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).

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."

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of the Capital Markets, Insurance and Government-Sponsored Enterprises Subcommittee - that would modernize an outdated state-based regulatory system.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.

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."

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.

Washington, D.C.--The American Council of Life Insurers (ACLI) announced today that it is joining with Computer Sciences Corporation, a leading information technology services provider, to evaluate state and federal regulatory environments for the U.S. life insurance industry, report on the economic impact of the current state-based charter system, and assess the potential for improvement under an optional federal charter system.

BIRMINGHAM, Mich.--Richard P. Poyle announced today the formation of an innovative new enterprise called PKC. PKC will provide consulting and inspections to the insurance industry -- but PKC is much more than the typical insurance inspection company. "The vision is to provide a critical service bridge between underwriters and insured companies. Too often we find that vital risk management and loss control systems are lacking or not properly in place. The gap between the insured and the insurer hurts both parties. PKC will close that gap with consulting services, inspections, training services and documentation," said Poyle. PKC is an acronym that stands for the three principals of the new entity: Richard Poyle, Dianne Kennedy and Gary Copeland.

NEW ORLEANS--Managing general agencies, wholesalers and their agency customers can take advantage of expanded nuServe software providing an organized approach to indicating, rating, and binding business as well as processing claims and endorsements.

WASHINGTON--Employers with lower health care cost increases for 2004 more often encourage workers to take responsibility for their health care decisions, according to the 9th annual National Business Group on Health/Watson Wyatt health cost study.

Travelers Property Casualty Corp. announced that it has executed a definitive agreement settling asbestos-related statutory-based direct actions pending against Travelers under various unfair trade practices acts and similar statutes, including the Wise, Meninger and Cashman purported class actions and similar cases. The settlement in principle was previously announced on November 21, 2003.

DALLAS-- Entrust Inc., a global leader in securing digital identities and information, today announced that Aon Limited, a leading global insurance broking, risk management and human capital consulting company, is expanding its use of the Entrust Secure Identity Management Solution by capitalizing on Entrust's innovative CPU-based pricing model to make deployment of its Web-based applications more cost effective.

OLDSMAR, Fla. --eAutoclaims, a provider of claims management services, and ADP Claims Services Group, a leading provider of integrated business solutions for the property and casualty, collision repair and automotive recycling industries, announced today an agreement offering insurance carriers a new service to more efficiently and effectively administer their managed repair programs.

Wilmington, Del.-based Rockwood Programs has initiated a promotional campaign designed to raise market awareness regarding its Sponsored Errors & Omissions Program. This campaign will be aimed at insurance companies and Managing General Agencies with large sub-producer networks.

JUPITER, Fla.--Property and casualty insurers earned $22.9 billion during the first nine months of 2003, representing a $12.1 billion, or 112 percent, increase over the $10.8 billion profit reported during the same period in 2002, according to Weiss Ratings, Inc., the nation's leading independent provider of ratings and analyses of financial services companies, mutual funds, and stocks.

Evolution Benefits Inc., Avon, Conn., and Seattle-based drugstore.com inc. have teamed to create a paperless, IRS-compliant system for electronically substantiating and adjudicating the reimbursement of over-the-counter medications (OTCs) eligible under flexible spending accounts.The program, available through the drugstore.com Web store, automatically recognizes and separates those OTCs eligible for reimbursement under flexible spending accounts (FSAs)--a benefit authorized by the Internal Revenue Service last year--as well as for prescription drugs covered under basic health plans. Purchases of eligible OTCs and covered prescription drugs can be placed on Evolution's Benny Card, a special purpose, debit MasterCard card, and electronically deducted from the consumer's appropriate Benny Card account(s).

FRAMINGHAM, Mass.--Workscape Inc., a provider of benefits and workforce management solutions, today announced that it has acquired the business of Performaworks, Inc., a leading developer of Goal-Driven Performance Managementsoftware based in Burlington, Mass.

ATLANTA--Crawford & Company was recently named one of three national service providers to offer property, casualty, and workers' compensation claims handling to CNA Insurance Companies. "Crawford is honored to be chosen as the primary provider for such a prestigious and world-renowned company," said Grover L. Davis, Crawford chairman and CEO. "I look forward to continuing to grow this relationship, and am confident that this arrangement will greatly benefit both companies."

A new study by New York-based PricewaterhouseCoopers has confirmed that Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) is on the boardroom agenda as a key driver for a competitive edge in the insurance industry, but some leading insurers need to close the gap between the design and planning stages, and the actual execution and integration of ERM programs. Market and regulatory forces will continue to drive insurers to implement ERM as an enabler for attaining financial goals. Leading companies look to ERM as a framework under which they can not only manage all the categories of risk but also optimize their portfolios and enhance product development. Some, however, continue to struggle with the necessary infrastructure, people, processes and technology essential to fully reap these benefits.

St. Louis, MO--Genelco Software Solutions, a division of Liberty Insurance Services Corporation (LIS), today announced the newly released version 3.0 of its front-office Web portal product, Genelco LifeView. Genelco LifeView 3.0 builds upon its common-sense approach to Web access with innovative improvements to function and design.

Who knows what the future holds? While the U.S. Department of Homeland Security is actively investigating terrorist communications and activity to prevent possible attacks, insurers are beginning to understand the necessity of taking a new, more proactive approach to assessing their own risks of loss related to people, processes, technologies or external events.These "operational risks," as defined by the Bank of Inter-national Settle-ment (BIS) in its proposed Basel II accord, are exemplified by events and failures such as Enron and WorldCom, the power outage in the Northeast last summer, the continual stream of computer viruses infesting the Internet, and, of course, the September 11 terrorist attacks.