Digital Platforms

With the unstated goal of reducing health care costs in the future, the U.S. government put forth proposed changes today to the way it works with companies to fight new disease threats.

New report says insurers need to make accommodations for social media on business and IT roadmaps.

The point-of-sale solution is an end-to-end platform with complete order entry designed to ensure suitability and compliance throughout the application process.

Organizations have indicated an intention to give priority to security budgets despite current economic downturn, Gartner says.

NAIC Summer National Meeting addresses solvency, retained asset accounts, credit scoring and medical loss ratio.

Certain life insurance agents and broker-dealer firms could face increased legal liability depending on how the U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission rules on the fiduciary standard pertaining to the sale of investment products.

Insurers may want to take note of the many advanced features PayPal offers its customers on their mobile devices.

A number of insurers have begun to release their financial results for Q2

Through the merger, Frost Specialty’s President Robert Frost will become one of Integro’s managing principals.

LIMRA says annuities sales were dragged down by poor fixed annuity sales in Q2.

A pair of Mississippi underwriting associations will administer policies through ISCS' SurePower Suite.

States will receive $46 million in federal funds for use in providing rate reviews and approvals for rate increases.

S&P removes Prudential PLC ratings from CreditWatch; Fitch affirms AIG’s issuer default rating.

Report says Chinese consortium may acquire 30% stake in AIA unit ahead of its IPO.

Law would require businesses and non-profits to notify those affected within 60 days, and offer credit and identity theft protection services.

Jackson National and New York Life have had a good year for sales so far, according to their semi-annual sales figures.

Observers say that even though Basel III is quickly coming together, uncertainty in the market about its final conditions is helping reduce available credit.

The government of India may shut down BlackBerry and other messaging services for security reasons, but is wireless technology really the problem?

Though the use of reinsurance administration technology is growing, many insurers are still using only partially automated or manual systems.

The Professional Insurance Marketing Association (PIMA), a national membership association of agents, brokers, third-party administrators and insurance underwriting companies, named the winners of its annual Marketing Methods Competition at the 2010 PIMA Mid-Year Meeting held in Lansdowne, Va., last month.

SAS has been lauded for its OpRisk Management software since 2005.

Market showing signs of recovery; Prudential leads overall annuity sales for 2nd quarter in report issued by LIMRA.

Insurers plotting mobile strategies may want to keep an eye on developments as Oracle America claims Google infringed upon its Java-related intellectual property in developing Android.

PolicyIssuance is a Web-based solution and designed to enable general agents to issue policies.

More possible investors pull out of a bid for AIG's Asian insurance arm.

Despite the increase, the Council for Disability Awareness says there's little evidence the recession has broadly impacted the number of claims.

Gartner expects insurance IT spending to increase 2.1% from last year.

Three companies currently under scrutiny; feds say there are many more alleged offenders.

U.K.-based gadget insurer shares some of the more bizarre claims it has received.

WCSI and Innovation Group worked together to map data from legacy systems, developed dashboards, MI and BI reporting, and Mountain West is buying in.

Toshiba drives offer auto-erasing of sensitive data on shutdown, but their limits have yet to be tested.

Insurer says company’s 11,500 U.S. agents in are key to market share.

A congressional panel says that had the U.S. worked with foreign governments, it could have borne fewer financial risks related to the insurer's rescue.

In letter to HHS, commissioners say they have requisite powers to implement law.

Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey (Horizon BCBSNJ) announced its plans to create a new company called Horizon Healthcare Innovations (HHI). The new company is expected to be formally operational in September, but has already begun work as a division of Horizon BCBSNJ, notes the insurer. The new company’s mission is to energize the transformation of health care delivery to a better system marked by higher quality and more effective care, greater collaboration and efficiency, and increased affordability, notes Horizon.

Sales of insurance products jumped 9.6% year-over-year in the first quarter, report says.

Life Insurance Corp. of India is in talks with at least two banks to set up the service.

Insurer sells a controlling stake in its consumer credit division to private equity firm.

In this time of economic uncertainty, should auto insurers align themselves with Big Brother approaches to catching the uninsured?

Study reveals that employees value voluntary workplace benefits, but don’t truly understand the financial protection provided by life and disability benefits.

AIG, Allstate, Liberty Mutual and The Hartford all issue financial statements.

S&P and Moody’s offer differing takes on insurer’s pursuit of Alico.

The agencies issued a joint proposal detailing potential substitutes for credit ratings in setting capital minimums, but officials warned that Congress' decision to eliminate them from the supervisory process may be a mistake.

The number of IT services deals rose 14% from Q1 to Q2.

The Treasury released a comprehensive report on how it has unloaded warrants in more than four dozen lenders that have repaid the Troubled Asset Relief Program.

Carriers developing mobile applications to educate, entertain consumers.

All four rating agencies react to CNA’s issuance of $500 million in senior unsecured notes; GEICO and Nationwide ratings affirmed, and State Auto National’s ratings placed under review with negative implications.

Company plans to benefit from resulted expanded products, agency network.

Realized capital gains totaled $82 million for 2009, compared with $1.2 billion of realized capital losses in 2008, A.M. Best says.

Technology may some day enable cars to sense danger and avoid it, but how will this affect auto insurance?

Despite the GAO's skepticism, AIG's CEO says he expects to fully repay the bailout, and has commenced discussions with the government on the process and terms of a complete exit.

Industry says ongoing federal backstop is necessary to keep market functioning.