Business Insurance articles from January 2004

Business Insurance archives from January 2004

A break from the norm brings a new focus.(First Word)(periodical Industry Focus)
January 1, 2004... Byline: Rodd Zolkos Our dog, Algren, is about seven now. A good, healthy seven, I'm happy to say, and possessed of, um, sound constitution, if you will. All of that means that while we enjoy regular long walks, they typically are...

Industry leaders' outlook mixed.(Industry News)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... Property/casualty insurance industry leaders have mixed opinions about industry prospects for 2004, at least given their responses to an informal survey at a recent insurance industry gathering. On the plus side, 82% of executives surveyed...

Lloyd's, ISO broaden agreement.(Industry News)(renewed and broadened licensing agreement with Insurance Services Office Inc. )(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... JERSEY CITY, N.J.-Lloyd's of London has renewed and broadened its licensing agreement with Insurance Services Office Inc., expanding the range of underwriting and claims products Lloyd's can use in the U.S. market. Under the new agreement,...

On the Move.(Industry News)
January 1, 2004... Clive Tobin will become chief executive of Hamilton, Bermuda-based XL Capital Ltd.'s insurance operations, replacing Nicholas Brown, who is retiring April 1. Mr. Tobin currently is chief executive officer of XL Insurance Global Risk, XL's...

Insurance industry's anti-arson organization pledges funds for wildfire investigation.(Industry News)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... INDIANAPOLIS-The Insurance Committee for Arson Control is donating $10,000 to join other private and public agencies in offering a reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person or people authorities believe...

Trusted Choice spots to air on cable networks; IIABA planning to launch national campaign in March.(Industry News)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... ALEXANDRIA, Va.-The Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America and its company partners are planning six flights of television commercials this year under their Trusted Choice marketing program. The first of the commercials will air...

The worst appears to be over for life industry: Rating agencies.(Industry News)
January 1, 2004... Rating agencies are generally taking a more-positive view of the U.S. life insurance industry, while cautioning that life companies still have work to do to rebound from the difficult environment of recent years. Standard & Poor's Corp....

THE QUOTE.(Industry News)(David J. Batchelor)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... 'It's clear that five years ago we were in insurance transaction mode and, increasingly along with the rest of the world, it's moved into risk management mode.' David J. Batchelor managing director and regional head for Asia Marsh...

Three Questions.(National Association of Independent Insurers and the Alliance of American Insurers finally merged into Property Casualty Insurers Association of America)(Interview)
January 1, 2004... After years of discussions and numerous merger attempts, the National Assn. of Independent Insurers and the Alliance of American Insurers recently combined as the Property Casualty Insurers Assn. of America. Jack Ramirez, former NAII president...

Event Sponsorship; From pro golf tournaments to TV shows to sailing races...(with marketing dollars tight insurance companies seek unique ways to reach target markets and build brand recognition)
January 1, 2004... Byline: Amanda L. Milligan Since "Antiques Roadshow" began rolling into towns across America in 1996, the PBS show has helped educate viewers not just about the worth of their family treasures but also about a company that can insure them....

Emerging Markets; Insurers, brokers broaden reach to serve new customers.(emerging insurance markets in China, India, Central and Eastern Europe)
January 1, 2004... Byline: Roseanne White Geisel As insurers and brokers try to seize growth opportunities in emerging markets, signs point to China and India as offering the greatest potential, while Central and Eastern Europe and Latin America also hold...

Runoff market off and running; Increasing demand for exit options is fueling growth in the field.(Cover Feature)
January 1, 2004... Byline: Carolyn Aldred Insurers and reinsurers increasingly are looking at runoff options as deteriorating losses from past business and declining investments squeeze their balance sheets. A few years ago, runoff was a niche part of...

2004 could be good year: Greenberg; But challenges remain, including need for regulatory, tort reform.(Feature)(Maurice R. Greenberg)
January 1, 2004... Byline: RODD ZOLKOS Despite a host of serious issues he sees the insurance industry confronting, Maurice R. Greenberg, chairman and chief executive officer of New York-based American International Group Inc., is modestly optimistic about...

Jurists urge industry involvement; Lack of standards faulted in jury award system.(Feature)
January 1, 2004... Byline: RODD ZOLKOS The insurance industry can play a key role in addressing major issues confronting it in the civil and criminal justice systems, according to one group of jurists participating on a panel last month at the annual...

