Business Insurance articles from March 2004

Business Insurance archives from March 2004

Sliding scale health premiums draw interest.(News)
March 1, 2004... Byline: MARY ELLEN PODMOLIK As president of Rockwell FirstPoint Contact Corp., Terry Murphy has one of the highest salaries at the 500-employee, Wood Dale, Ill.-based company. But he also pays more for health care. Mr. Murphy, a former...

EAP directory deadline approaches.(Business Insurance to publish online directories of employee assistance programs and dependent care resource and referral service providers)
March 1, 2004... Business Insurance will publish its online directories of employee assistance programs and dependent care resource and referral service providers on March 29. That week's issue of BI will include rankings of both types of companies, as well as...

Medstat makes money by helping companies save; Reducing health care costs prompts big growth for information firm.(News)(Company Profile)
March 1, 2004... Byline: ANDREW DIETDERICH When Ernest Ludy started Ann Arbor, Mich.-based Medstat Group Inc. in 1981, he had $330,000 from friends and business contacts and a simple plan: Cut health care costs for employers. Twenty-three years later...

Terror, war threats demand focus on management of AD&D exposures.(accidental death and dismemberment exposure )
March 1, 2004... Byline: Steve Mueller The daily realities of terrorist attacks, acts of war and other tragedies have increased the possibility of death and injury to large numbers of employees and have made this potentially catastrophic financial risk a...

Avoid pitfalls in benchmarking for savings; Accurate data, analyzed properly, can help reduce losses, insurance costs.(Perspectives)
March 1, 2004... Byline: George G. Pallis Many organizations are making greater use of benchmarking in their risk management efforts. Gaining the most from these activities requires a clear understanding of the objectives and a careful consideration of how...

Documenting progress key to rehabilitation; Measuring progress reduces costs, aids return to work efforts.(Perspectives)
March 1, 2004... Byline: Marjorie K. Manahan, Mark S. Dakos and Dr. David C. Bachman The biggest cost driver in workers compensation litigation is the unknown. As long as the improvement in the physical performance of the injured worker remains...

Comings & Goings - Buyers.(News)
March 1, 2004... Jeffrey W. Pettegrew has been appointed executive director of the Sacramento-base California Self-Insurers' Security Fund, a nonprofit mutual benefit corporation chartered by private self-insured California companies. The fund provides...

How to submit an article for Business Insurance's Perspectives.(Perspectives)
March 1, 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 readers' opinions and the...

Legal Briefs: Fruit-picking accident compensable under comp.(Court of Appeals cases)
March 1, 2004... The compensability of a workers compensation claim basically turns upon whether the employee was acting for the benefit of her employer to any appreciable extent when an accident occurred, according to the Court of Appeals of North Carolina....

Editorial: Look to states for med mal reform.(Opinions)(Editorial)
March 1, 2004... GETTING MEDICAL MALPRACTICE liability reform legislation through the Senate was the longest of three long-shot tort reforms this year. We applaud Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn., for his effort and pledge to keep pushing for...

Comings & Goings.(News)
March 1, 2004... Insurers: Hamilton, Bermuda-based ACE Ltd. has made several senior-level appointments. * Peter Seymour has been named senior vp-marine for ACE Overseas General, with responsibility for all marine business outside the United States....

Taking stock: Will it really be different this underwriting cycle? Market signs, old lines offering cause for cynicism.(News)
March 1, 2004... Byline: Myron M. Picoult "The Devil's Dictionary,'' by Ambrose Bierce, defines a cynic as "a blackguard whose faulty vision sees things as they are, not as they ought to be. Hence, the custom among the Scythians of plucking out a cynic's...

Canada seeing shift to DC pension plans.(International)
March 1, 2004... Byline: GLORIA GONZALEZ Many Canadian employers are moving from defined benefit pension plans to defined contribution plans as they try to hold down plan costs. Last month, Montreal-based Air Canada's new equity investor, Trinity Time...

World Updates; Corporate killing law not seen as big catalyst.(International briefs)
March 1, 2004... Many employers in the United Kingdom believe that a corporate killing law would not necessarily improve health and safety management, a survey of 105 U.K. businesses concludes. While 41% thought that a corporate killing law might improve safety...

U.S. vulnerability to cyberattack studied.(News)
March 1, 2004... Byline: MARK A. HOFMANN WASHINGTON-The federal government may have to take a more intrusive role in promoting cybersecurity, a senator suggested last week during a hearing on cyberterrorism. Between 85% and 90% of the nation's...

