Business Insurance articles from November 2003

Business Insurance archives from November 2003

The Overlawyered Group; www.overlawyered.com.(Best of the Web)(Brief Article)
November 3, 2003... Byline: Mark A. Hofmann Walter Olson, a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute and the author of some of the best-known books about abuse of the legal system, provides a valuable public service by acting as editor of...

Deal to create new HMO giant; Anthem, WellPoint merger to add scale, broaden reach.(News)
November 3, 2003... Byline: JUDY GREENWALD INDIANAPOLIS-The new managed care company to be formed by the $16.4 billion merger between Indianapolis-based Anthem Inc. and Thousand Oaks, Calif.-based WellPoint Health Network will provide large employers with an...

Market spurs increased interest in captive insurers; FERMA Risk Management Forum 2003.(News)
November 3, 2003... Byline: RODD ZOLKOS ROME-Captive insurance companies are increasingly becoming the backbone of corporate risk financing programs, one risk manager says. Matthew McEwan, group risk manager for Novar P.L.C. in London, made that...

Pricing disparity is one bitter pill.(News)(same drugs are much cheaper in Canada than in United States)
November 3, 2003... Byline: Paul Winston I'm not an economist-heck, I'm not even good with numbers-but the battles that appear to be leading to a U.S./Canada drug war don't seem to add up. For various reasons, prescription drugs are much cheaper in Canada...

Editorial: Cash balance plans merit good regs.(Opinions)
November 3, 2003... WE WERE DISAPPOINTED when the Treasury Department put out word that it is backing away from promulgating cash balance pension plan regulations. Judging by word sent out by Treasury officials, the department had been very close to...

Mold issues growing in Canada; 28th RIMS Canada Conference.(News)
November 3, 2003... Byline: JOANNE WOJCIK VICTORIA, British Columbia-Toxic mold litigation is creeping over the United States' northern border and germinating on the "Wet Coast'' of Canada, where the climate is conducive to mold growth. But exclusions...

Hotel chain to get payout for SARS-related losses.(International)(Brief Article)
November 3, 2003... Byline: GAVIN SOUTER HONG KONG-Mandarin Oriental International Ltd. will receive $16 million from its insurers to pay for business interruption losses suffered by the group's hotels in Asia as a result of the severe acute respiratory...

Treasury to survey buyers on terror insurance market; Congress to consider poll results in evaluating TRIA.(News)
November 3, 2003... Byline: MARK A. HOFMANN WASHINGTON-Risk managers should keep a close eye on the mailbox starting this week. That's because selected risk managers will receive questionnaires from the U.S. Treasury Department concerning the state of...

UnitedHealth to expand with Mid Atlantic purchase.(News)
November 3, 2003... Byline: JERRY GEISEL MINNEAPOLIS-UnitedHealth Group Inc.'s proposed $2.7 billion acquisition of Mid Atlantic Medical Services Inc. will give a boost to one of the nation's biggest managed health care plans in a part of the country where it...

World Updates; Converium sees big gain in profits.(International)(meshed briefs)
November 3, 2003... Converium Holding Ltd. has posted net income of $128.9 million for the first nine months of 2003, up from $26.0 million for the comparable period last year. Holding down profits last year was a $59.6 million reserve increase in the third...

Answer the TRIA survey.(Opinions)(Terrorism Risk Insurance Act)(Brief Article)
November 3, 2003... SOME RISK MANAGERS will have a unique opportunity to shape federal policy during the next year or so. In fact, the opportunity could begin as early as this week, as the U.S. Treasury Department sends out the first of three surveys to...

NAIC rethinks RRG expansion.(News)(National Assnociation of Insurance Commissioners working on expansion of the Risk Retention Act)(Risk Retention Groups)
November 3, 2003... Byline: JERRY GEISEL WASHINGTON-The National Assn. of Insurance Commissioners is setting up a working group to help the NAIC stake out a position on expansion of the Risk Retention Act. The NAIC put aside a draft resolution that would...

