Customer service

Corporation's Human Resources & Investor Solutions (HR&IS) business today announced that it has developed a fully integrated Health Savings Account (HSA) solution that will be offered both through alliance relationships with insurance companies and health care plan providers, and to its corporate customers nationwide.

The Hartford Financial Services Group Inc., Hartford, Conn., and AMS Services Inc. have teamed up to enable agents to submit applications for the four key middle market lines of business--property, general liability, auto and workers' compensation--directly to The Hartford from their AMS agency management system."As one of the industry's leading agency management vendors whose system is used by many of our top agents, we're pleased to align with AMS in the use of ACORD XML standards to make it easier for middle market agents to do business with The Hartford," says Gary Thompson, senior vice president of The Hartford's Middle Market and Specialty Practices unit.

Preferred Medical Claim Solutions (PMCS), Scottsdale, Ariz., and Genelco Software Solutions, a division of Greenville, S.C.-based Liberty Insurance Services Corporation (LIS), have formed a strategic partnership that will provide Genelco Group+ users access to the Preferred Data Interchange (PDI) offered through PMCS. Genelco Software Solutions provides administration software and services to life and health insurers."A number of Genelco Group+ users wanted the claim funding and repricing that PMCS provides," says Mike Molinar, vice-president of Genelco Software Solutions. "Knowing that this will save our clients money, we thought it very important to provide a seamless way for them to take advantage of the PMCS network."

San Diego, CA--WorldGroup has introduced InsureWorx First Report of Injury (FROI), the latest InsureWorx On Demand Solution (ODS). The new FROI capabilities offer exceptional efficiency and customer service to the First Report of Injury process, enabling efficient and timely intervention - critically important to controlling overall costs of workplace injury claims. The company launched the solution at RIMS Annual Conference & Exhibition.

SAN DIEGO, CA---Assurex Global, the world's largest privately held risk management, commercial insurance and employee benefits broker group, is launching new software to enhance communication and information-sharing among its independent broker partners and commercial clients around the world. The software was introduced here at the Risk and Insurance Management Society's annual conference.

Data standardization within the reinsurance industry comes a step closer as London-based ri3k announces a special release of its reinsurance hub. Called InSynch, it enables users to create LMP-compliant slips, and has ACORD certification for contract placement messages covering all treaty types and classes.The LMP Office has approved the ri3k contract structure, which will be used for June renewals onward for tradable electronic slips on ri3k’s system. In accordance with the LMP slip requirements, ri3k has introduced mandatory field names, separated into the correct LMP categories. These categories are risk details, subscription agreement, information and fiscal/regulatory.

Prudential Financial Inc., Newark, N.J., has launched a new online disability claim submission application for employees of group disability clients. The new functionality also lets employees handle many aspects of their claims using a highly secure and confidential online process."Continuing to provide our clients and their employees with the secure tools they need to effectively manage disability issues is of paramount importance to us," says Al Hemond, vice president of disability risk management for Prudential's group insurance business. "Online employee claim submission supports our strategy of providing claims management services that are responsive to the varying needs of claimants."

SunGard Sherwood Systems, an operating unit of SunGard today announced that Wawanesa Mutual Insurance Company, one of the largest property and casualty insurers in Canada, has licensed SunGard's FrontTier solution to replace its existing legacy policy, billing, workflow and claims systems.

Prudential Financial Inc., Newark, N.J., has introduced an automatic, online licensing application for brokers seeking appointment to sell the company’s insurance and annuity products. The electronic data collection tool, called Online Confidential Data Sheet (CDS), was developed by Indianapolis-based BISYS Education and Licensing Services for Prudential. The Online CDS streamlines the traditional, paper-based appointment process and greatly improves brokers’ speed to market."Prudential’s new electronic application is on the cutting edge in several respects," says George Hanley, senior vice president, chief compliance officer. "The Online CDS makes Prudential easier for brokers to do business with, while taking the company to the next generation of appointment processing and online records management. All are important advantages in today’s environment."

IVANS Inc., Old Greenwich, Conn., has added new features to Transformation Station, which make it easier for carriers and agents to communicate in real-time. The features include the ability to send and receive attachments, receive alerts regarding activities such as claim actions or cancellations, streamline endorsement processing and conduct Web site navigation and sign-on. Transformation Station is an Internet-managed data exchange using Web services and ACORD XML to enable real-time transactions between insurance carriers and independent agents and brokers."The Web services based, real-time model allows us to provide our agency, company and vendor partners with new, innovative types of transactions that will have a positive impact on agency-carrier workflows," says Janice Sheffield, divisional vice president for IVANS. Transformation Station is currently growing at a rate of 28% per month in transactions, and growing to the level of what it took 10 years for batch transactions to reach.

