Claims

A recent Towers Perrin survey found attracting and retaining top talent is emerging as a major issue facing carriers in 2008.

Washington – Insurers are praising the introduction of a bill that clarifies patent law in the aftermarket automobile parts market. The bill, introduced by Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.), further clarifies existing patent law, and would help reverse an International Trade Commission ruling that sought to ban the importation of competitive parts.

The federal Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality is providing $5 million to fund two studies of best practices for using clinical decision support software.

Predictive modeling and emerging claims technologies will affect the nonstandard auto insurance market, according to Conning Research & Consulting.

Los Angeles — Special investigators from Coast National Insurance Co. (CNIC), a division of Davie, Fla.-based Bristol West, worked closely with the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), Los Angeles District Attorney's Office and the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) to bring down a 46-member auto fraud ring. Bristol West is a subsidiary of Los Angeles-based Farmers Insurance Group Inc., and operates CNIC.

Saint Paul, Minn. – The aviation unit of Travelers Cos. Inc. is using a technology-based approach to introduce a new workers’ compensation insurance program for corporate flight departments.

The insurance industry looks to technology to combat rise in claim severity.

NATIONWIDE FINANCIAL ADVANCES TIME TO MARKET

IVANS GIVES PROVIDERS HIGH-SPEED CLAIMS PROCESSING

Carriers are taking steps to modernize their claims processing systems and better integrate technologies with existing systems.

Mashup applications, which enable divergent data sources, business processes and applications to be combined and streamlined, are on the rise and poised to change the insurance IT landscape.

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.

Mayfield Village, Ohio — Progressive appears to take its name seriously. Adding yet another patent to its business innovation cache, the Ohio auto insurance company is using a unique claims processing method to take responsibility for its policyholders entire vehicle claims/repair process following a crash.

Mobile units enable insurers to provide immediate lines of aid to those affected by recent tornadoes.

San Mateo, Calif. – While the industry has traditionally viewed billing as a back-office function, Guidewire’s newest version of its BillingCenter product takes advantage of the J3EE standard to enable insurers to move billing front and center, the company reports.

Washington – A recent report by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) suggests that insurers should make a broader swath of claims data available to Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) regulators. The suggestion arises in the wake of questions prompted by Hurricane Katrina concerning the responsibility for damages and later allegations that insurers misrepresented wind damage in claims to the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) in order to limit their financial losses after the storm.

Jersey City, N.J. — ISO Senior VP Richard Boehning will retire on Jan. 31, 2008, concluding a 20-year career supporting the insurance industry.

Schaumburg, Ill. — Zurich recently named Domenick DiCicco as chief claim counsel for its North America Commercial division. DiCicco will be responsible for managing claims’ legal operations in Zurich’s Schaumburg, Ill., and Baltimore offices.

Margin compression and continued pricing erosion is pressuring the insurance industry to achieve top-line objectives in 2008, according to Ernst & Young's Global Insurance Center.

Novato, Calif. — Fireman’s Fund Insurance Co. is making good on a long-standing promise to offer customer-focused claims service by creating a Claims Service Pledge, the company reports.