Industry leaders call for tort reform; Insurance buyers' support for efforts seen as crucial.(Feature)
January 1, 2004... Byline: RODD ZOLKOS Tort reform ranks high on the list of concerns for insurance company executives. "The pressure to achieve tort reform must not be let up on because (the litigation environment) really is a cancer on the industry...

257 attend annual forum.(Feature)(Property and casualty insurance industry)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... The Property/Casualty Insurance Joint Industry Forum drew 257 attendees to the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York Jan. 13. The event's sponsors include the American Institute for CPCU, the American Insurance Assn., the Assn. for Cooperative...

Insurer concerns may merit investment in distribution.(Last Word)
January 1, 2004... Byline: John W. Wicher Insurance company executives face distribution challenges due to the placing muscle of global brokers and the continued consolidation of the regional brokerage market. Prior to the recent, short-lived tight...

Clash of religion, privacy creates difficult exposure.(News)
January 5, 2004... Byline: MICHAEL BRADFORD When an employee's religious beliefs clash with an employer's privacy rules, the temptation to tattle can sometimes be overwhelming. As a result, employers are left with a hard-to-handle exposure: the...

Comings & Goings.(News)(Society Insurance)
January 5, 2004... Agents/brokers Willis Group Holdings Ltd. has made two senior-level appointments: Kevin Downs has been named executive vp of the broker's healthcare practice group. Mr. Downs, who will be based in Chicago, previously was senior vp in Marsh...

Regulators cracking down on tribal alternative to comp; Sovereign immunity at center of legal dispute.(News)
January 5, 2004... Byline: ROBERTO CENICEROS Insurance regulators from California to Connecticut are trying to thwart efforts by some American Indian tribes to offer employers alternatives designed to bypass mandatory workers compensation coverage. The...

Deadline nearing for TPA directory.(News)
January 5, 2004... Business Insurance will publish its online Directory of Third-Party Administrators in conjunction with the Feb. 2 issue. The issue will include a ranking of the top 10 claims administrators and a Spot- light report on claims management. ...

1. Property rate relief; Property rate softening was top risk management story.(Spotlight)
January 5, 2004... Byline: Michael Bradford Insurance buyers will look back on 2003 as a year in which rising coverage costs plateaued in some places and continued to rise in others. The property/casualty insurance market is slightly softer in some spots...

3. Punitive damages.(Spotlight)
January 5, 2004... Byline: Mark A. Hofmann The Supreme Court edged closer to defining exactly how much is too much in punitive damage awards when it handed down its 6-3 decision in State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Co. vs. Curtis B. Campbell et al. in...

5. D&O difficulties.(Spotlight)(Director and officer liability insurance companies try and rescind policies in the wake of continuing compliance and accounting scandals)
January 5, 2004... Byline: Douglas McLeod Several companies facing big directors and officers liability exposures had another tough year trying to collect from D&O insurers that want to rescind their policies. In a trend that began with the first wave of...

4. Insurer struggles.(Spotlight)
January 5, 2004... Byline: Judy Greenwald While many property/casualty insurers enjoyed the benefits of the hard market and double-digit rate increases last year, the picture was far less rosy for others. Kemper Insurance Cos., for example, shut down or...

Timeline of developments in risk management in 2003.(Spotlight)(Calendar)
January 5, 2004... January The federal terrorism backstop appears to be calming a jittery market as property insurance and reinsurance rates begin to level off for risk managers and insurers renewing their accounts in January. But while the property market...

Last year not catastrophic for risk managers; Welcome relief from costly disasters finds buyers focused on regulatory, market changes.(Spotlight)
January 5, 2004... Byline: MICHAEL BRADFORD and DAVE LENCKUS Risk managers are remembering 2003 as a year of relative calm on some fronts and as a gathering storm of regulatory concerns on others. In a sense, the biggest news of the year had to do with...

10 who made insurance-related headlines in 2003.(insurance industry briefs)
January 5, 2004... Warren Buffett is used to stirring fellow investors into action with his public statements about particular stocks, but this year it was fellow reinsurers that were forced to sit up and take notice as he publicly warned of a certain unnamed...

