Business Insurance articles from December 2004

Business Insurance archives from December 2004

As workers' benefit needs evolve, so do methods of communication; Many employers opting for multimedia approach.(Spotlight: Benefits Communication & EBC Awards)
December 6, 2004... Byline: JOANNE WOJCIK As benefits have evolved, so have the methods for communicating them. Over the more than three decades that Business Insurance has been recognizing excellence in communicating employee benefit programs via its...

Coke explains total package; Personalized correspondence - Best of Show.(Spotlight: Benefits Communication & EBC Awards)
December 6, 2004... Byline: JUDY GREENWALD The Total Rewards statement distributed by Coca-Cola Enterprises Inc. is much more than just a simple pension statement. "We looked at the cost-benefit analysis'' and "decided we could get a lot more for our...

Errors & omissions.(Corrections)(Correction Notice)
December 6, 2004... * Due to an editing error, a Nov. 29 chart illustrating the divergent views of insurance buyers, insurers/reinsurers and agents/brokers on whether contingent commissions represent a conflict of interest incorrectly listed the percentages of...

Michelin provides balanced options; Personalized correspondence - Award of Excellence.(Spotlight: Benefits Communication & EBC Awards)(Michelin North America Inc.)
December 6, 2004... Byline: JUDY GREENWALD When Michelin North America decided to give its employees the choice to either stay with its current defined benefit pension plan or move to a new defined contribution plan, presenting unbiased information on the...

Intuit focuses on consumer choices; Enrollment/re-enrollment - Award of Excellence.(Spotlight: Benefits Communication & EBC Awards)
December 6, 2004... Byline: MEG FLETCHER A communications program to educate and encourage Intuit Inc.'s diverse workforce to enroll in what the company calls its new "consumer-directed health plan'' was successful on several fronts. First, developing a...

PSEG desktop tools attract Web site use; Electronic communication - Award of Excellence.(Spotlight: Benefits Communication & EBC Awards)(Public Service Enterprise Group)
December 6, 2004... Byline: JOANNE WOJCIK In an effort to attract more union employees to the company's benefits Web site, Public Service Enterprise Group, a utility provider based in Newark, N.J., used innovations in online technology to take its benefits...

Service should be competitive factor.(Commentary)(Editorial)
December 6, 2004... Byline: Paul Winston My new car was recently broken into. I had parked it in a downtown Chicago garage and, as I approached the car at the end of the day, I saw that the passenger window had been pried and smashed out. Pieces of...

Customized package suits all: National Gypsum's materials encouraged a diverse workforce to go online; Enrollment/re-enrollment - Best of Show.(Spotlight: Benefits Communication & EBC Awards)
December 6, 2004... Byline: MEG FLETCHER National Gypsum Co. faced two major challenges in communicating benefit enrollment information and encouraging online enrollment. Specifically, it had a very diverse workforce and a culture that encouraged...

Sears stresses control of benefit costs; Print - Best of Show.(Spotlight: Benefits Communication & EBC Awards)
December 6, 2004... Byline: GLORIA GONZALEZ To help its employees better understand the link between its business and its employee benefit programs, Sears, Roebuck & Co. redesigned its benefit newsletters to include pictures of Sears products. The idea...

Toshiba employee handbook goes online; Electronic communication - Best of Show.(Spotlight: Benefits Communication & EBC Awards)(Toshiba America Medical Systems Inc.)
December 6, 2004... Byline: JOANNE WOJCIK While in the process of launching a new human resources and payroll system, Lynda Morvik, director of benefits and human resources information systems at Tustin, Calif.-based Toshiba America Medical Systems Inc.,...

Comings & Goings - Industry.(News: ACE Ltd.)
December 6, 2004... Insurers: Hamilton, Bermuda-based ACE Ltd. has made several executive appointments. * Andrew Kendrick, previously president and CEO of ACE Bermuda, has been named chairman and CEO of ACE European Group. * Keith White has been...