American Arbitration Assn. www.adr.org.(Best of the Web)(evaluation of organization's Web site)(Brief Article)
November 3, 2003... Byline: Paul Winston Although the Internet might seem like it would be a popular medium for facilitating dispute resolution, relatively few sites offer such online capabilities. And even fewer provide such tools along with free information...

Benfield Hazard Research Centre; www.benfieldhrc.org.(Best of the Web)(Brief Article)
November 3, 2003... Byline: Neil Hodge Sponsored by Benfield Greig and the Department of Earth Sciences at the University of London, this Web site is one of the few that deals with natural phenomena and crisis management in any depth. The Benfield Hazard...

Are banks getting the quality they're paying for? High multiples spent for top agencies put pricing pressure on the market.(Agent/Broker Topics: Financial Convergence)
November 3, 2003... Byline: SALLY ROBERTS Banks wanting to enter into the insurance industry via an agency acquisition are willing to pay big bucks to do so and are driving up agency values and expectations along with them. Because these banks have no...

Employers liability reform views vary; No-fault system or self-insurance could stem rising rates in the U.K.(International)
November 3, 2003... Byline: SARAH VEYSEY LONDON-In response to wide-spread concern about the rising cost of employers liability cover, risk managers, lawyers and labor representatives voiced various opinions on how the U.K. system should be changed, at a...

Marsh & McLennan Cos. Inc. www.marsh.com.(Best of the Web)(evaluation of company's Web site)(Brief Article)
November 3, 2003... Byline: Sally Roberts Visitors to the Marsh & McLennan Cos. Inc. Web site will find a host of useful information and interactive tools to pique the interest of risk managers of companies of all sizes. With all the information on the...

Errors & omissions.(News)(Correction Notice)
November 3, 2003... * Due to a reporting error, an Oct. 27 story, "Paternity Leave Offered More Frequently, but Fathers Slow to Use It,'' misstated the status of PricewaterhouseCoopers L.L.P.'s lactation-related benefits program. PwC has offered the program to...

Work & Family Connection; www.workfamily.com.(Best of the Web)(Brief Article)
November 3, 2003... Byline: Michael Prince Like many human resource executives, work/life professionals are working in an environment of reduced budgets and smaller staffs. Rather than lament, though, they should go surfing-on the Internet. In cyberspace,...

Occupational Safety and Health Administration; www.osha.gov.(Best of the Web)(evaluation of agency's Web site)(Brief Article)
November 3, 2003... Byline: Meg Fletcher The Occupational Safety and Health Administration's Web site reflects and furthers the agency's mission of helping to ensure safe and healthful workplaces throughout the United States. Since it was created...

BI's Best of the Web stand out for breadth and ease of access.(Best of the Web)(Business Insurance)
November 3, 2003... Business Insurance's third annual Best of the Web feature follows a new format this year to present readers with Internet destinations catering to buyers of commercial insurance that are informative, interesting and innovative. In the two...

General Re Corp. www.genre.com.(Best of the Web)(evaluation of company's Web site)(Brief Article)
November 3, 2003... Byline: Douglas McLeod Reinsurance may be complicated, but General Re Corp.'s Web site is easy to understand, offering an array of practical tools and useful information in an easy-to-use and visually pleasing format. Gen Re's site...

American Institute for CPCU/Insurance Institute of America; www.aicpcu.org.(Best of the Web)(Web site evaluation)(Brief Article)
November 3, 2003... Byline: Matt Scroggins Thanks to the Web site of the American Institute for CPCU/Insurance Institute of America, risk managers can use the Internet to ARM themselves with the knowledge that will help them to succeed in their career path....

Schiff, Kreidler-Shell Inc. www.sksins.com.(Best of the Web)(Web site evaluation)(Brief Article)
November 3, 2003... Byline: Sally Roberts Although most brokerage sites have a similar look and feel, Cincinnati-based Schiff, Kreidler-Shell Inc.'s Web site stands out in the crowd. The site offers a host of practical information for risk and benefit...