2. ART market growth.(captive market)
January 5, 2004... Byline: Rodd Zolkos The hard insurance market continued to drive insurance buyers into the alternative marketplace in 2003, with captives and other alternative risk transfer vehicles being formed at a brisk pace. Despite a record 455...

Top stories in risk management.(Spotlight)
January 5, 2004... 1. Market conditions begin to soften for some property risks 2. Alternative market booms as captive formations continue 3. Supreme Court says some punitive damage awards may violate Constitution 4. Some insurers' struggles prompt...

Editorial: Predictions for 2004.(Opinions)(Editorial)
January 5, 2004... To be continued... With hindsight, that might have been the most appropriate epitaph for 2002, given the events and trends that we now know characterized 2003. For many risk and benefit managers, it was deja vu all over again as the hard...

Retaliation claims a growing concern; Can be easier to prove than bias.(News)
January 5, 2004... Byline: JUDY GREENWALD U.S. companies are facing an increase in employment-related retaliation claims, which can be challenging for employers to disprove and to quickly dispose of through summary judgment. Retaliation charges are...

London aims to ease U.S. placements; New underwriting slip for nonmarine binding authority.(International)
January 5, 2004... Byline: SARAH VEYSEY LONDON-A new underwriting slip for U.S. nonmarine binding authority business debuted in the London market at the Jan. 1 renewal. The standard slip to be used when placing binding authority business within the...

U.K. directors, auditors may get liability relief; DTI says reforms needed because of changes in litigation, insurance.(U.K. Department of Trade and Industry is proposing a cap on liability )
January 5, 2004... Byline: CAROLYN ALDRED LONDON-The U.K. Department of Trade and Industry is proposing a cap on liability for corporate directors and auditors. Both the Assn. of Insurance & Risk Managers and the Institute of Chartered Accountants in...

P/C insurers' net income sees big 9-month jump.(News)
January 5, 2004... Byline: MARK A. HOFMANN The U.S. property/casualty insurance industry's net income for the first nine months of 2003 hit $21.11 billion-more than four times the $5.02 billion generated during the same period of 2002, according to a survey...

World Updates; Australian court tosses out DVT suit.(International briefs)
January 5, 2004... Two airlines are not liable for a passenger's deep-vein thrombosis, the Court of Appeal in Victoria, Australia, ruled. Brian Povey claimed blood clots in his legs were "caused by an accident'' on board or following a Qantas Airways Ltd. flight...

Industry winners worthy of a cigar.(Commentary)
January 5, 2004... Byline: Douglas McLeod Awards, unfortunately, are a much-debased currency. The entertainment industry has scads of them, enough to provoke parodies like the Award Show Award Show and the Golden Turkey Awards. Thousands of trophies are...

AXA gets penalty over FIFA cover.(Federation Internationale de Football Association sued AXA Colonia Versicherung A.G.)(Brief Article)
January 5, 2004... Byline: REGIS COCCIA ZURICH, Switzerland-A German court ruled late last month that a unit of AXA S.A. wrongly terminated cancellation insurance that it wrote for the FIFA World Cup 2002, according to the Federation Internationale de...

Quakes bring devastation but low insured loss.(News)
January 5, 2004... Byline: ROBERTO CENICEROS Insured losses are still being tallied from two recent earthquakes that struck Iran and California. Tens of thousands of people were killed by a Dec. 26 quake that devastated the region near the city of Bam in...

Bill would eliminate tax break for punitives.(News)
January 5, 2004... Byline: SALLY ROBERTS WASHINGTON-Punitive damage award payments would no longer be a deductible business expense under a provision tucked away in a Senate tax bill awaiting floor action. The Jumpstart Our Business Strength Act, S.1637,...

Kentucky OKs formation of med mal reciprocal.(Healthcare Underwriters Group of Kentucky )
January 5, 2004... Byline: PAUL WINSTON LOUISVILLE, Ky.-Kentucky regulators have approved the formation of a new physician-owned reciprocal insurer to cover medical malpractice liability risks. Healthcare Underwriters Group of Kentucky will operate as a...

Polluters pay billions in cleanup costs.(Brief Article)
January 5, 2004... Byline: BRUCE GEISELMAN WASHINGTON-Polluters paid $2.9 billion to reduce pollution and clean up contamination during fiscal year 2003 as a result of enforcement actions by the federal government. That is about $1 billion less than in...