Comings & Goings - Buyers.(News)
December 6, 2004... John W. Lambdin has been promoted to assistant treasurer and director of insurance for Federal Way, Wash.-based Weyerhaeuser Co. Mr. Lambdin will replace Gary A. Baxter, who is retiring at the end of the year. Mr. Baxter joined the...

Examiner's saga a cautionary tale.(Commentary)
December 6, 2004... Byline: Douglas McLeod Congressional efforts to pre-empt state regulation of commercial insurance have hit a couple of bumps in the road: namely, the New York attorney general's investigation of alleged industry bid rigging and American...

Representative says TRIA extension is a priority.(News: Terrorism Risk Insurance Act of 2002 )(Brief Article)
December 6, 2004... Byline: MARK A. HOFMANN WASHINGTON-Extending the federal government's terrorism insurance backstop program will be a priority for the House Financial Services Committee in the next Congress, according to one of the panel's key members. ...

High court hears Title IX whistleblower case.(News)
December 6, 2004... Byline: MARK A. HOFMANN WASHINGTON-The Supreme Court will decide whether a law designed to promote gender equality in educational programs offers protection to whistleblowers as well as victims of sexual discrimination. The federal...

TRIA gets welcome push.(Opinions: Terrorism Risk Insurance Act of 2002)(Brief Article)
December 6, 2004... A KEY MEMBER of the House Financial Services Committee had some good news for risk managers the other day, and he chose a rather unusual venue in which to deliver it. Speaking at a conference on financial matters put together by the...

World Updates; FSA fines former insurance executive.(International: Financial Services Authority)(Underwriter Insurance Co. Ltd.)
December 6, 2004... The U.K. Financial Services Authority has publicly censured The Underwriter Insurance Co. Ltd. and imposed a fine on its former chief executive officer. The Underwriter, based in London, went into solvent runoff last year after posting a loss...

PBGC's finances need attention now.(Opinions: Pension Benefit Guaranty Corp.)
December 6, 2004... It doesn't require a Ph.D. in economics to understand this basic fiscal fact: if an organization promises to pay out more in benefits than it is collecting in revenue, eventually it will run out of money. That is exactly what is happening...

McGill resigns as JLT's CEO after profit shortfall forecast; Lower consulting, reinsurance revenue expected.(International)(Jardine Lloyd Thompson Group )
December 6, 2004... Byline: PETA MILLER LONDON-The chief executive of Jardine Lloyd Thompson Group in London has resigned after the firm warned that its 2004 profits would be 18.6% lower than analysts expected. In a statement issued Friday, JLT announced...

Sanders cash balance provision stripped from spending bill.(News)
December 6, 2004... Byline: JERRY GEISEL WASHINGTON-For a change, employers have scored a victory-albeit a modest one-in Congress on legislation affecting cash balance pension plans. Late last month, congressional negotiators assembling a giant spending...

Top Medicare exec reviews employers' drug benefit options.(News)
December 6, 2004... Byline: JERRY GEISEL WASHINGTON-Final government regulations implementing the 2003 federal law adding a prescription drug benefit to the Medicare program will give employers with retiree health care plans several options that will save...

FAA to increase HAZMAT scrutiny; But agency balks at DOT calls for covert airline tests.(News)
December 6, 2004... Byline: MICHAEL BRADFORD WASHINGTON-Airlines will face greater scrutiny regarding the shipment of hazardous materials after the U.S. Department of Transportation charged that the Federal Aviation Administration's cargo-handling oversight...

Consumer-driven plan model enters fast lane; UnitedHealth's purchase of Definity gives approach momentum.(News)
December 6, 2004... Byline: JOANNE WOJCIK MINNEAPOLIS-UnitedHealth Group's acquisition of Definity Health Corp. is likely to spur more product innovation and competition in the health care market because it legitimizes Definity's consumer-driven health care...