Business for Social Responsibility; www.bsr.org.(Best of the Web)(Web site evaluation)
November 3, 2003... Byline: Mary B. Nick Perhaps the neatest thing about www.bsr.org is that the Web site suggests that your employer has a moral obligation to make your life easier. Actually, what Business for Social Responsibility says on its Web site...

About Inc. www.retireplan.about.com.(Best of the Web)(Web site evaluation)
November 3, 2003... Byline: Joanne Wojcik Unlike many Web sites that provide information on retirement planning, www.retireplan.about.com does not try to sell anything. While most retirement planning sites usually are created and hosted by retirement plan...

American Tort Reform Assn. www.atra.org.(Best of the Web)(evaluation of association's Web site)(Brief Article)
November 3, 2003... Byline: Mark A. Hofmann There are a lot of good Web sites devoted to tort reform, but the American Tort Reform Assn.'s site stands out from the rest. ATRA's site is worthy of a Best of the Web award for both its ease of use and its...

International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans; www.ifebp.org.(Best of the Web)(evaluation of organization's Web site)(Brief Article)
November 3, 2003... Byline: Matt Scroggins The Web site of the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans brings together information on the organization's educational offerings and a variety of tools that serve to inform and educate on employee...

Public Entity Risk Institute; www.riskinstitute.org.(Best of the Web)(Web site evaluation)(Brief Article)
November 3, 2003... Byline: Rodd Zolkos The Public Entity Risk Institute was formed to serve public, private and nonprofit organizations as a resource for the enhancement of risk management and a resource center and clearinghouse for information on all areas...

Nonprofit Risk Management Center; www.nonprofitrisk.org.(Best of the Web)(Web site evaluation)(Brief Article)
November 3, 2003... Byline: Rodd Zolkos While the Nonprofit Risk Management Center's Web site aims to advance nonprofit organizations' understanding and response to risks that could threaten their ability to achieve their missions, it also provides a wealth...

ClaimRep.com Inc. www.claimrep.com.(Best of the Web)(Web site evaluation)(Brief Article)
November 3, 2003... Byline: Michael Bradford If you're looking for a Web site that will provide sophisticated claims management functions over the Internet or one that describes the latest software for handling claims, they're out there. In the end, though,...

Benemax; www.benemax.com.(Best of the Web)(Web site evaluation)(Brief Article)
November 3, 2003... Byline: Joe Walker A risk manager or benefit manager looking to test health insurance Web sites will have a hard time finding more than a few that provide anything other than a cursory examination of what the site has to offer. The...

Cybersettle Inc. www.cybersettle.com.(Best of the Web)(evaluation of company's Web site)(Brief Article)
November 3, 2003... Byline: Paul Winston The Internet explosion in the late 20th century gave rise to thousands of ventures aimed at making it easier for businesses to conduct a variety of transactions online. The risk management and insurance fields were no...

AARP; www.aarp.org.(Best of the Web)(evaluation of organization's Web site)
November 3, 2003... Byline: Joanne Wojcik One doesn't have to be retired or over the age of 50 to appreciate the wealth of retirement information and resources available on the Web site for AARP, formerly the American Assn. of Retired Persons. This...

National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health; www.cdc.gov/niosh.(Best of the Web)(Brief Article)
November 3, 2003... Byline: Meg Fletcher A safe bet for risk management professionals looking for valuable information on safety and loss control is the home page of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. NIOSH is the federal agency...

Notable sites.(Best of the Web)(various Web sites)(Brief Article)
November 3, 2003... AARP Health and Wellness Center www.aarp.org/health Aetna InteliHealth Inc. www.intelihealth.com Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality www.ahcpr.gov American Heart Assn. www.amhrt.org Aventis Pharmaceuticals Inc., Diabetes...