Panel hits MGA with fraud award; Fortress Re told to pay $1.1 billon.
January 5, 2004... Byline: DOUGLAS McLEOD NEW YORK-A Japanese insurer's $1.1 billion arbitration victory against managing general agent Fortress Re Inc. has led the insurer to seek a court ruling that Fortress Re's principals are similarly liable for...

Late News; Directors & Officers insurers monitor Parmalat collapse.
January 5, 2004... Italian authorities have seized Parmalat S.p.A and arrested several of its executives on charges of fraud and false accounting. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission also has charged the Parma, Italy-based food company with securities...

Illinois governor pushing forward on Canadian drug plan.
January 5, 2004... Byline: JOANNE WOJCIK CHICAGO-Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich is undaunted by federal authorities' rejection of his request for a pilot program that would allow his state to buy prescription drugs from Canada. In addition, Gov....

Low losses, increased capacity help market moderate.
January 12, 2004... Byline: SALLY ROBERTS and MARK A. HOFMANN Risk managers ringing in the New Year by renewing their property insurance policies have reason to celebrate. With few large-scale catastrophes since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks and...

Rate increases generally slowing for D&O [directors and officers] coverage.
January 12, 2004... Byline: DAVE LENCKUS and ROBERTO CENICEROS While directors and officers liability insurance rates will continue to increase for some risks this year, January renewals demonstrate that risk managers should plan for a somewhat softer D&O...

Comp rate increases slowing, but buyers see retentions rise.
January 12, 2004... Byline: MEG FLETCHER Higher retention levels are having a bigger impact than rate increases on buyers of workers compensation coverage during year-end renewals. "On average, policyholders are increasing their retentions by 20%,'' said...

While liability rate hikes slacken, underwriters remain wary.
January 12, 2004... Byline: JOANNE WOJCIK and MICHAEL BRADFORD Rates are higher for commercial general liability insurance policies renewing at year-end 2003, but the degree of increase is nowhere near what it was at the end of 2002, industry observers say....

Medicare reform provision could cost employers; Clarification may ease collections from primary payers.
January 12, 2004... Byline: MARK TAYLOR A little-known provision of the new Medicare reform law could save the program nearly $9 billion from 2004 to 2013 and make it easier for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to collect health care claims...

Errors & omissions.(News)(Correction Notice)
January 12, 2004... * A Jan. 5 story about an arbitration award against managing general agent Fortress Re Inc. listed an incorrect affiliation for one of the arbitrators. Andrew Maneval is president of Horizon Management Group L.L.C., which manages discontinued...

Scandal could hike Directors & Officers rates in Europe; Fraud allegation at Parmalat 'sends a shiver through the ranks of the underwriters'.
January 12, 2004... Byline: SARAH VEYSEY and CAROLYN ALDRED PARMA, Italy-A corporate governance scandal at one of Italy's largest companies could have an impact on the directors and officers rates and terms offered to European companies, experts say. ...

Reinsurance market finds relief following two years of turmoil.(Spotlight: 2003 Market Report.)
January 12, 2004... Byline: DOUGLAS McLEOD and RODD ZOLKOS After a pair of renewal cycles dominated by terrorism losses, concerns about federally mandated terrorism coverage and reinsurer security, this year's Jan. 1 renewals are being described with some...

Products & Services; Book explores terrorism coverage.(Book Review)
January 12, 2004... DALLAS-"Terrorism Insurance: What Risk and Insurance Professionals Must Know'' is a new book from the International Risk Management Institute Inc. that gives a thorough look at terrorism insurance in the United States. The book chronicles...

Australian medical malpractice bailout ends health care crisis for now.
January 12, 2004... Byline: ELIZABETH FRY SYDNEY, Australia-A rescue package unveiled last month by Australian Health Minister Tony Abbott to end the malpractice liability crisis-which prompted 100 public hospital specialists in three states to threaten...

Between the Lines; Some guys have all the luck.
January 12, 2004... Byline: Compiled by Joanne Wojcik Joey Buttafuoco, who gained notoriety from an affair with a teen-ager in the early 1990s, is facing insurance fraud charges in Los Angeles County for allegedly helping undercover investigators file...