European buyers seek broker pay rules.(International)
December 6, 2004... Byline: SARAH VEYSEY and PETA MILLER Several European risk management associations plan to draw up broker compensation standards in the wake of the allegations of bid rigging and client steering by brokerages in the United States. ...

IntelSat Ltd. self-insured satellite loss.(International)(Brief Article)
December 6, 2004... Byline: Peta Miller PEMBROKE, Bermuda-The loss of an Intelsat Ltd. communications satellite that served much of North and South America was self-insured. The Pembroke, Bermuda-based company said Sunday that its Intelsat Americas-7...

Client steering found at Marsh's U.K. unit; Probe sees pressure but no bid rigging.(News)
December 6, 2004... Byline: PETA MILLER and SARAH VEYSEY LONDON-Brokers at Marsh Ltd. on occasion steered clients to insurers that paid the highest contingent compensation, according to an investigation commissioned by the brokerage. But the investigation...

Bhopal disaster changed handling of industrial risks; Indian tragedy redefined safety.(News)
December 6, 2004... Byline: CAROLYN ALDRED BHOPAL, India-Twenty years ago this month, the world awoke to a new understanding of industrial risk. The release of deadly methyl isocyanate gas from a Union Carbide Corp. pesticide plant in the city of Bhopal,...

Alcoa gets tentative approval to fund benefits through captive.(News)(Brief Article)
December 6, 2004... Byline: Jerry Geisel WASHINGTON-The Labor Department has given tentative authorization for Alcoa Inc. to use its Vermont-based captive insurer to fund U.S. benefit risks. Under the Alcoa plan, the giant Pittsburgh-based aluminum...

UnumProvident's problems not solved with settlement.(News)
December 6, 2004... Byline: ROBERTO CENICEROS CHATTANOOGA, Tenn.-Despite UnumProvident Corp.'s $127 million multistate settlement of investigations of its claims practices, it still faces challenges that could hurt its group disability insurance sales, some...

Marsh refunding Oregon school districts for overcharges.(News)
December 6, 2004... Byline: Douglas McLeod PORTLAND, Ore.-Marsh Inc. will refund about $1.2 million to several Oregon school district clients that the broker overcharged for insurance placements over several years, company representatives confirm. Marsh's...

Late News; Aon sells stake in Endurance.
December 6, 2004... Aon Corp. has sold 9.8 million shares of Bermuda-based Endurance Specialty Holdings Ltd. to Goldman Sachs for $320.5 million. Aon will retain warrants to purchase 4.1 million Endurance shares. The sale, pursuant to an Endurance registration...

Despite AIG settlement, product future uncertain.(News: American International Group Inc)
December 6, 2004... Byline: GLORIA GONZALEZ NEW YORK-American International Group Inc.'s settlement of fraud charges with federal regulators is a positive step toward resolving questions about the company's nontraditional insurance products, but analysts say...

Ryan sees 'indications' code wasn't followed; But probe has found no bid rigging or tying, Aon says.(News)(Patrick G. Ryan)
December 13, 2004... Byline: JUDY GREENWALD CHICAGO-Despite its chairman's earlier acknowledgement that some Aon Corp. employees have failed to follow Aon's code of conduct, the brokerage says its internal review has found no evidence that Aon solicited...

Radical reshaping of Lloyd's predicted; Corporate growth will spur change.(International)
December 13, 2004... Byline: PETA MILLER LONDON-The "corporatization'' of Lloyd's of London will eventually lead to a radical reshaping of the market, according to a market executive. And the changes to brokers' income stemming from the investigations led...

Swedish club covers destroyed ship's liability.(International)(Brief Article)
December 13, 2004... Byline: PETA MILLER UNALASKA ISLAND, Alaska -A ship that is leaking 440,000 gallons of fuel oil into the ocean off the Aleutian Islands has liability coverage through the Swedish Shipowners Assn. The bulk carrier Selendang Ayu, which...