Notable sites.(Best of the Web)(various Web sites)(Brief Article)
November 3, 2003... ABD Insurance & Financial Services www.cybersure.com Aon Corp. www.aon.com The CIMA Cos. Inc. www.cimaworld.com Dodge, Warren & Peters Insurance Services Inc. www.dwandp.com Keenan & Associates www.keenanassoc.com Knight...

Notable sites.(Best of the Web)(various Web sites)(Brief Article)
November 3, 2003... CareMC www.caremc.com ERISA Claim Exchange Inc. www.theecx.com Intracorp www.intracorp.com Marsh Inc. www.starsinfo.com RMG Consulting www.insuranceaudits.com Valley Oak Systems Inc. www.valleyoak.com

Notable sites.(Best of the Web)(various Web sites)(Brief Article)
November 3, 2003... CNN Money http://money.cnn.com/retirement Choose to Save www.choosetosave.org FMR Corp. www.401k.com Federal Medicare program www.medicare.gov FinanCenter www.financenter.com freeERISA.com L.L.C. www.freeerisa.com ...

Notable sites.(Best of the Web)(various Web sites)(Brief Article)
November 3, 2003... The Business Continuity Institute www.thebci.org Joint site of the U.K. Treasury Department, the U.K. Financial Services Authority and the Bank of England www.financialsectorcontinuity.gov.uk London Prepared www.londonprepared.gov.uk...

Notable sites.(Best of the Web)(various Web sites)(Brief Article)
November 3, 2003... AARP www.aarp.org Adoption-Friendly Workplace Program www.adoptionfriendlyworkplace.org Best Domestic Employment Services Inc. www.e-dependentcare.net Boston College Center for Work & Family www.bc.edu/centers/cwf Bright...

Notable sites.(Best of the Web)(various Web sites)(Brief Article)
November 3, 2003... Alliance of American Insurers www.allianceai.org American Assn. of Health Plans www.aahp.org Insurance Information Institute www.iii.org Risk & Insurance Management Society Inc. www.rims.org

Social roles more important; FERMA Risk Management Forum 2003.(News)
November 3, 2003... Byline: SARAH VEYSEY ROME-While the subject of corporate social responsibility is one that some risk managers still see an incidental to their operations, a group of experts at the Federation of European Risk Management Assns. conference...

Notable sites.(Best of the Web)(various Web sites)(Brief Article)
November 3, 2003... Katie School of Insurance www.cob.ilstu.edu/katie/ Lorman Education Services www.lorman.com National Alliance for Insurance Education & Research www.scic.com/CRM/CRMmain.htm Risk & Insurance Management Society Inc. www.rims.org ...

Baker & McKenzie; www.bakernet.com.(Best of the Web)(evaluation of firm's Web site)(Brief Article)
November 3, 2003... Byline: Sarah Veysey Want to find out about changes to employment law in the Netherlands? Need to know the latest on Japanese labor union disputes? Interested in a survey on workplace sexual harassment in Ghana? Baker & McKenzie's site is...

Notable sites.(Best of the Web)(various Web sites)(Brief Article)
November 3, 2003... American Re-Insurance Co. www.amre.com AXIS Capital Holdings Ltd. www.axis.bm Guy Carpenter & Co. Inc. www.guycarp.com Hannover Re Group www.hannover-re.com Reinsurance Group of America Inc. www.rgare.com RenaissanceRe...

Notable sites.(Best of the Web)(various Web sites)(Brief Article)
November 3, 2003... AIR Worldwide Corp. www.air-worldwide.com Austin & Stanovich Risk Managers L.L.C. www.austinstanovich.com Captive.com L.L.C. www.captive.com ERisk www.erisk.com Insurance Information Institute www.iii.org International...

Notable sites.(Best of the Web)(various Web sites)(Brief Article)
November 3, 2003... Allianz A.G. Holding www.allianz.com American International Group Inc. www.aig.com AXA S.A. www.axaonline.com Chubb Corp. www.chubb.com Factory Mutual Insurance Co. www.fmglobal.com Liberty Mutual Insurance Co....

