Hartford, Conn. and Indianapolis - Two insurers—Travelers and Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield—announced online tools for their customers. Hartford, Conn.-based Travelers announced new technology launches: Umbrella Wired and OSHA Recordkeeping, as a new component of e-CARMA.Umbrella Wired online software program is designed to simplify the rate, quote and bind process for agents who offer small commercial umbrella liability policies.
Umbrella Wired is accessed through Agent HQ (Travelers propriety agency support system), thereby providing immediate access to account information on the Travelers system. The automated system streamlines the process of securing the appropriate umbrella coverage by reducing the time and expense needed to process a policy.
OSHA Recordkeeping, a new component of e-CARMA, the customer portal to its Risk Management Information System, enables employers to track, document and report OSHA-recordable injuries and illnesses. By enabling users to electronically transfer their workers compensation data into the Travelers Recordkeeping solution, e-CARMA can save them the time and effort of manually recording the same information onto the OSHA forms. The captured information will automatically populate the electronic OSHA 300, 300A and 301 forms.
In addition to the elimination of the manual entry process, OSHA Recordkeeping provides customers with the following benefits:
- link to OSHA right from e-CARMA's homepage
- add incidents directly into the system
- access to Bureau of Labor Statistics survey reporting
Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Indiana announced an online tool designed to enable Central Indiana Anthem consumers to understand the cost of the medical care they receive for common procedures such as knee replacement, maternity services and tonsillectomy.
The Anthem Care Comparison tool, at
For nearly 40 of the most common medical procedures, Anthem members from Logansport to Bedford and from Terre Haute to Richmond, will now have access to information for an entire episode of care—not just the procedure itself, but also lab work, anesthesia, recovery room charges and other services related to the procedure. The estimated costs can be compared at all hospitals in a geographical area. The result is a more accurate picture of the total cost associated with a given procedure.
The Anthem Care Comparison tool was first introduced in September 2006 in Dayton, Ohio. Since then, an online survey has shown that more than 90% of Anthem Care Comparison users found the tool to be valuable, with 84% saying it increased their ability to make good decisions regarding where to have a medical service performed.
Sources: PR Newswire and The Travelers Companies Inc.
