The Chronicle: Issue 2011-20, May 17, 2011
Claims
IME Workflow, Version 2, allows insurers, vendors, and adjusters to boost productivity and cut costs associated with independent medical examinations.
As insurers know all too well, managing independent medical examinations (IMEs) can be a costly and time-consuming chore. transmitting IME-related documents electronically. In 2010, the company introduced an enhanced version of the system, which streamlines workflow, increases productivity, and saves time and money in the process. Version 2 allows all communication to be documented, tracked, and time- and date-stamped for full transparency.
ISB Seminar: Combat Auto Fraud: "Ask me no questions ... I'll tell you no lies".
With several consecutive sell outs, ISB Canada has decided to broaden its educational reach by expanding the ISB-U Education Series events outside of the GTA. Beginning in June, ISB-U Education Series events will be held in Kingston, Ottawa, London as well as Milton.
FINEOS enhances claims solution for workers' compensation.
Dublin, Ireland, May 6, 2011 - FINEOS Corporation, a market leading provider of claims management software solutions, today announced that it has significantly enhanced its FINEOS Claims for Workers' Compensation solution. The new version, launched at the annual RIMS 2011 Annual Conference & Exhibition in Vancouver, Canada, has been improved with additional capabilities and functionality around Medicare and FROI/SROI reporting; real-time operational and financial reports and medical bill review.
Xactware Upgrades Online Training Center.
OREM, Utah-May 5, 2011 - Xactware has updated its Online Training Center to provide property insurance and restoration professionals with comprehensive self-paced training that includes Xactware's ILX Construction Training as well as training for Xactware's products and services.
Distribution
Accenture: The Life Insurance Challenge: Battling Customer Indifference while Increasing Customer Satisfaction.
Life insurers around the world face a difficult challenge. A new Accenture survey reveals that although the majority of customers are reasonably content with the service they receive, satisfaction levels have declined. What is more, customers are more able and willing than ever to switch providers.
Aviva Canada: Getting more out of your online insurance shopping.
May 12, 2011 (Toronto, ON) - When it comes to home and auto insurance, consumers in communities across Canada now have an easy way to get the best of both worlds - a quick insurance quote whenever they want it, combined with the value of using an insurance broker. Plus, there's a chance to win up to $5,000 and help Canadian charity Free The Children.
Managing Relationships and Customer Service
Sun Life Launches mobile app for group plan members - instant claims processing and new savings tools.
TORONTO, May 10 2011 - Sun Life Financial announced today its plans to offer a free mobile application for group benefits and group retirement and savings plan members. Submitting benefit claims and saving for the future will be easier with a single mobile app that will redefine the plan member experience across Canada.
Guidewire's BillingCenter system enables NFU Mutual to streamline its premium billing and collection processes.
LONDON, 5th May 2011 - NFU Mutual, the UK's leading rural insurer, has realised process efficiency savings, improved premium collection services and reduced payment administration following the implementation of a new billing system, BillingCenter, developed by Guidewire Software®, a leading global provider of solutions to general insurers.
eBusiness and Technology
The Co-operators Selects IP Business Communications Solution from Interactive Intelligence.
INDIANAPOLIS AND GUELPH, ON, May 10 2011 - Several member companies of The Co-operators Group Ltd., a Canadian-owned, multi-product insurance company, have selected the Interactive Intelligence all-in-one IP communications software suite, Customer Interaction Center® (CIC).
IBM zEnterprise Mainframe Server Selected by Primerica for Smarter Infrastructure.
ARMONK, N.Y., - 11 May 2011: IBM today announced that Primerica, Inc., the largest independent financial services marketing company in North America with more than 2.4 million client accounts, has selected the new IBM zEnterprise 196 to run its core business applications. The new zEnterprise--which runs both Linux and the z operating system--helps reduce the time it takes Primerica agents to open insurance and other types of financial accounts from days to minutes by enabling smart phones to upload client records directly to the mainframe server.
Business of Insurance
ICBC Modernizing to better serve our customers.
May 4, 2011 - ICBC has been listening to its customers and as a result, the corporation is changing to better meet their needs. Part of this effort involves looking at new ways of doing things to deliver even better value and an improved customer experience.
Marketing and the Market Place
Manulife: Young homeowners optimistic about when they'll be debt-free: Years of experience give older homeowners a more realistic perspective on debt.
WATERLOO, ON, May 9 2011 - More than four out of 10 Canadian homeowners aged 30-39 expect to be debt-free by the end of their forties and another third expect to be debt-free in their fifties, according to Manulife Bank of Canada's quarterly Debt Freedom Survey. The reality, though, is that only seven per cent of homeowners aged 40-49 and 16 per cent aged 50-59 have actually paid off all their debts.
Consumer Information
Allstate Canada Wants to Protect You and Your Renovation.
TORONTO, May 10, 2011 - Canadians have been busy improving their homes. A study from the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation shows that 2.1 million Canadians undertook a home improvement project worth $1,000 or more in 2009, a 27 per cent increase over the previous year. But what did those homeowners leave their property and family vulnerable to throughout the renovation and after it was completed?
SGI: Car thieves to lose auto injury benefits.
May 4, 2011 - The Saskatchewan government took the first step today towards removing access to all auto injury benefits for convicted car thieves. Minister Responsible for Saskatchewan Government Insurance (SGI) Tim McMillan introduced the necessary amendments to The Automobile Accident Insurance Act today in the Legislative Assembly.
Traffic Injury Research Foundation - Distracted Driving: So What's the Big Picture? By Robyn Robertson, President and CEO.
In the past five years distracted driving has garnered
growing media attention and rapidly emerged as one of the most high-profile, talked-about issues in road safety today. In fact, Webster's Dictionary named "distracted driving" as its word of the year in 2009 (Webster's 2009). Governments, industry, safety advocates, researchers and the public have all weighed in on the issue and what needs to be done to address it.
from Doug:
The vacation dream is over, other than for a little jet lag and lots of good memories. We dropped our rental car in Aberdeen and trained to Edinburgh for three nights in a delightful boutique hotel about four blocks off Princes Street. The architecture and history there always amazes me since first visiting some 42 years ago. The new and very modern Scottish Parliament buildings sit right across the street from Holyrood Palace, both watched over by that hill and cliff called King Arthur's Seat. We marvelled more at the UK transportation as we trained from Edinburgh to Sheffield (visited an elderly distant cousin) to London. I alone departed on Sunday via the tube to Heathrow and home. Now for two weeks as a bachelor - oh well. Time to start thinking about the next trip.