S2, a new service offering from CBC National Inc., Saddle River, N.J., and ARI (Automotive Resources International), Mt. Laurel, N.J., was launched as part of a strategic partnership between the two subrogation recovery and salvage/remarketing industry players. According to the companies, the new venture was built on the premise that no company should let money slip through its fingers.Responding to the needs of the insurance industry, the rental car industry, and a variety of other self-insured and government entities, S2 provides clients with aggressive subrogation resale services that are designed to positively impact their bottom line.

SIMSBURY, Conn. -- The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. today announced that Internet-based self- service reporting is now available nationwide to its group life and disability insurance customers, providing them immediate online access to standard reports that help them monitor and manage their group benefits plans.

ATLANTA-- Digital Insurance Inc. announced it has signed agreements with five additional employee benefits brokers to enhance the level of day-to-day service and product sales for a portion of their small group benefits business.

Hotel clients of Fireman's Fund Insurance Co, Novato, Calif., can now buy an extended package of online employee safety training that satisfies all OSHA requirements for hospitality industry employees, such as housekeepers, clerks, and bellhops.This service, which includes courses, testing and tracking, is offered by WebFire Training, an e-learning company endorsed by the American Hotel and Lodging Educational Institute. Fireman's Fund negotiated a month of complementary service for hotel clients of its iCustomer Series coverage when they subscribe to a year's safety training for their employees regardless of the customer's property size or employee turnover rate.

Selective Insurance Group Inc., Branchville, N.J., has completed the rollout of its integrated Web-based commercial lines system. "Web-based CLAS" offers policy quote, issue, endorsement and renewal processing for commercial lines products over the Web, directly from independent agencies."Web-based CLAS provides independent agencies with the speed, convenience and cost-effective power of straight-through processing," says Jeff Kamrowski, Selective senior vice president of business services. "In addition, the system automatically reviews business transactions to ensure consistency with our underwriting guidelines."

IVANS Inc., a Greenwich, Conn.-based provider of networking services for the insurance and healthcare industries is offering a new wireless fidelity solution (Wi-Fi) for insurance carriers that can significantly speed their ability to remotely process claims and improve customer service. The new Wi-Fi service is offered through IVANS business partner, AT&T.As the demand for Wi-Fi technology increases, so does the need for low-cost flexible solutions. According to data provided by The Yankee Group, a communications and networking research and consulting firm based in Boston, 14% of U.S. companies plan to implement the technology within the next twelve months, and another 14% plan to follow suit in the next two years. A recent IVANS study of large and mid-sized insurance carriers indicates that only 27.9% are currently using Wi-Fi technology to allow remote access to their systems by employees, highlighting the growth potential for Wi-Fi technology.

Results International Systems (RIS) will provide an end-to-end, Web-enabled policy processing system Partners Mutual Insurance Co.'s personal and commercial lines of business. The RIS solution will deliver a policy processing system with integration to claims, billing, rating and form printing. RIS will provide the hardware, software, systems personnel, systems security, back-up and disaster recovery.

SUNNYVALE, Calif.-- Vitria, a leading provider of business process integration solutions, today announced that Premera Blue Cross, a Blue Cross Blue Shield Association independent licensee for Washington state and Alaska, has selected Vitria's Healthcare Solutions as the integration infrastructure to simplify, streamline and automate its transaction management processes.

As part of its effort to simplify and facilitate the insurance placement process for agents serving the small business sector, Zurich is offering online access to a wide range of policy documents through its eZSB Web site at www.ezsb.com.Key forms, such as declarations pages, schedules, forms listings, signature pages and automobile identification cards, can now be obtained and printed on demand. Documents are available within minutes of issuing the policy online.

Seattle-based Safeco Corp. has launched Safeco Now for property/casualty insurance--an online sales platform that integrates personal and small-commercial insurance product. Safeco Now is a streamlined Web site for independent agents and brokers that gives them access to 90% of their daily online work tools with just one click.The highlight of the system, according to Safeco, is the single-platform sales tool that enables distributors to quote and bind--in just minutes--seven major lines of P&C and surety business: personal auto, homeowners, business owners policy (BOP), commercial auto (fleet and non-fleet), workers' compensation, business umbrella, and surety (notary; license and permit bonds; court bonds; public official bonds).