Alliance of American Insurers, National Association of Independent Insurers to speak with single voice; Merger expected to bring greater lobbying clout.
January 12, 2004... Byline: MARK A. HOFMANN WASHINGTON-The merger of two major property/casualty insurer trade groups should mean more lobbying clout for the industry in Washington and the statehouses, say risk managers and other insurer trade organizations....

Editorial: Trade group merger a plus.(Editorial)
January 12, 2004... IN AN INDUSTRY in which consolidation has become the rule rather than the exception, the recent merger of two venerable insurer trade groups into one makes more than a little sense. As we report on page 1, the merger of the Alliance of...

New NAIC [National association of Insurance Commissioners] president focused on pushing efforts to modernize state regulation.
January 12, 2004... Byline: MEG FLETCHER COLUMBIA, S.C.-In his 53 years, Ernst Csiszar has attained fluency in five languages, fled Communist Romania on foot, survived cancer and made two holes in one in golf-and this year he faces yet another big challenge....

Cash balance controversy chills employer enthusiasm; Ruling on IBM plan awaited.
January 12, 2004... Byline: JERRY GEISEL Many employers with cash balance and other hybrid pension plans will exit the defined benefit plan system if a federal court ruling that IBM Corp.'s cash balance plan discriminates against older employees is upheld,...

Be more afraid of doing nothing.
January 12, 2004... Byline: Paul Winston There are plenty of instances when risks engender fear. This is not necessarily a bad thing, as it can spur people to action-be it to avoid the risk or to try and manage it. Fearing the damage from natural catastrophes...

World Updates; Lloyd's reaches record-high capacity.
January 12, 2004... Lloyd's of London has capacity to write u14.9 billion ($26.58 billion) of business in 2004, the market has announced. At the start of 2003, Lloyd's had capacity of u14.4 billion ($23.00 billion), according to a Lloyd's statement. By the end of...

Advocacy firms help cure benefit troubles; Services go to bat for employers, workers.
January 12, 2004... Byline: SALLY ROBERTS As employers continue to shift some of the rising health care cost burden onto employees, more are beginning to ease the pain by offering health advocacy services as an employee benefit. Staffed with medical,...

P/C pricing barometer losing pressure.(Property and casualty insurance.)(Brief Article)
January 12, 2004... Byline: Gavin Souter Average property/casualty rate increases moderated significantly during 2003 but still remained in excess of 10% at year's end, according to the "Market Barometer'' of Internet insurance portal Marketscout.com. ...

Captive plan could lower barrier to benefits funding.
January 12, 2004... Byline: JERRY GEISEL WASHINGTON-A major Swedish company's bid to use a branch of its Ireland-based captive to fund the benefit risks of its U.S. employees could further lower the barriers to captive benefit funding arrangements. ...

Carmakers make good on pension deficits; Is the funding crisis over?
January 12, 2004... Byline: JOANNE WOJCIK DETROIT-While some pension experts say General Motors Corp.'s announcement last week that it has fully funded its retirement plan obligations may signal the end of the pension funding crisis, others are more cautious....

Flash Airlines sea crash jet insured for $550 million.(Brief Article)
January 12, 2004... Byline: Sarah Veysey SHARM EL-SHEIKH, Egypt-A Flash Airlines Boeing 737-700 that crashed into the Red Sea on Jan. 3 was insured by Port Said, Egypt-based El Shark Insurance Co., according to the airline. The flight crashed into the sea...

Judge confirms Sphere Drake arbitration ruling.
January 12, 2004... Byline: Dave Lenckus NEW YORK-A federal judge last week confirmed an arbitration award allowing reinsurer Sphere Drake Insurance Ltd. to rescind six workers compensation carve-out reinsurance policies it wrote for Clarendon National...

Fortress Re partially settles fraud claims.(Brief Article)
January 12, 2004... Byline: Douglas McLeod BURLINGTON, N.C.-Managing general agent Fortress Re Inc. has paid three Japanese insurers $265 million in what the insurers describe as a partial settlement of claims that Fortress defrauded them of hundreds of...

Mutual fund scandal prompts scrutiny of 401(k) practices.
January 12, 2004... Byline: JUDY GREENWALD Plan sponsors are keeping a close eye on the unfolding mutual fund scandal because of its potential impact on their employees' 401(k) funds and concerns about their own fiduciary liability. Most are still taking...

