Core systems

Maine Mutual Group Insurance Co,, a regional provider with operations in Maine, Vermont and New Hampshire, has joined a growing number of companies that are partnering with Trusted Choice, the national branding initiative created to educate consumers about the benefits of using independent insurance agents and brokers.consumer branding initiative. Trusted Choice was created by the Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America (IIABA), Alexandria, Va., and its company partners to highlight the benefits independent agencies and brokerage firms offer consumers–choice of companies, customization of policies and consumer advocacy. Just two years after its inception, more than 3,500 independent insurance agencies and brokerages throughout the country are participating in the branding program.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. --Humana Inc. announced today that its subsidiary, Humana Insurance Company, has completed its acquisition of Ochsner Health Plan of Louisiana from the Ochsner Clinic Foundation. Ochsner Health Plan is one of the largest health benefits plans in the New Orleans market and the third largest in the state of Louisiana with approximately 152,000 Commercial medical members, primarily in large group accounts, and approximately 31,000 members in the MedicareAdvantage program. Ochsner Health Plan is licensed in all 64 of Louisiana's parishes.

If insurance carriers want their online shoppers to become online buyers, they need to give their customers more respect.That's a warning derived from recent analysis of 70 insurance Web sites that gave the insurance industry an average online Customer Service Index of 6.8 out of 10. Furthermore, the analysis reveals that although 93% of insurers post online privacy policies, 35% of them share customer data without the customer's permission.

The credit-based insurance scoring controversy continues with the latest volley coming from the Maryland Insurance Administration (MIA). In January, MIA released a report indicating that the data it had collected in 2003 was insufficient to conclusively determine if credit scoring has an adverse impact on low-income or minority populations.Last month, Insurance Networking News reported that a recent study conducted by the Missouri Department of Insurance found that minorities and low-income populations are harmed by insurers use of credit-based insurance scores (see March 2004, page 8).

The personalized attributes of Web portals have generated appeal among a growing number of insurers. But while Web portals possess a great deal of upside, the return on investment (ROI) prospects that portals-as well as extranets - can deliver to an insurance organization are still difficult to quantify.Despite this uncertainty, the perceived benefits continue to propel portal adoption. A study conducted by Stamford, Conn.-based research and consulting firm Gartner Inc. found that 75% of property/casualty insurers and 83% of life/health insurers have developed distributor portals or extranets.

There was a time when Atlanta-based Ebix Inc. and Darien, Ill.-based Quotesmith.com could have been mistaken for one another, but not anymore. In two strategic acquisitions forged in February, Ebix Inc. continues its quest to emphasize its business process outsourcing strengths. This became apparent when Ebix said it was acquiring LifeLink Corp., a provider of life insurance sales software applications.Based in Park City, Utah, LifeLink designs products in partnership with independent brokerage clients to create multi-carrier sales proposals.

The Contracts Update section includes announcements of contracts insurance information technology companies have signed with customers in recent weeks. Contract news can be faxed to Insurance Networking magazine at (312) 913-1366 or by electronic mail to Stephen.Dwyer thomsonmedia.com Computer Sciences Corp.

BOSTON-- The family with a car each for dad, mom, the college sophomore and the high-school senior. The tenant in apartment 2B who's never had a ticket or an accident in 20 years of driving. The distracted shopper who backed into another vehicle in the supermarket parking lot. With OneChoice Auto, OneBeacon Insurance is delivering comprehensive protection to fit the needs and lifestyles of a broad range of Maine drivers. "We've expanded our approach to auto insurance significantly," said Dan Bridge, Vice President of Personal Lines New England for OneBeacon, "and we're now able to offer insurance solutions to most drivers and for most vehicles in the state. The key is to meet customers' needs at a price that's competitive in the marketplace yet appropriate to the skill levels and driving histories of individual operators."

INDIANAPOLIS--Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield continues to make managing health care benefits easier for its members through its award-winning Web sites. MyAnthem, Anthem's new personalized member Web site available at anthem.com , provides members an individually tailored online experience that offers quicker, easier and more efficient access to self-service tools and member-specific health information. "Members come to anthem.com for four reasons: to view their membership information, to choose or change health care providers, to learn about health and wellness, and to shop for health-related products and services at discounted prices," said Mary Scanlon, Anthem's vice president of eBusiness. "We simply designed MyAnthem for our members based on the way they use anthem.com -- all in an effort to make managing their health care easier than ever."

