Customer experience

Schaumburg, Ill. - Zurich announced the debut of eZ Transition, an online tool that bolsters the effectiveness of Zurich's return to work (RTW) program and supports a wide range of employers' RTW practices. According to a company statement, employers can use eZ Transition to generate customized RTW policies and procedures, create job description profiles with physical job demands, develop temporary transitional work assignments, develop RTW implementation and training materials, and access Americans With Disabilities Act information and state-specific Family and Medical Leave Act data. "Effective RTW programs like Zurich's can save 10-40% of workers' compensation medical costs and 14-25% of wage replacement costs," said John Kelm, President, Zurich Corporate Customer, North America. "With disability costs projected to increase 37% this decade due to the growing number of workers aged 45 to 64, an effective RTW program and tools like eZ Transition are now more important than ever to a company's bottom line. " The tool's design reflects the input from Zurich specialists in many facets of its operations, including claims, managed care, risk engineering and underwriting. It enables the creation of a customer-specific RTW profile and the implementation of preventative loss controls that will help reduce lost workday cases. The eZ Transition tool is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week to Zurich's workers' compensation customers through www.zurichna.com. Armand Fernandez, Risk Engineering Field Operations executive for Zurich, added that eZ Transition is flexible enough to adapt to employers of all sizes and program complexity, and complements Zurich's Absence Management consulting services. "Smaller employers are often unprepared for workers' compensation claims and even larger employers, with established RTW programs, frequently need assistance with physical job demands and transitional work assignments," Fernandez said. "Zurich's overall RTW program adapts to employers of all sizes, and provides the tools and directions they need to develop a comprehensive RTW solution for their specific needs, helping return their operations to normal as soon as possible." Source: Zurich, Schaumburg, Ill.

Indianapolis and Washington - During the past few months, legislation has been introduced in the U.S. Congress to repeal or alter the existing limited antitrust exemptions afforded under the McCarran-Ferguson Act.Many associations and organizations have publicly opposed the repeal. Among those are the National Association of Mutual Insurance Companies (NAMIC) and the Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America (IIABA).

Stamford, Conn. - Public and private companies—more than 66% of respondents—have received a record number of inquiries from potential board members who are concerned about their current directors and officers (D&O) liability insurance, an increase of 16% from 2005, according to the D&O Liability 2006 Survey on Insurance Purchasing and Claims Trends conducted by Towers Perrin. Nonprofit respondents received similar D&O inquiries from approximately 32% of their boards, up slightly (3%) from 2005.At the same time, the survey, which included 2,875 participants, shows that companies are responding to these inquiries by providing broader personal liability protection for directors and officers. In fact, 14% of those surveyed purchased Side A-only coverage in the past year. Side-A coverage provides D&O coverage for personal liability when they are not indemnified by the organization.

Hartford, Conn. - With the recent sale of a small business policy to Creative Music Adventures of Seattle, Wash., The Hartford Financial Services Group Inc. now maintains one million small-business policies in force across the country."This is an outstanding achievement for The Hartford," says Jim Ruel, senior vice president of small business insurance at The Hartford. "For years, we've been listening to what small business owners want, and then developing the right products and services to help our agents meet their clients' needs. Reaching this milestone in such a competitive market is a testament to our company's leadership and expertise in this field. As the number of small businesses in this country continues to increase, The Hartford will continue to find new ways to serve them."

Reston, Va. - The year 2006 represented the tipping point for using the Internet to buy auto insurance, says comScore, Inc., a Reston, Va., company that measures commerce in the digital world.

Stamford, Conn. – Insurance carriers in North America and Western Europe need to become more customer-oriented to remain competitive, according to a study by Gartner Inc., the research company based here.

Atlanta - A disk containing the personal information of 2.9 million Georgia residents has gone missing, state health officials say.

Bethesda, Md. – A self-described socially responsible mutual fund has withdrawn formal objections to the way two major insurance companies have handled climate change.

New York - New York City-based New York Life Insurance Co.’s consumer Web site was best in the nation among insurance and annuity companies in the fourth quarter of last year, according to Dalbar Inc., a Boston-based company that tracks Internet innovation.

New York - Parents can track the whereabouts of teenage drivers with the help of a global positioning system about to undergo testing by New York-based AIG Auto Insurance.