Late News; Wal-Mart settles suit over COLI [corporate-owned life insurance] policies.
January 12, 2004... Wal-Mart Stores Inc. has settled a lawsuit that charged the employer's corporate-owned life insurance policies violated Texas law. In the 1990s Wal-Mart purchased life insurance policies on its employees and made itself the beneficiary to...

Editorial: Health plan aid a benefit.(Opinions)(Brief Article)(Editorial)
January 12, 2004... It's a shame that an increasing number of employers feel it is necessary to contract with outside firms to represent their employees in disputes with their health care plans. But it is also a pragmatic approach to what seems to be a growing...

Louisiana HMO allowed to pursue subrogation against participant.(Louisiana health maintenance organisation court case)
January 19, 2004... Byline: DAVE LENCKUS WASHINGTON-A Louisiana health plan may subrogate against a plan participant who received multiple insurance awards for a single injury, after the U.S. Supreme Court last week declined to hear an appeal of the case. ...

California employers fear litigation from new labor code law.(Labor Code Private Attorneys General Act of 2004)
January 19, 2004... Byline: JUDY GREENWALD California employers will face numerous lawsuits because of a new law that provides financial incentives for workers to sue their employers for labor code violations, observers warn. The Labor Code Private...

Comings & Goings.(appointments)
January 19, 2004... Insurers Allied World Assurance Co. Ltd. has named Scott Carmilani as president and chief executive officer. He succeeds Michael I.D. Morrison, who will serve as director and vice chairman. Before joining Hamilton, Bermuda-based AWAC, Mr....

Guidelines on submitting a Perspective to BI.(Perspective)
January 19, 2004... Business Insurance accepts articles from experts in commercial insurance, risk management and employee benefit management for publication in its Perspectives section. The section is intended to be a forum for reader opinions and discussion...

Rising costs spur employers to look at retiree benefit cuts.(News)
January 19, 2004... Byline: JERRY GEISEL As the cost of offering retiree health care coverage grows at a double-digit rate, many employers are considering terminating coverage for future retirees and boosting cost-sharing for current participants. Costs...

Alcatel cuts cover for U.S. retirees; Current, future retirees to lose health benefits.(News)
January 19, 2004... Byline: MICHAEL BRADFORD PLANO, Texas-Current and future retirees from a large telecommunications company will have to shoulder all the cost of their health insurance in an unusual and extreme benefit cutback. Alcatel Inc., the Plano,...

German firms cut future pensions; Employer moves occur amid debate over government's benefits burden.(International)
January 19, 2004... Byline: SARAH VEYSEY Several major German employers are reducing or eliminating their private pension plans, at a time when the country's government is also considering changes to state-provided retirement benefits. Many companies in...

Once upon a time, there was a CEO...(Commentary)
January 19, 2004... Byline: Rodd Zolkos With the year just beginning, it remains to be seen what kind of story the insurance industry writes in 2004. But insurers' generally strong 2003 prompted concerns last week that there are some ready to trade in the...

ISO seeking to narrow CGL cover for additional insureds; Construction companies call amendments too restrictive.(Insurance Services Office Inc., seeking to narrow commercial general liability cover)
January 19, 2004... Byline: MEG FLETCHER Proposed changes to commercial general liability insurance policies intended to curb the scope of coverage under the additional insured endorsement are being welcomed by insurers but are drawing criticism from...

Forewarned, but hardly forearmed.(warning signs )
January 19, 2004... Byline: Paul Winston A broker last week drew my attention to an example of the increasingly common practice of relying on warning signs as a cheap substitute for more effective risk management measures. The object of his scorn? The...

Editorial: Save captives from bad rap.(Opinions)(Editorial)
January 19, 2004... Are captive insurance companies no more than tax dodges? If one relied on a reading of the mainstream financial press, one could come to such a conclusion. Take, for example, an article in last week's Wall Street Journal that described...

Canadian drug controversy generating new side effects.(International)
January 19, 2004... Byline: GLORIA GONZALEZ OTTAWA-A move by Canada's largest medical liability insurer to limit its exposure to claims involving the reimportation of prescription drugs to the United States has cast further doubt on the future of the...