S&P predicts stable outlook for 2005 reinsurance market.(News)(U.S. Reinsurance Year-End 2004 Outlook: Ratings Stability in 2005, An Atoll in Stormy Seas)(Standard & Poor's Corp)
December 13, 2004... Byline: RUPAL PAREKH The U.S. reinsurance market is finally stabilizing, thanks to four straight years of improved pricing and terms and conditions, a report by New York-based Standard & Poor's Corp. says. Barring any severe...

Sarbanes-Oxley extension for fraud claims ruled not retroactive.(News)(Brief Article)
December 13, 2004... Byline: DAVE LENCKUS NEW YORK-Securities fraud plaintiffs whose claims expired before the July 2002 enactment of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act are not entitled to revive their claims, a 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals panel has ruled. The...

Market probe turns to legal malpractice; Spitzer subpoenas five insurers.(News)(Eliot Spitzer)(Brief Article)
December 13, 2004... Byline: RUPAL PAREKH NEW YORK-The probe into insurance industry practices continues to widen, with New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer and others now looking at the legal malpractice insurance market. Mr. Spitzer's office has...

Late News; Frankel sentenced over insurance scam.
December 13, 2004... Rouge financier Martin Frankel, who masterminded one of the biggest insurance scams in U.S. history, on Friday was sentenced to nearly 17 years in prison by a U.S. district court judge in New Haven, Conn. Mr. Frankel, who federal prosecutors...

W.Va. court overturns monitoring decision.(News)(West Virginia's Supreme Court)(Brief Article)
December 13, 2004... Byline: Dave Lenckus CHARLESTON, W.Va.-West Virginia's Supreme Court has overturned a lower court ruling that would have required several manufacturers to medically monitor possibly thousands of coal workers and their families. The...

CIGNA to pay back Connecticut for benefits commissions overcharges.(News)(CIGNA Corp)
December 13, 2004... Byline: JOANNE WOJCIK HARTFORD, Conn.-CIGNA Corp. has agreed to reimburse more than $870,000 to Connecticut for overcharges related to the state's dental benefits plan. According to a statement by Connecticut Attorney General Richard...

Employees' e-mails seen as posing professional liability risk.(Spotlight: New Technology & Online Solutions)
December 13, 2004... Byline: ROBERTO CENICEROS Employers need to guard against employee e-mail transmissions becoming damaging evidence in securities-related litigation and professional liability lawsuits, say attorneys, risk managers and others. ...

Online systems help companies streamline claims handling; Software can be customized for specific needs.(Spotlight: New Technology & Online Solutions)
December 13, 2004... Byline: RUPAL PAREKH Although companies have long been making the move from traditional paper-based claims reporting to automated systems, Web-based claims technology has not gone stale. The latest wave of online systems offers ways to...

Few pluses realized in developing homegrown RMIS setups.(Spotlight: New Technology & Online Solutions)(risk management information system)
December 13, 2004... Byline: MICHAEL BRADFORD Technological improvements and a healthy supply of service providers have rendered the homegrown risk management information system nearly obsolete. There is little reason, sources say, for a risk manager to...

Docs accept $22.3 million in settlement with Aetna.(News, Connecticut)(Aetna Healthcare Inc. and phycians cases)(Brief Article)
December 13, 2004... Byline: Michael Bradford HARTFORD, Conn.-Aetna Healthcare Inc. has settled for $22.3 million charges of price fixing filed by physicians in Kentucky and Ohio. The settlement, which has been granted preliminary approval, will be paid in...

Appeals court says asbestos settlement plan unfair; ABB Ltd. may have to revise bankruptcy plan for Combustion Engineering.(News)(Combustion Engineering Inc)
December 13, 2004... Byline: DOUGLAS McLEOD PHILADELPHIA-ABB Ltd. may have to revise a bankruptcy reorganization plan for its Combustion Engineering Inc. unit after a federal appeals court questioned the plan's fairness to certain classes of asbestos injury...