IRS sends warning to piggish PORCs.(Commentary)
March 1, 2004... Byline: Douglas McLeod It's almost tax time again, and some clients of American Bankers Insurance Group Inc. may be feeling a little queasy. The Internal Revenue Service has subpoenaed the Miami-based insurer, a unit of Assurant Inc.,...

Insured catastrophe losses near $16 billion in 2003; Up 37% over 2002: Munich Re study.(International)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... Byline: Sarah Veysey Insured losses from natural catastrophes totaled about $15.8 billion in 2003, up 37.4% over 2002, according to a report by Munich Reinsurance Co. In addition, the 700 natural catastrophe events recorded in 2003...

Errors & omissions.(News)(Correction Notice)
March 1, 2004... * Due to incomplete information supplied by Verdictsearch.com, a Feb. 16 chart of the largest jury verdicts of 2003 misidentified one of the case names. The proper name of the case is International Paper Co. vs. Affiliated FM Insurance Co., et...

E.C. urges action on ship safety; E.U. directive at issue.(International)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... Byline: Peta Miller BRUSSELS, Belgium-Twelve European Union member states have not yet implemented maritime safety legislation that was developed by the European Commission following the Erika oil tanker accident in 1999. In a...

More can be done to cut Rx costs.(Opinions)
March 1, 2004... IF THERE EVER was a benefit program in need of cost management, it is prescription drug coverage. As much as group health care costs have risen over the past few years, the costs of prescription drugs have risen even more, with 15% to 20%...

IRS to scrutinize big pension plans; Audit program stepped up.(News)
March 1, 2004... Byline: JUDY GREENWALD WASHINGTON-Employers with large pension plans should brace themselves for the possibility of extensive Internal Revenue Service audits of their defined contribution and defined benefit plans. A two-year, limited...

Buyers pay more for less: Marsh; Casualty cost of risk survey.(News)
March 1, 2004... Byline: MEG FLETCHER Buyers who pay more for less coverage while retaining more risk are becoming a fixture in the primary casualty market, according to the most recent annual study from Marsh Inc. U.S. businesses overall are spending...

Pennsylvania keeps door open on asbestos successor liability.(News)
March 1, 2004... Byline: DOUGLAS McLEOD PHILADELPHIA-Pennsylvania's highest court has struck down a state asbestos reform law aimed at limiting corporations' successor liability for asbestos claims assumed as a result of mergers and acquisitions. In...

ADEA for older workers: Court; Ruling allows more generous benefits for those over 40.(Age Discrimination in Employment Act)
March 1, 2004... Byline: JERRY GEISEL WASHINGTON-Employers can provide less-generous benefits to younger workers than to older workers without violating federal age discrimination law, the Supreme Court has ruled. In its first ruling on the issue, the...

Senate reform vote falls short; Malpractice bill failure may hurt other measures' chances.(News)
March 1, 2004... Byline: MARK A. HOFMANN WASHINGTON-The Senate's failure to proceed with limited medical malpractice liability reform last week could muddy the outlook for approval of other tort reform measures. The medical malpractice vote could be...

Wholesalers hope deal spurs growth.( acquisition of Property Risk Services L.L.C.)
March 1, 2004... Byline: JOANNE WOJCIK CHARLOTTE, N.C.-American Wholesale Insurance Group Inc., one of the nation's largest wholesalers, is positioning itself for growth after acquiring Property Risk Services L.L.C., a wholesaler that specializes in the...

Suit seeks drug reimportation; Lawsuit targets prescription drug laws.(News)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... Byline: GLORIA GONZALEZ WASHINGTON-A Chicago couple has filed suit-with the encouragement of Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich's office-in a bid to force the Department of Health and Human Services and the Food and Drug Administration to allow...

Lloyd's names mull changes in liability.(News)
March 1, 2004... Byline: SARAH VEYSEY LONDON-Groups representing unlimited liability investors in Lloyd's of London are working on a project aimed at giving the Lloyd's names more options to convert to limited liability partnerships from their current...

Few hospitals meeting Leapfrog standards on safety, study shows.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... Byline: Joanne Wojcik Despite an aggressive nationwide campaign to improve patient safety, few hospitals have been able to meet the Leapfrog Group's standards, primarily because of their cost, according to a study released last week by the...