Tomorrow's workforce will be older, heavier and unable to retire, according to CIGNA's disability claim operations leader Mark Marsters. Speaking at the recent national Disability Consulting Group (DCG) conference, Marsters outlined the profile of the future workforce and some of the major factors likely to shape integration of health and disability benefits in the next decade.Health care costs, the aging workforce, and the economy are three of the main suspects that will conspire to shock the health and disability industry, according to Marsters, senior vice president at Philadelphia-based CIGNA Disability Management Solutions.

The Principal Financial Group has developed a comprehensive educational program to help consumers and health members better understand their benefits and take charge of their health. Members with medical coverage issued or administered by Principal Life can go online to access their group medical benefit information, including claim status, booklets, explanation of benefit statements and Principal Reimbursement Arrangement balances (if applicable).

Profits of the nation's life and health insurers jumped $14.8 billion, or 437%, to $18.1 billion in the first nine months of 2003, the best third-quarter increase in a decade, according to Weiss Ratings Inc., a Jupiter, Fla.-based independent provider of ratings and analyses of financial services companies, mutual funds and stocks.Driving the industry's steep profit growth, the change in reserves fell to $101.5 billion for the first three quarters of 2003, an $11.8 billion decline compared to the $113.3 billion change in reserves reported for the same period in 2002. The five life and health insurers responsible for nearly 90% of the changes in reserves were Kemper Investors Life Insurance Co., General Electric Capital Assurance Co., Prudential Insurance

The St. Paul Companies Inc., St. Paul, Minn., and Travelers Property Casualty Corp., Hartford, Conn. have received all required regulatory and shareholder approvals for the previously announced merger of the companies.The companies intend to close the transaction on April 1, 2004. The common shares of St. Paul Travelers will be traded under the New York Stock Exchange symbol STA.

U.K.-based Watson Wyatt LLP has spun off its Boston-based insurance and financial services strategic consulting group with a management buy-out led by two senior managers.This follows a review of Watson Wyatt LLP's insurance and financial services consulting strategy in the United States which resulted in a decision to focus on the firm's core life and non-life actuarial consulting business.

COLUMBIA, S.C. -- Indiana Farmers Mutual Insurance Company has signed contracts to implement AcroSoft's Insurance Content Management solution. The initial implementation will include the AS Docs System together with its ad-hoc workflow capability and web application interface, which lets agents and adjusters access their company's document repository via the Internet.

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. -- Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company (MassMutual) announced today its support of an important legislative proposal -- by House Financial Services Committee Chairman Michael G. Oxley (R-Ohio) and Chairman Richard H. Baker (R-Louisiana) of the Capital Markets, Insurance and Government-Sponsored Enterprises Subcommittee - that would modernize an outdated state-based regulatory system. The Oxley-Baker proposal calls for enactment of national regulatory standards to make state insurance regulation more uniform and efficient while creating a more dynamic and responsive marketplace for consumers.

Following nine months of development, the Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America (IIABA), Alexandria, Va., also known as the Big "I," has released an upgraded version of the Big "I" Markets software to their more than 3,500 participating agencies (8,000 registered users).Big "I" Markets Version 1.2 offers more secure technology, easier navigation and an increased capacity to take on new products, according to IIABA.

Pearl River, N.Y.-based ACORD has enhanced the role of its Industry and Government Affairs unit by adding a legal capacity with the addition of Gary Bel, vice president, general counsel and corporate secretary, and Kate Ciravolo, vice president and counsel, government affairs. Their addition strengthens the Industry and Government Affairs operation and widens the scope of ACORD's involvement in the development of standards. It also expands the representation of ACORD's membership throughout the industry and regulatory agencies. Bel and Ciravolo will also be handling the general legal activities of the corporation within the in newly combined Legal, Industry and Government Affairs Department."As new regulations and data requirements are implemented across the nation, their impact on the insurance industry continues to grow. The need for data standardization to assist organizations in efficiently and economically complying with these changes is becoming ever more essential," said Gregory Maciag, president and CEO of ACORD. "We've expanded the Industry and Government Affairs group to meet these new demands."

The Principal Financial Group is now providing online claim reports for its group life and disability insurance products to help ease the employee benefit administration process for employer customers.

NEW YORK--The Guardian Insurance & Annuity Company, Inc. (GIAC) announced today that it will reintroduce its Guardian Advantage group variable annuity, a funding vehicle for qualified retirement plans. GIAC intends to initiate new sales by June 1. This decision has no impact on Guardian's other defined contribution products including 401(k) PLUS with The Park Avenue Portfolio.