High court lets stand worker's claim in assault by ex-boyfriend; Employer liable for emotional distress in failing to enforce protection order.(News)
December 13, 2004... Byline: JUDY GREENWALD RICHMOND, Va.-Employers must promulgate and uniformly enforce policies to help employees who seek protection from violence, or risk being found at least partially liable for the consequences, say observers. ...

Ban on facial jewelry not a civil rights violation; Court says faith-based piercings not protected.(News)
December 13, 2004... Byline: DAVE LENCKUS BOSTON-Expressions of religious faith in the workplace can only go so far before they create an undue hardship for employers-and facial jewelry crosses that line, a federal appeals court has ruled. In its 3-0...

Amid uncertainty, Big Blue phases out cash balance plan.(News)(IBM Corp.)
December 13, 2004... Byline: JERRY GEISEL ARMONK, N.Y.-IBM Corp.'s decision to phase out its controversial cash balance pension plan could help spur congressional action to curb legal challenges to such plans, some benefits experts say. IBM said last week...

Medco accused of paying kickbacks to managed care firm.(News)
December 13, 2004... Byline: JOANNE WOJCIK PHILADELPHIA-Medco Health Solutions Inc. paid "kickbacks'' totaling $200 million to an "unnamed managed care company'' to obtain its business, according to federal charges filed against the pharmacy benefit manager....

Effective IT staff interface needed to safeguard data; Collaboration crucial when addressing security risks.(Spotlight: New Technology & Online Solutions)(information technology, risk management)
December 13, 2004... Byline: DAVE LENCKUS Only a fraction of the security patches released by software manufacturers had been installed and tested, which made the organization's information system highly vulnerable to viruses and worms. A default password...

California laws raise bar for data security.(Spotlight: New Technology & Online Solutions)(Brief Article)
December 13, 2004... Byline: Dave Lenckus A California statute known as S.B. 1386, which went into effect last year, requires organizations outside of as well as within the state to notify their California-based customers if their personal information has been...

Products & Services; AIG unit enhances environmental program.(News)(AIG Environmental)
December 13, 2004... NEW YORK-AIG Environmental, a division of American International Group Inc., has expanded its casualty and pollution insurance program, which offers combined casualty and environmental coverage. The program, Environmental & General...

Between the Lines; `Tis the season to be miserly.(News)
December 13, 2004... Byline: Compiled by Joanne Wojcik Many insurance executives in the United Kingdom are feeling more like Scrooge than Santa this holiday season, according to a survey by the Chartered Management Institute. Although 62% hold office...

New capacity easing D&O prices, conditions; But survey predicts rate hikes likely for 2006.(News)(directors' and officers' liability insurance)
December 13, 2004... Byline: MICHAEL BRADFORD Rising capacity for directors and officers liability insurance resulted in a 10% average decline in D&O prices between the third quarter of 2003 and the same period in 2004, the first drop since 1999, a survey...

Specific tort reforms urged to protect vaccine makers.(News)
December 13, 2004... Byline: MARK A. HOFMANN WASHINGTON-Enacting specific tort reforms could spur the development and manufacture of vaccines, helping to prevent situations like this year's shortage of flu vaccine in the United States, experts say. "What...

Cash balance regulations vital.(Opinions)
December 13, 2004... If regulators and legislators wonder why employers are exiting the defined benefit pension plan system, they need look no further than their own actions. It is safe to say that, over the past decade, most employers with traditional pension...

World Updates; New JLT unit to place U.S. wholesale business.(International)(Jardine Lloyd Thompson Group P.L.C.)
December 13, 2004... Jardine Lloyd Thompson Group P.L.C. has launched a unit to place North American wholesale business at Lloyd's of London. John Lloyd, formerly chairman of JLT's Risk Solutions operation, will head a team of 80 people at the London-based...

Whirlpool scraps funding plan for retiree care.(News)
December 13, 2004... Byline: JERRY GEISEL WASHINGTON-Whirlpool Corp. is withdrawing its request for federal regulatory approval of an innovative retiree health care benefits funding arrangement that would have made use of its captive insurance company, a...

