Core systems

Fairfax, Va. — The Public Entity Risk Institute (PERI), a nonprofit research institute focused on risk management, launched an improved Web site designed to ease access to an extensive collection of risk management publications, programs and tools. Among the enhanced features found on the site is an expanded resource library organized by topic, audience and type of resource for more user-friendly research.

Insurers competing for boomer business will need business and technology platforms flexible enough to accommodate different boomer market segments, new types of transactions, new federal and state regulations and competition from multiple fronts.

Novato, Calif. – Michael LaRocco was recently named president and CEO of Fireman’s Fund Insurance Co., a $6 billion property/casualty insurance firm based in Novato, Calif.

Because the invoice is an opportunity to renew contact with a policyholder and demonstrate excellence in customer service, new attention is being paid to the technology behind the opportunity.

San Jose, Calif. — ISCS Inc., a Web-based policy administration solutions provider, opened a new office in Missoula, Mont. in January 2008.

Lexington, Ky. — Kelley Sloane, VP of worldwide marketing for Exstream Software LLC, was honored as one of the OutputLinks Women of Distinction Class of 2008. OutputLinks, a Houston-based information and research resource of the high-volume transaction output (HVTO), industry sponsored the award. Established in 2002, the Women of Distinction award honors the contributions and achievements of the women who help to shape the HVTO industry. Sloane will be recognized along with six other recipients at a luncheon being held during the AIIM/ON DEMAND conferences in Boston, March 3-6, 2008.

Armonk, N.Y. – Touting its energy efficiency, IBM Corp. has unveiled its System z10 mainframe. The Armonk, N.Y.-based company says the z10 was designed to increase data center efficiency by significantly improving performance and reducing power consumption, cooling costs and floor space requirements.

NATIONWIDE FINANCIAL ADVANCES TIME TO MARKET

STUDY GAUGES BACK OFFICE EFFICIENCY

IVANS GIVES PROVIDERS HIGH-SPEED CLAIMS PROCESSING

Washington — The National Association of Mutual Insurance Companies (NAMIC) warned of potentially higher insurance rates for Connecticut consumers if the state adopts a ban on the use of credit-based insurance scoring to underwrite motor vehicle insurance premiums. The Legislature is considering a measure to forbid the use of credit ratings among auto insurers.

Cleveland — Cleveland Clinic is collaborating with Google to pilot features and services of a new health offering. The recently announced Google Health electronic system, not yet publicly available, will assist providers by helping patients gain control of their medical records, which stands to benefit health insurers. Customers will have access their own health records online, enabling them to schedule appointments and refill prescriptions as well as interact with multiple physicians and health care service providers on their own—reducing reliance on an insurers’ customer service departments.

Hartford, Conn. – The Property Casualty Insurers Association of America (PCI) is urging Connecticut lawmakers to reject legislation (SB 288) that would prevent consumers from learning about the full range of their auto body repair options, increase repair costs and, ultimately, force motorists to pay higher premiums.

After years of insurers pushing ePrescribing adoption, recent survey results show physicians may be more amenable to the idea.

Proponents and opponents of a federal charter exchange barbs over its implications for regulation and revenue.

New York — The latest study from New York-based Simon-Kucher & Partners, "Managerial Perspectives: Time for a Change! How Insurers Waste Profits due to Lack of Market Excellence," questioned 1,500 insurance executives in the United States about the management perspectives considered to be most important as well as those most frequently used in the industry.

Oakland – California Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner reached a $10,050,000 settlement with Allianz Life Insurance Co. for allegedly targeting thousands of seniors in deceptive annuity sales. Allianz, the largest seller of annuities in California, purportedly deceived elderly victims into purchasing confusing annuity products that were financially unsuitable for their needs. In addition to the sizable monetary settlement, Commissioner Poizner announced that Allianz agreed to implement a groundbreaking suitability review process to further protect seniors.

Studying the competition and creating a better policyholder experience will go a long way toward building customer loyalty.

Washington — American consumers want more from their health care system than they're currently getting—greater online connection to health care providers and medical records, customized insurance coverage and wider access to emerging innovations such as retail clinics, a new survey from Deloitte Development LLC reveals.

Kansas City , Mo. - The National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) this week released a peer review of state producer-licensing laws, practices and processes that identifies areas where the states’ reciprocity and uniformity initiatives need improvement, along with areas where such efforts have been successful.