Notable sites.(Best of the Web)(various Web sites)(Brief Article)
November 3, 2003... Chartered Institute of Arbitrators www.arbitrators.org eNeutral.com/Henning Mediation & Arbitration Service Inc. www.eneutral.com eSettle Ltd. www.esettle.co.uk ICAN Systems Inc. www.smartsettle.com iCourthouse...

Health Grades Inc. www.healthgrades.com.(Best of the Web)(evaluation of organization's Web site)(Brief Article)
November 3, 2003... Byline: Michael Prince For many benefit managers, the big trend in health care cost control is "consumerism,'' which involves converting health care users into knowledgeable health care consumers. But if this goal is to be achieved,...

Treasury easing qualification rules for tax exemption.(Agent/Broker Topics: Financial Convergence)
November 3, 2003... Byline: RODD ZOLKOS U.S. brokers and U.K. insurers and reinsurers are welcoming streamlined procedures from the U.S. Treasury Department aimed at foreign insurers and reinsurers looking to establish their exemption from the federal excise...

Perspective: Strong skills in valuing intangibles a necessary asset; Estimating brokerage's retention of existing business despite turnover is key.(Agent/Broker Topics: Financial Convergence)
November 3, 2003... Byline: Philip J. Antoon What's the worth of a brokerage that sells business insurance? These days, with business insurance more vital than ever, the answer can be-a lot. But determining just how much a given firm is worth is often...

Notable sites.(Best of the Web)(various Web sites)(Brief Article)
November 3, 2003... CambridgeSoft Corp. www.chemfinder.com Ergoweb Inc. www.ergoweb.com IBM Corp. www.pc.ibm.com/ww/healthy-computing/ Injury Control Resource Information Network, University of Pittsburgh www.injurycontrol.com International...

Mayo Foundation for Medical Education & Research; www.mayoclinic.com.(Best of the Web)(Brief Article)
November 3, 2003... Byline: Michael Prince If you want health care expertise, visit the Mayo Clinic. If you want expert health care information, visit www.mayoclinic.com. Because this Web site bursts with information on practically every health care...

Cross-selling expectations meet reality; A good insurance client is not necessarily a good bank client.(Agent/Broker Topics: Financial Convergence)
November 3, 2003... Byline: MICHAEL BRADFORD Banks looking to expand by cross-selling through insurance agency acquisitions are finding the reality sometimes doesn't match expectations. While there are notable successes among banks that have increased the...

Notable sites.(Best of the Web)(various Web sites)(Brief Article)
November 3, 2003... Center for Legal Policy www.manhattan-institute.org/html/clp.htm Common Good www.ourcommongood.org Health Coalition on Liability and Access www.hcla.org Institute for Civil Justice www.rand.org/icj Institute for Legal Reform...

Staff additions fuel Palmer & Cay growth; Broker's expansion plans trigger legal action by Marsh.(Agent/Broker Topics: Financial Convergence)(Marsh and McLennan Companies Inc. sues Palmer & Cay Holdings Inc.)
November 3, 2003... Byline: Katie Merx Savannah, Ga.-based brokerage Palmer & Cay Inc. is pushing into Detroit as part of its Midwest expansion plan and is making waves in the process. Since May, the broker has hired 22 Detroit-area insurance...

Information key to coverage; FERMA Risk Management Forum 2003.(News)
November 3, 2003... Byline: RODD ZOLKOS ROME-Faced with a challenging insurance market, insurance buyers need to see how their needs and exposures measure up against what the market is willing to provide, determine how to best make their case to underwriters...

Zurich North America; www.zurichna.com.(Best of the Web)(evaluation of company's Web site)(Brief Article)
November 3, 2003... Byline: Carolyn Aldred Zurich North America's Web site stands out from the pack when it comes to insurer sites that provide visitors with news and information about commercial risks. The insurer's Web site is aimed at large, medium and...

