the company took what seemed to be a logical approach. First, the company grouped injuries with a similar diagnosis, such as back...

Health coverage renewal: a checklist.(Special report: benefits)
September 15, 2003... It's renewal time for your health plan, and your carrier informs you of another double-digit rate increase. Now what? Should you seek out another carrier? The danger is you could end up with just a cheaper health plan. The right health plan,...

Model of health: an increasing number of employers are turning to predictive modeling to get a better picture of their overall health costs.(health care)
September 15, 2003... Employers would love to have a special crystal ball all set up to help them figure out how to cut rising health care costs. Instead they are turning to a more down to-earth type of prognostication, predictive modeling. For example, as...