Practice management

Insurers are finding self-service portals to be an important distribution channel and are taking steps to improve functionality.

Research reveals gap in health, life insurance direct marketing to Gens X and Y.

A Towers Perrin survey finds customer experience as the key driver, while predictive modeling has been slow to make inroads.

It’s said the insurance industry is a slow technology adopter, but maybe insurers are justifiably skeptical that the technology doesn’t meet its role-based needs.

AXA Equitable Life Insurance, Conseco Inc. and Midland National Life Insurance Co. are some of the companies to receive recognition for technology and quality enhancement.

With co-branded URL addresses, brokerage firms can use the tool to generate qualified leads.

A recent survey shows auto insurance buyers are ready for a change, and depending on the target market, insurers can take action.

While the tangible savings to paperless include decreases in postage and paper costs, the fringe benefit for insurers is potentially tapping into the growing eco-friendly customer segment.

Short-term hard returns may be elusive, but the long view reveals soft returns aplenty.

In an effort to instill confidence in insured retirement strategies by advocating for the consumer, NAVA has rebranded, immediately becoming the Insured Retirement Institute (IRI) http://www.IRIonline.org, now based in Washington, D.C. Along with the name change is a new staff focused on ensuring the insured retirement strategies industry thrives in the future, while protecting the consumers who invest in guaranteed income products such as annuities and promoting the highest ethical standards.

Online insurance aggregator Esurance is targeting a new demographic with a new marketing ploy: Bollywood fans invited to create Bollywood videos with the insurer’s iconic character Erin Esurance. Bollywood, a Hindi-language film industry based in Mumbai, India, has become popular to date due to its inclusion in the Oscar-winning film “Slum Dog Millionaire.”

Ohio Casualty, a Liberty Mutual Agency Markets regional company based in Fairfield, Ohio, reports that its commercial fleets Onboard Advisor is a first-of-its-kind fleet management solution helps companies increase fleet safety and productivity and save on commercial auto insurance premiums.

It’s probably no surprise that 80% of crashes and 65% of near-crashes involve driver distraction. But identifying those distractions—and confirming whether a particular distraction is the cause of an accident—may be harder to prove.

Building a brand appears to be tricky business. This is being proven with the 36-year-old, 110-story black Sears Tower skyscraper now renamed after the London-based insurance broker Willis Group Holdings.

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HIMSS sent a letter yesterday asserting the Certification Commission for Healthcare Information Technology (CCHIT) should be the sole certifying entity for EHRs.

Enhancements include geo-coding and full automation of quoting.

In a letter to the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology, vendor Enclarity said that without appropriate data management, the accuracy, efficacy and overall usefulness of EHRs can be called into question.

The portal, from eHealth Inc., will enable brokers and agents in Arkansas and Missouri to prepare quotes and submit applications for coverage.

While innovation within insurance companies may be stifled due to the tricky regulatory environment, auto insurers are quietly making waves.