U.K. approves pension promotions.(International)
December 13, 2004... Byline: SARAH VEYSEY LONDON-U.K. employer groups are welcoming a change in pension law that will allow companies to promote certain kinds of pension offerings to their employees. Starting next spring, employers will be permitted to...

NAIC moves forward on disclosure rule for producers; Proposal seeks 'customer's documented acknowledgement' of compensation.(News: National Association of Insurance Commissioners)
December 13, 2004... Byline: MEG FLETCHER NEW ORLEANS-The latest version of the National Assn. of Insurance Commissioners' proposed commission disclosure rules for insurance producers reflects a consensus on the need for increased transparency and an exemption...

Disclosure rules get needed urgency.(Opinions)(Brief Article)
December 13, 2004... As the insurance industry tries to get over the initial shock of having its compensation practices placed in the spotlight, it is refreshing to see insurance regulators move quickly to try to provide some clarity over the issue of broker...

WTC attacks two events: Jury; Silverstein now could recover $4.68 billion, but adjusting disputes loom.(News)(world trade center)
December 13, 2004... Byline: DOUGLAS McLEOD NEW YORK-Silverstein Properties Inc. has won the second round of the World Trade Center property insurance battle, but the fight is far from over. A jury in the second phase of the WTC coverage litigation decided...

Damage caps will help solve med mal crisis.(Perspectives)(Physician Insurers Association of America reports on medical liability insurance premiums)
December 20, 2004... Byline: Lawrence E. Smarr Judging by the accounts in newspapers and trade publications, you would think that "greedy insurance companies'' are gouging doctors by charging unnecessarily high medical liability insurance premiums. We see the...

Illinois county once again leads list of 'hellholes'.(News)(American Tort Reform Association)
December 20, 2004... Byline: MARK A. HOFMANN WASHINGTON-Although the civil justice environment for business appears to be improving, there still are some "judicial hellholes'' on the map that must be addressed, says a longtime tort reform advocate. Victor...

Cultural changes increase liability exposures in Asia.(News)
December 20, 2004... Byline: MICHAEL BRADFORD HONG KONG-Legal and cultural changes sweeping Asia are bringing increased liability risks for businesses and underwriting opportunities for insurers. Improving economies in many Asian countries have given rise...

Bad toys were better back when.(Commentary)(hazardous toys)
December 20, 2004... Byline: Rodd Zolkos Among other things, the holidays are a time for reminiscing. They're also a time for tradition. One of the greatest of column-writing traditions, of course, is the "things were better then'' piece, and I find myself...

High costs threaten retiree health cover.(News)
December 20, 2004... Byline: JERRY GEISEL Amid continued double-digit annual retiree health care plan cost increases, employers are shifting more of the costs onto retirees, and the continuing erosion of coverage shows no sign of easing, according to a survey...

Comings & Goings.(appointments)
December 20, 2004... Agents/Brokers: Aon Corp.'s Aon Professional Risks unit, based in London, has named Anka Taylor as director. Previously, Ms. Taylor was a senior underwriter at Hiscox P.L.C. Atlanta-based Beecher Carlson Holdings Inc. has named Robert...

U.K. to keep voluntary pensions system; But compulsory contributions loom if employers fail to encourage saving.(International)
December 20, 2004... Byline: SARAH VEYSEY LONDON-Employers in the United Kingdom could be forced to make mandatory contributions to occupational pension plans unless they do more to encourage employees to contribute to the current voluntary system, a...

Aussie regulator probes broker pay; U.S. charges help spur investigation.(International)(Australian Securities and Investments Commission's investigations of brokers compensation)
December 20, 2004... Byline: ELIZABETH FRY SYDNEY, Australia-Australia's corporate watchdog has begun a three-month investigation into insurance brokers' remuneration practices to check that brokers are acting in the best interests of their clients. ...