So would you call them 'moneygrubs'?(News)
March 1, 2004... Byline: Paul Winston U.S. employers, always searching for creative ideas from other nations on how to lower their soaring health care costs, may soon turn to the United Kingdom for new inspiration. Over the past year, increasing...

U.S. Steel benefits from drug subsidy.(News)
March 1, 2004... Byline: JERRY GEISEL PITTSBURGH-U.S. Steel Corp. has slashed its future retiree health care obligations by hundreds of millions of dollars as a result of the 2003 federal law that adds a prescription drug benefit to the Medicare program,...

Broker didn't inform insurers of form switch.(News)
March 1, 2004... Byline: DOUGLAS McLEOD NEW YORK-Brokers at Willis Group Holdings Ltd. intended to switch the World Trade Center property program to a Travelers Property/Casualty Corp. form that might define the WTC's destruction as two occurrences but...

Bank settles property claim; Allianz, AXA to pay Deutsche Bank $140 million.(News)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... Byline: GLORIA GONZALEZ NEW YORK-Deutsche Bank A.G. has reached an agreement with its insurers in the dispute over the bank's claim on its heavily damaged office tower near the World Trade Center. John Massopust, a lawyer for Allianz...

Late News.(briefs)
March 1, 2004... Court clears IBM of illness liability A Santa Clara County, Calif., jury cleared IBM Corp. from potential liability when it found that two former IBM workers did not suffer systemic chemical poisoning from their work at the company's San...

Hospital mergers limit payer options and boost costs.(News)
March 8, 2004... Byline: ROBERTO CENICEROS The consolidation of hospitals into large systems is hampering employers' ability to shape their provider networks and negotiate for the quality and cost of health care, some purchasing groups say. Hospital...

Between the Lines; Shear brilliance for a good cause.(National Childhood Cancer Foundation)
March 8, 2004... Byline: Compiled by Joanne Wojcik While some self-conscious men may opt for "comb-overs'' to hide receding hairlines, nearly 2,000 men, women and children will bravely bare it in the name of charity this week during the annual St....

Importance of collateral overstated; Regulators should consider flexible approach in requiring non-U.S. reinsurers to post funds.(Perspectives)
March 8, 2004... Byline: Dave Matcham Security considerations are of course a vitally important part of any reinsurance buying process and were rightly highlighted by the American Insurance Assn. in Steven A. Bennett's Dec. 15, 2003, Business Insurance...

Employers finding corporate gyms work out well; Investment in onsite fitness centers viewed as valuable benefit tool.(News)
March 8, 2004... Byline: LISA FICKENSHER NEW YORK-For three years, Wall Street firms laid off thousands of employees, slashed a host of department budgets and watched profits plunge. One area that never came under the knife, however, was the corporate...

Legal briefs: Invasion of privacy claim exempted from exclusion.(Perspectives)
March 8, 2004... A clause in a commercial general liability insurance policy excluding coverage for assault and battery did not apply to a claim for invasion of privacy, according to the Supreme Court of New Hampshire. Docusearch Inc. was covered under a...

Double-digit revenue and profit growth reported; But rate stabilizing will make numbers hard to sustain in 2004.(News)
March 8, 2004... Byline: SALLY ROBERTS Acquisitions, recruitment, new business and rate increases were key plays among the world's largest publicly held insurance brokers in 2003. All of the public brokers surveyed by Business Insurance reported...

Products & Services; E&O coverage offered for professionals.(News)
March 8, 2004... WARREN, N.J.-Chubb Group of Insurance Cos. is offering a new errors and omissions insurance program that provides coverage for individuals in more than 40 professional categories. Among the various professionals to whom the Chubb PROE&O...

GAO finds number of bogus health plans on the increase.(News)(General Accounting Office)
March 8, 2004... Byline: MARK A. HOFMANN WASHINGTON-Health insurance scams appear to be on the rise, according to a new report by the General Accounting Office. The report-"Private Health Insurance: Employer and Individuals Are Vulnerable to...

Jobs hurt by tort system woes; Sensenbrenner says worker support needed for reform.(News)
March 8, 2004... Byline: MARK A. HOFMANN WASHINGTON-Employers must persuade workers that civil justice reform is in their best interests to boost tort reform efforts' chances of success, according to the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee. The...