Notable sites.(Best of the Web)(various Web sites)(Brief Article)
November 3, 2003... Assn. of Insurance & Risk Managers www.airmic.com CMS Cameron McKenna, online information service www.law-now.com The European Union Online www.europa.eu.int Federation of European Risk Management Assns. www.ferma-asso.org ...

Benfield Group Ltd. www.benfieldgroup.com.(Best of the Web)(evaluation of company's Web site)(Brief Article)
November 3, 2003... Byline: Douglas McLeod The initially spare-looking Web site of intermediary Benfield Group Ltd. opens into a rich source of information about the company and the reinsurance industry. Easily navigated using drop-down menus, the site...

Comings & Goings.(new appointments in insurance industry)
November 3, 2003... Brokers Kevin Murphy has been named national health care practice leader for New York-based Marsh Inc. Before his promotion, Mr. Murphy was the West region operations leader. He will be based in Los Angeles. Keenan & Associates, based...

Insurers in the U.K. facing higher capital requirement; FSA to implement E.U. directives.(International)
November 3, 2003... Byline: NEIL HODGE LONDON-Insurers in the United Kingdom may have to raise up to u4 billion ($6.78 billion) to comply with two European Union directives that come into effect in 2005, according to the country's financial services...

National Conference of State Legislatures; www.ncsl.org.(Best of the Web)(Brief Article)
November 3, 2003... Byline: Gavin Souter Keeping tabs on legislative issues in the 50 states is made a whole lot easier by the National Conference of State Legislatures' Web site. With a search engine for tracking bills making their way through state...

When job requests are fishy business.(Commentary)
November 3, 2003... Byline: Doug McLeod Forget about complaints, motions to dismiss and amicus briefs; one of the more intriguing legal documents around these days is the sushi memo. In case it hasn't reached you during its 10 or 11 minutes of fame, this...

Pension funding bill clears panel; Senate must reconcile different approaches.(News)
November 3, 2003... Byline: JERRY GEISEL WASHINGTON-With the deadline for action drawing near, Congress is closer to enacting stopgap pension funding relief that employers are urgently seeking. Last week, the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions...

Rain proves educational; 28th RIMS Canada Conference.(News)(Brief Article)
November 3, 2003... VICTORIA, British Columbia-Despite inclement weather, more than 1,000 risk managers and insurance industry exhibitors attended the 28th RIMS Canada Conference. The Canadian arm of the Risk & Insurance Management Society Inc. sponsored the...

Employers wary of HMO deals.(News)
November 3, 2003... Byline: JUDY GREENWALD Managed care companies' consolidation makes employers nervous. They fear the reduced competition that could result from mergers and acquisitions. But they also acknowledge that larger companies can exercise more...

Frequency, severity of claims hike D&O pricing; 28th RIMS Canada Conference.(News)
November 3, 2003... Byline: JOANNE WOJCIK VICTORIA, British Columbia-Officers of publicly traded companies must prove they are living up to the spirit and not just the letter of new corporate governance laws to avoid being sued and to get good terms on their...

Blues plan features customized coverage.(News)(Blue Cross & Blue Shield of North Carolina)
November 3, 2003... Byline: JERRY GEISEL CHAPEL HILL, N.C.-An innovative health plan being launched by Blue Cross & Blue Shield of North Carolina will let employees customize their coverage, while also providing them with incentives to use services more...

Losses from wildfires could exceed $1 billion.(News)
November 3, 2003... Byline: ROBERTO CENICEROS While Southern California's deadly wildfires will generate business interruption and commercial property damage claims for insurers and reinsurers, most of the losses will fall on personal lines companies. As...

Computer viruses seen as big threat to many businesses.(News)
November 3, 2003... Byline: JOANNE WOJCIK Now that so many organizations are using the Internet for external communications and e-commerce, they face an increasing risk of a crippling virus infecting their computer networks, corrupting data and spreading to...

