Claims

SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- InsWeb Corp. today announced results for the fourth quarter ended December 31, 2003. Revenues for the fourth quarter totaled $4.1 million, compared to $6.4 million in the fourth quarter of 2002. During the quarter, InsWeb recognized a gain of $6 million relating to the sale of its remaining investment in Finance All K.K., a Japanese corporation."

DxCG Inc., a provider of predictive modeling software for health care organizations, today announced a national agreement with the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association (BCBSA) to provide RiskSmart to independent Blue Cross and Blue Shield companies.

BRUNSWICK, Maine -- Allenbrook Inc., one of the top three providers of policy processing software and consulting services for the insurance industry, announces that New York Marine and General Insurance Company, a division of New York Marine Group, has signed a licensing agreement for Phoenix adding to a mounting list of insurance companies using Allenbrook's products. The speed-to-market Phoenix solution will provide NYMAGIC, Inc. with an integrated policy processing and

GREENSBORO, N.C. - Jefferson Pilot Corporation, parent of the Jefferson Pilot Financial companies and one of the nation's leading providers of universal and variable universal life insurance and annuities, today reported results for the fourth quarter of 2003. Jefferson Pilot earned $1.01 per share before realized investment losses in the quarter, up 35 percent from fourth-quarter 2002 earnings of $0.75 before realized investment losses. Net income per share for the fourth quarter of 2003 increased 78 percent to $0.82, including net realized investment losses of $0.19 per share, versus net income per share of $0.46 in the fourth quarter of 2002, which included net realized investment losses of $0.29.

When it comes to claims processing, insurers are being driven by the rules-business rules, that is. Using rules-based technology, insurance companies are automating routine tasks, streamlining claims workflow with consistent best practices, and automatically adjudicating low-risk claims."At this point, anybody who is not using rules-based technology is already behind the curve," says Michael Lucarini, partner in the insurance group at Bermuda-based Accenture. "There are certain processes and certain areas of low risk where insurance companies need to cut the costs out and streamline those processes. And that requires the ability to segment your claims and understand your claims experience."

If benefits administration managers across the United States appear particularly upbeat these days, it's for good reason.Their responsibility for overseeing employee benefits plans-which many managers have long viewed as a nuisance-is undergoing a significant transformation. In an ongoing process, a pipeline is being built that directly links group benefits insurers to employees in matters pertaining to the individual plan-with employers in many instances serving as intermediaries.

Insurance fraud is an $80-billion a year industry-and the bad news is: Organized criminals know it."The word has gotten out," says Dennis Jay, executive director of the Coalition Against Insurance Fraud (CAIF), Washington, D.C. "There are huge loopholes in state legislation that have made insurance fraud at least as lucrative as drug trafficking."

The life insurance industry plans a high profile on Capitol Hill this year in an effort to focus policymakers on its agenda, which includes an optional federal charter and a broader array of retirement products.The lobbying effort will include "fly-ins" by company CEOs and other high-level executives to speak to administration officials and key members, briefings and interview opportunities, and introduction of legislation supportive of industry interests. Also to be disclosed shortly is establishment of an "insurance caucus" by members of Congress with great interest in insurance issues.

As a small, regional insurer, Wayne Mutual has been outsourcing its IT operations for 20 years. Formed in 1910 as a mutual protective association for local farmers, the Wooster, Ohio based carrier today provides property/casualty insurance to 30,000 policyholders in "the Buckeye state.""Wayne Mutual has never done its own IT processing," says Tim Suppes, vice president of operations at the company, which reported $16.6 million in net written premium in 2002. "We're not big enough to have an in-house staff of programmers," he says.

Feb 02, 2004-- Salmon Ltd, the IT services and consulting firm, today announced the launch of its new underwriting solution. Unlike traditional underwriting solutions, Salmon's is fully Web-based and covers all the key elements of the insurance lifecycle with an integrated solution including claims, reinsurance and management information systems (MIS).

HARTFORD, Conn. -- Travelers Property Casualty Corp. announces that it will now provide Web-based ability to create and print Ocean Cargo Certificates of Insurance to its Ocean Cargo policyholders and their agents.

NEW YORK-- Association Health Plan (AHP) legislation proposed by President Bush to level the playing field for small employers seeking health insurance may instead cause significant disruption, according to a special report published by Fitch Ratings.

JERSEY CITY, N.J.--Insurance Services Office, Inc. (ISO) has acquired Quality Planning Corporation (QPC), a San Francisco-based provider of analytic methods for helping auto insurance companies achieve greater rating integrity. Terms were not disclosed.

Valley Oak Systems, Inc. (VOS), a national provider of claims management software, services and support, has completed development of a new data extraction tool that will streamline the submission of claims data to the Public Entity Risk Institute (PERI), a non-profit organization that oversees the PERI Data Exchange, a national database of public sector liability and workers' compensation claims, judgments, and exposures.

Skywire Software, a leading provider of enterprise software, announced today that it has named Karl Schultz as the company's new chief information officer. Schultz most recently served on the company's executive team as Sr. Vice President, Software Development. Schultz will be responsible for leading the development of the company's products, delivering on successful customer engagements, and overseeing the company's information technology operations.

ATLANTA-- 2004 may be a better year for the insurance and financial services industry, say members of the LOMA board of directors. LOMA's Resource magazine recently surveyed LOMA's directors, who represent global leaders in financial services, seeking their industry forecast for 2004. Most of the directors participating in the survey agreed that, with the U.S. economy showing signs of gradual recovery, things are looking up for industry sales, premiums, and profits.

Frimley UK--Candle Corporation, a leading enterprise infrastructure management provider, today announced that Royal Liver Assurance has selected Candle`s PathWAIsolutions to support the development, implementation and management of its IBM WebSphere application infrastructure using Linux. Candle`s PathWAI solutions enable organisations to accelerate application infrastructure development and deployment, ensure consistent performance and enhance management control.

NEW YORK--Directors and officers (D&O) liability insurance premiums increased approximately 33% on average from 2002 to 2003, according to the Tillinghast business of Towers Perrin's 2003 Directors & Officers Liability Survey.

Wausau Insurance has unveiled a new one-stop online information source that will make it easier than ever for brokers to meet and exceed their client needs.

The New Jersey Supreme Court issued a unanimous decision Thursday supporting the insurance industry's views that wrongful death and survival actions do not trigger separate "per person" coverage claims under an automobile liability insurance policy.