World Updates; European reinsurers' premium volume grows.(International)(Seibels & Williams Inc., )
March 8, 2004... The premium volume of Europe's four largest reinsurers grew by 2% at the Jan. 1, 2004, renewal, according to estimates by London-based Benfield Group Ltd. About two-thirds of the treaty business written by Munich Reinsurance Co., Swiss...

Singapore adopts risk-based capital rules; Market among first in Asia to tighten insurer solvency requirements.(International)
March 8, 2004... Byline: MICHAEL BRADFORD SINGAPORE-Insurers and reinsurers in Singapore are coming under closer financial scrutiny as new risk-based capital requirements give regulators a better tool to gauge the strength of the companies. The new...

Employers get safe harbor for small pension rollovers.(News)
March 8, 2004... Byline: JERRY GEISEL WASHINGTON-Employers taking advantage of a proposed Labor Department safe harbor would be shielded from fiduciary liability when they transfer terminating employees' small pension distributions to individual retirement...

Business losses from Haiti upheaval likely to be minimal.(News)
March 8, 2004... Byline: GLORIA GONZALEZ PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti-Despite widespread political violence in Haiti, political risk insurers expect only minimal insured losses in the country because of limited foreign investment there. Violent opposition to...

Errors and omissions.(News)
March 8, 2004... * A Comings & Goings: Industry item in the March 1 issue failed to note that Robert W. Lampus, president of RiskProNet International Inc., will continue in his position as senior vp and gen- eral counsel for Dawson Insurance Inc.

Coordinate risk response.(Opinions)
March 8, 2004... THE ADAGE HOLDS THAT "forewarned is forearmed.'' We certainly hope that applies to combating cyberterrorism as it does to responding to more-mundane threats. As we reported last week, experts of all stripes testified before the Senate...

Insurer financial security is troubling risk managers; Reserve inadequacy of concern: RIMS survey.(News)
March 8, 2004... Byline: MICHAEL BRADFORD Risk managers are seeing insurance prices fall or stabilize for many lines of coverage, but they worry that their markets are not as strong as they used to be, a recent survey reveals. Concerns over market...

No getting away from med mal crisis.(News)
March 8, 2004... Byline: Paul Winston What if you wanted to switch employers for a different or better position, but weren't allowed to leave your old job for another or better one elsewhere? Your only option is to continue in your present position or quit...

Asbestos maker's move raises queries; Liability fund adequacy questioned.(International)
March 8, 2004... Byline: ELIZABETH FRY SYDNEY, Australia-Australian authorities are investigating the circumstances of the redomestication of one of the country's leading asbestos manufacturers and allegations that the funds it left behind to meet its...

Pollution directive adds uncertainty.(International)
March 8, 2004... Byline: PETA MILLER BRUSSELS, Belgium-Although two controversial provisions of the European Union's environmental liability directive have been dropped from the final version, others open up new areas of liability that currently are...

Editorial: Buyer beware on insurer security.(Opinions)(Editorial)
March 8, 2004... RISK MANAGERS ARE RIGHT to be concerned about the security of their insurers. Despite a general increase in property/casualty insurer profitability over the past couple of years, the huge drag on earnings that prior years' liabilities have...

Dozens missing after Philippine ferry disaster.(International)(Brief Article)
March 8, 2004... Byline: Peta Miller MANILA, Philippines-A ferry that caught fire and listed late last month in the central Philippines was insured for [pounds sterling]12 million ($22.4 million) on an excess hull slip led at Lloyd's of London, sources...

IRS tax proposal would be costly for universities; Expands 403(b) plans.(News)(Internal Revenue Service)
March 8, 2004... Byline: JERRY GEISEL WASHINGTON-Colleges and universities would be hit with bigger payroll taxes and would have to extend their 403(b) retirement savings plans to more individuals who work at the schools under newly proposed Internal...

Most losses from bird flu outbreak unlikely to trigger insurance cover.(News)
March 8, 2004... Byline: MEG FLETCHER Poultry producers' mounting losses from bird flu-for which insurance sources say coverage is doubtful-are prompting extensive risk control efforts both in the United States and in harder-hit Asian countries. More...

Tanker's hull insured in Norway.(News)(Brief Article)
March 8, 2004... Byline: PETA MILLER NORFOLK, Va.-The Bow Mariner tanker, which sank off the coast of Virginia last week, was insured for $11 million by the Norwegian Hull Club, according to the insurer's claims manager. The vessel exploded and sank...

