Digital Platforms

The senator is calling for an independent regulator housed in the Fed, but not controlled by the central bank.

Humana and BCBS of Florida are two of three payers that support real-time adjudication.

CEOs defend rises in health insurance premiums.

Strategic Analytics’ products will be offered through Verisk’s Interthinx business unit.

Everyone agrees that something needs to be done, but crooks know they can count on government for a phlegmatic response.

AIA weighs in as legislators look to reign in risky activities of financial firms.

While the space insurance market is currently small, one expert says it's vital for sustainable commercial space activities.

ASCnet plans to relocate its HQ to Chicago by the end of 2010, and hire a permanent CEO to replace interim CEO Rick Morgan.

Survey of business leaders reveals general unease about speed of economic recovery.

The President rejects calls to “start over” on the health care legislation, instead urging Congress to approve a health-care overhaul with a simple majority.

Highmark announces use of Agiliance RiskVision and the Health Information Trust Alliance’s Common Security Framework.

Market share stats on top property/casualty, life/fraternal carriers’ direct written premium now online.

Lepus says 87% of firms are looking to exploit data consistency to support data hungry risk management processes.

Technology ease of use is critical to P&C agents’ success, yet there is a gap between what agents want and what carriers currently offer, notes a new report.

Craig Beattie and Karen Monks join Celent as insurance analysts.

Insurers wait as lawmakers hem and haw over where to house a consumer protection division.

The managing agency will use the DecisionMaker Rating Enterprise for rate comparison.

Sen. Bunning’s blockage also increases uncertainty around a COBRA extension.

After quakes in Haiti and Chile, institute calls for stricter building codes in the United States.

Fitch and Moody’s react to AIG’s fourth quarter results, and A.M. Best affirms Tokio Marine Pacific Insurance’s ratings.

A Lloyd's of London syndicate follows CUNA Mutual in trying to escape liability in a massive mortgage fraud case.

BEAZLEY LAUNCHES GUIDEWIRE CLAIMCENTER

GUIDEWIRE RELEASES CLAIMCENTER 6.0

ALLFINANZ OFFERS BUSINESS ANALYTICS to LIFE INSURERS

Ohio National signs contract to support two CSC software programs, and Sunshine State extends BPO agreement.

Surveyed advisers expect annuities and life insurance to help them achieve portfolio growth in 2010.

AIG intends to use cash portions of the sale to repay Federal Reserve Bank of New York.

Association says proposals to allow insurers to operate across state lines would harm consumers.

While the embattled insurer is in the red for the first time in two quarters, it's a far cry from the $61.7 billion loss posted this time last year.

MetLife tops the organization's list in the overall annuity sales category.

The federal government seems keen on developing commercial space flight technologies, but how do we insure those who go where very few men have gone before?

Health insurers say legislation is misguided and does not address underlying problems.

New research finds that consumers are only doing marginally better than after the crisis, and that men and women have vastly different strategies on how to recover and plan for their future.

Legislation would create powerful new regulator.

Senate Majority Leader Reid reported to be pushing benefits extension.

A Watermark Consulting study finds definite positive impact in customer-focused business strategies.

Intended to finance health care reform, Keating says levy would instead discourage retirement saving.

Despite soft market conditions and a contracting economy, the U.S. commercial lines insurance market remains relatively stable, notes A.M. Best.

Company remains the only major insurance company in the world to offer underwriting through loss prevention engineering.

Against looming regulatory reform, PCI says time is critical to employ a more holistic look at what caused our economic failure, and what did not.

Research from One Call Medical finds medical costs, accountability and education are the biggest hurdles.

Experts say global response necessary for biggest firms.

Bill seeking to amend McCarran-Ferguson Act now focuses solely on health insurers.

One of the plan's proposals is to adopt real-time analysis of claims and payments data to identify waste, fraud and abuse in health programs.

Financial services firms have reckoned with the fact that social media is here to stay, but insurers would be wise to watch how their name is being used in social circles.

The Associated Press reported recently that the FBI is investigating a Pennsylvania school district accused of “secretly activating webcams inside students' homes.” The FBI will explore whether Lower Merion School District officials broke any federal wiretap or computer-intrusion laws by activating the webcams in laptops that the school owns and distributes to students.

Unitrin Inc. reached an agreement with Physicians Mutual to sell Reserve National Insurance Co., its health insurance subsidiary that specializes in accident and health insurance products and Medicare Supplement insurance. “We believe that Reserve National is a very good fit with Physicians Mutual,” says Don Southwell, Unitrin’s chairman, president and CEO. “While Reserve National has performed well since we purchased it in 1998, we do not have the scale in health insurance to compete effectively in the years ahead.”

Knowing that relationships with producers can make or break and insurer, Montgomery Insurance, a Liberty Mutual Agency Markets regional company, developed an online training and development resource for agency partners to grow their businesses. Agent Learning Center is designed to alleviate the time and financial constraints that agencies face in developing new producers and staff.

Daniel Riordan will assume the role of president of Zurich’s (www.zurichna.com) North America Commercial Specialties business unit, effective immediately. Riordan currently serves as head of Zurich's Surety, Credit and Political Risk group and will be in charge of both units until a replacement is named.

President Barack Obama laid out the first detailed legislative proposal for health care reforms to the United States’ $2.5 trillion medical care system this morning with an approach that largely follows the Senate’s version of legislation proposed in December.

With their successes in the United States, U.S. health insurers should review growth opportunities overseas, specifically Asia and Europe, according to analysts at Conning Research & Consulting.

After getting wind of unauthorized sale of health insurance products to approximately 2,500 Floridians, Florida Insurance Commissioner Kevin McCarty has ordered seven companies and some of those companies’ officers to stop selling health insurance in the state.