Industry problems warrant aggressive response; Ask a risk manager.(Perspectives)
December 20, 2004... Byline: Christopher E. Mandel Q: With all the controversy surrounding contingency commissions and brokerage compensation and practices, how should risk managers respond to the inquiries and dilemmas this will create? A: The contingent...

Energy rates to soar as insurers pay out big mudslide losses.(News)
December 20, 2004... Byline: PETA MILLER LONDON-Oil and gas producers should expect significant rate increases for property and business interruption coverages after underwater mudslides helped make Hurricane Ivan one of the most costly energy insurance losses...

Restoring integrity of industry paramount.(Perspectives)(insurance industry)
December 20, 2004... Byline: Ernie Csiszar The editors of Business Insurance hit the nail on the head when they wrote in the Oct. 25 issue that "insurance is a business based on trust....The allegations in the Spitzer suit, if true, will shake the industry to...

Derivative suit could increase D&O rates.(News)(directors and officers, shareholders cases against Walt Disney Co.)
December 20, 2004... Byline: ROBERTO CENICEROS A highly publicized shareholder derivative lawsuit against Walt Disney Co. directors could increase the cost of Side A directors and officers liability coverage, observers say. Already, the Delaware Court of...

Glacier Re sets up in Europe to write global specialty cover.(News)
December 20, 2004... Byline: SARAH VEYSEY PFAFFIKON, Switzerland-Glacier Reinsurance A.G., a reinsurance company with 347.5 million Swiss francs ($299.3 million) in capital, has been launched to underwrite global specialty reinsurance business. Pfaffikon,...

Pension guide for U.K. employers.(International)(Brief Article)(Column)
December 20, 2004... Byline: Sarah Veysey A U.K. government-appointed employer task force last week published a "good practice guide'' for pension programs. David Allen, vice chairman of the London-based Employer Task Force on Pensions and managing...

China opens insurance market further.(International)(Brief Article)
December 20, 2004... Byline: Michael Bradford BEIJING-Foreign insurers operating in China are hopeful that the recent removal of restrictions that limited their ability to write across wide geographic areas will allow them to more effectively compete in the...

Appetite for terror cover growing among buyers; TRIA's end could shrink market, surveys suggest.(News)(Terrorism Risk Insurance Act)
December 20, 2004... Byline: MARK A. HOFMANN The market for terrorism insurance is alive and well, according to studies released last week by the two largest insurance brokers. In fact, the reports, released separately by Marsh Inc. and Aon Corp., showed...

A seasonal song for Spitzermas.(Commentary)
December 20, 2004... Byline: Paul Winston Maybe it's the Muzak in the department stores. Maybe it's the local lite rock station that plays nothing but holiday music. Maybe it's the blinking Christmas lights in the night. Whatever it is, it's got me humming...

Concorde disaster blamed on debris from other jet.(International)
December 20, 2004... Byline: PETA MILLER PONTOISE, France-Continental Airlines Inc. is disputing an official finding that debris from one of its aircraft was the direct cause of the 2000 crash of a Concorde jet at Charles de Gaulle Airport near Paris. A...

Performance pay coming to smaller communities; Health care experiment.(News)
December 20, 2004... Byline: JOANNE WOJCIK Pay-for-performance initiatives, which have been confined mostly to major urban centers, are coming to the nation's heartland. The National Business Coalition on Health, a Washington-based consortium of employer...

World Updates; U.K. regulator mandates process improvements.(International)
December 20, 2004... The Financial Services Authority will give the U.K. insurance industry two years to find ways to improve commercial insurance contract certainty, instead of deferring details. If the industry's efforts fail, the agency will impose its own...

2005 Market SourceBooks will be delivered soon.(News)(Brief Article)
December 20, 2004... Business Insurance subscribers should be on the lookout for the 2005 Market SourceBook, which will arrive in their mailboxes soon. The Market SourceBook is a more than 300-page compilation of 25 directories listing 1,249 insurance industry...