Plan to switch form revealed after WTC loss: Swiss Re exec.(News)(World Trade Center)
March 8, 2004... Byline: DOUGLAS McLEOD NEW YORK-Swiss Reinsurance Co. didn't find out until after the World Trade Center's destruction that leaseholder Silverstein Properties Inc. planned to switch the WTC program to a policy form that Silverstein claims...

Late News; GE can challenge Superfund law: Court.(General Electric Co. )
March 8, 2004... General Electric Co. can proceed with a constitutional challenge to the law that created Superfund, according to a federal appeals court. The ruling arises from the company's legal challenge to an Environmental Protection Agency order that GE...

Amid flat growth, Bermuda aims for broader appeal.(Spotlight: Self-Insurance Captive Management)(Bermuda Monetary Authority's )
March 15, 2004... Byline: MICHAEL BRADFORD HAMILTON, Bermuda-Bermuda, despite its image as a sophisticated and pricey domicile, is attracting a larger share of smaller captive owners to the neighborhood that historically has been the home of some very large...

Barbados expects to see 2004 growth.(Spotlight: Self-Insurance Captive Management)
March 15, 2004... Byline: GLORIA GONZALEZ BRIDGETOWN, Barbados-An aggressive marketing campaign and favorable legislative changes are expected to fuel stronger growth in the Barbados captives industry in 2004 than was seen last year, managers say. ...

State gains as an onshore alternative to Vermont.(Spotlight: Self-Insurance Captive Management)(South Carolina Department of Insurance)
March 15, 2004... Byline: JERRY GEISEL COLUMBIA, S.C.-South Carolina is poised for another banner year after a record number of captive formations in 2003. Last year, the South Carolina Department of Insurance licensed 37 captives, swelling the state's...

Coming PCC regs expected to attract more business; Niche products, supportive regulators, low solvency mandates draw global clients.(Spotlight: Self-Insurance Captive Management)
March 15, 2004... Byline: CAROLYN ALDRED DOUGLAS, Isle of Man-Prompted by several years of a hard insurance market, renewed interest in captives is resulting in premium growth and new formations on the Isle of Man. A total of 12 new captives were...

Strong state support helps domicile keep top U.S. status.(Spotlight: Self-Insurance Captive Management)
March 15, 2004... Byline: RODD ZOLKOS MONTPELIER, Vt.-With a second straight record-setting year for new captive formations, Vermont continues to solidify its spot as the foremost U.S. captive domicile, as well as a world captive leader. Even as newer...

Captive growth flat in Singapore.(Spotlight: Self-Insurance Captive Management)
March 15, 2004... Byline: MICHAEL BRADFORD SINGAPORE-Singapore has settled into a sort of equilibrium as a captive domicile. The domicile's captive count dipped slightly, to 49 in 2003, two fewer than Singapore had on its rolls the year before. Already...

Credit life insurers leaving for other climes.(Spotlight: Self-Insurance Captive Management)
March 15, 2004... Byline: DOUGLAS McLEOD TORTOLA, British Virgin Islands-The British Virgin Islands' captive insurance sector is growing steadily, even as the number of BVI-domiciled credit life insurers shrinks. The islands' Financial Services...

West Coast risks help set record captive growth.(Spotlight: Self-Insurance Captive Management)
March 15, 2004... Byline: ROBERTO CENICEROS HONOLULU-Hawaii's captive industry experienced record growth in 2003, adding 21 entities to its list of licensed facilities and bringing its year-end total to 122. The domicile's previous growth record stood...

No record year, but med mal crisis brings solid gains.(Spotlight: Self-Insurance Captive Management)(Willis Management Ltd.)
March 15, 2004... Byline: SALLY ROBERTS GRAND CAYMAN, B.W.I.-Continued difficulty in the medical malpractice insurance market was a catalyst for another strong year of captive formations in the Cayman Islands in 2003. The world's second-largest captive...

Firm market helps boost Guernsey's captive ranks.(Spotlight: Self-Insurance Captive Management)
March 15, 2004... Byline: SARAH VEYSEY ST. PETER PORT, Guernsey-Guernsey's captive insurance industry had another year of steady growth in 2003, with 20 new traditional captives and 12 protected cell companies receiving licenses to operate on the Channel...