Judge sets WTC trial date but suggests mediation.(News)(dispute over property insurance payout in World Trade Center collapse)(Brief Article)
November 3, 2003... Byline: Douglas McLeod NEW YORK-A federal judge has set February 2004 for the initial phase of a trial of the World Trade Center property insurance dispute pitting Silverstein Properties Inc. against Swiss Reinsurance Co. and numerous...

Late News; FMLA expansion dropped from bill.(Family and Medical Leave Act)
November 3, 2003... House and Senate negotiators have stripped from an appropriations bill a provision that would have expanded the federal Family and Medical Leave Act to cover family members of men and women called up for active military service. Under the...

Between the Lines; Looking to U.S. for health care cost tips.(News)(UK's National Health Service consults with Kaiser Permanente)(PremierLine Insurance's Clark Kent offers negotiating tips)(leisure activities of risk managers)
November 10, 2003... Byline: Compiled by Joanne Wojcik At a time when the U.S. health care system is on life support, it's ironic that Great Britain would look to us for a cure for its own medical cost ills. The cash-strapped National Health Service is...

Some seek alternatives to traditional reinsurance.(Spotlight - Reinsurance: Trends & Issues)
November 10, 2003... Byline: RODD ZOLKOS Whether to cope with or take advantage of hard market conditions, ceding companies increasingly are turning to various alternatives to traditional reinsurance to meet their risk financing goals. Finite risk...

Face of market is changing as companies exit, enter.(Spotlight - Reinsurance: Trends & Issues)
November 10, 2003... Byline: DOUGLAS McLEOD "Theatrical'' is not a description usually applied to the reinsurance market, but the regular appearance of new players and exits from the industry stage over the last 18 months may make it apt. A steady stream...

Med mal market unlikely to stabilize soon.(Spotlight - Reinsurance: Trends & Issues)
November 10, 2003... Byline: ROBERTO CENICEROS Don't expect the market for medical malpractice reinsurance to ease any time soon, say risk managers, intermediaries and insurers. "Everything I hear from our brokers and other people in the business is that...

What's needed for insurers to regain profitability?(News)
November 10, 2003... Byline: RODD ZOLKOS CHICAGO-For many insurers and reinsurers, the effort to restore profitability centers on a back-to-basics approach. Of course, in a cyclical industry such as the insurance business, "back to basics is something you...

Cedents focused on security due to reinsurer downgrades.(Spotlight - Reinsurance: Trends & Issues)
November 10, 2003... Byline: JUDY GREENWALD Property/casualty insurers are putting renewed emphasis on security when shopping for reinsurance, in reaction to widespread ratings downgrades in the reinsurance sector. Insurers are either reducing the amount...

Preparation crucial to placing work comp coverage; Workers Compensation and Disability Management Conference.(News)
November 10, 2003... Byline: MEG FLETCHER BOSTON-Employers seeking to buy workers compensation insurance in the current hard market should keep it both positive and personal when dealing with prospective insurers. That was the advice of two brokers and a...

Ergo programs, claims validation cut costs; Workers Compensation and Disability Management Conference.(News)
November 10, 2003... Byline: MEG FLETCHER BOSTON-Implementing good ergonomics programs and ensuring the validity of claims are vital to restraining workers compensation costs, a panel of experts says. An ergonomics program is an important component of an...

Growing medical costs seen as No. 1 workers comp trend; Workers Compensation and Disability Management Conference.(News)
November 10, 2003... Byline: MEG FLETCHER BOSTON-The most important nationwide trend affecting workers compensation this year has been increases in medical costs, according to panelists speaking during the recent Business Insurance's Workers Compensation and...

German employers moving away from defined benefits.(International)
November 10, 2003... Byline: BENJAMIN SEEDER BERLIN-Several German companies are restructuring, or are considering restructuring, their pension plans into defined contribution schemes or cash balance plans, a move they hope will save millions in future...