Insurance crunch driving broad gains in captives.(Spotlight: Self-Insurance Captive Management)
March 15, 2004... Byline: JERRY GEISEL The captive insurance company market is, in a word, hot. Several major domiciles, including the Cayman Islands, Vermont, Hawaii and South Carolina licensed either a record or near-record number of captives in 2003....

Market woes foster expansion in captive numbers and lines.(Spotlight: Self-Insurance Captive Management)
March 15, 2004... Byline: SARAH VEYSEY DUBLIN, Ireland-After holding steady for a few years, the number of captives surged in Dublin in 2003, breaking the 200 barrier for the first time. New Dublin captives are being formed to give owners risk-financing...

Interruption loss offers risk lessons; Business Continuity, The Risk Management Expo.(International)
March 15, 2004... Byline: SARAH VEYSEY LONDON-When a British resort operator's business continuity and crisis management plans were tested by a fire, it learned some valuable lessons to better prepare for future risks, an executive says. A major fire in...

Domicile gains from clarified tax status for French parents; Availability of equalization reserves also draws Europeans.(Spotlight: Self-Insurance Captive Management)
March 15, 2004... Byline: PETA MILLER LUXEMBOURG-Although Luxembourg saw only modest net growth in captives in 2003, it did add 12 captives last year, in part due to growing interest among French companies. Business Insurance estimates that Luxembourg...

Medicare Rx benefit shaving future retiree health care costs.(News)
March 15, 2004... Byline: JERRY GEISEL More big employers are reporting that the new Medicare prescription drug benefit law will slash their future retiree health care obligations by hundreds of millions of dollars. General Motors Corp. reported late...

Turks & Caicos sees little impact from IRS actions.(Spotlight: Self-Insurance Captive Management)
March 15, 2004... Byline: DOUGLAS McLEOD GRAND TURK, Turks & Caicos Islands-The Turks & Caicos Islands' captive industry saw steady growth last year and is expected to continue expanding slowly in 2004. The domicile saw a net increase of 16 captives...

Airline investor encouraging shift to new pension plan.(International)
March 15, 2004... Byline: GLORIA GONZALEZ MONTREAL-Air Canada Inc.'s new equity investor hopes that financial incentives will encourage airline employees to switch from a defined benefit pension plan to a new defined contribution plan. Hong Kong-based...

Slouching into the 21st century.(Commentary)
March 15, 2004... Byline: Rodd Zolkos I'm about to out myself in a sense to colleagues in the office and other friends and acquaintances who for some time now have been in on my secret. Actually, it wasn't really much of a secret; I've been quite open...

IOC seeking contingency coverage for 2004 Games; Organizers facing a tight market in race to win $200 million in limits.(International)(International Olympic Committee )
March 15, 2004... Byline: CAROLYN ALDRED LONDON-The International Olympic Committee is seeking up to $200 million in contingency insurance in case the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens are canceled or abandoned. The main risks that could lead to a...

Hard market has a positive effect.(Opinions)(Insurance)
March 15, 2004... WHILE PERHAPS NOT seen at the time, there has been a silver lining to the hard commercial insurance market of the last few years. Confronted with huge rate hikes, hundreds, if not thousands, of businesses and professionals have looked for...

Holes in witness' memory at issue in coverage trial.(News)
March 15, 2004... Byline: GAVIN SOUTER NEW YORK-Lawyers for Silverstein Properties Inc. threatened to bring a psychologist to the stand to testify on the nature of memory after the judge in the World Trade Center coverage trial again queried whether a key...

World Updates; Marsh buys Heath's Australian operations.(International)
March 15, 2004... Heath Lambert Group P.L.C. has sold its Australian brokerage unit, Sydney-based Heath Lambert Australia Pty. Ltd., to New York-based Marsh Inc. The operations include all 16 Heath Lambert offices in Australia, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea...

Insurers called influential in forming continuity plans; Business Continuity, The Risk Management Expo.(International)
March 15, 2004... Byline: SARAH VEYSEY Nearly one-quarter of U.K. enterprises that have business continuity plans cite their insurers as having influenced the decision to implement the plans, a survey reveals. The survey was conducted by the Chartered...

Senate GOP to push med mal reform this year; RIMS on the Hill 2004.(News)
March 15, 2004... Byline: MARK A. HOFMANN WASHINGTON-The Senate will take up medical malpractice reform legislation yet again the last week of March, according to one of the Senate's key reform proponents. But Sen. John Ensign, R-Nev., added that the...