Issue 2006-03: January 17, 2006
Distribution
HealthQuotes.ca Announces "Double Up" Rewards program for Manulife Financial's Affinity Market Products.
Toronto ON 12 Jan 2006 - HealthQuotes.ca is pleased to announce that the "Double Up" rewards program for Manulife Financial's Affinity Market plans is back. Affinity Market applications received from our broker affiliates (from January 1, 2006 to March 31, 2006) that are in force by May 1 2006 will qualify.
EGI Financial enters Ontario motorcycle insurance market with $5 million agreement.
TORONTO, Jan. 6, 2006 - EGI Financial Holdings Inc. (TSX: EFH) today announced that its wholly-owned subsidiary, Echelon General Insurance Company, is entering the Ontario motorcycle insurance market with a $5 million brokerage agreement with Riders Plus Insurance.
Claims
ISB and CARPROOF.COM Announce Agreement for Distribution of Products to the Property and Casualty Insurance Claims Market.
Toronto, Ontario, January 14, 2006 - CARPROOF.COM and Insurance Search Bureau of Canada (ISB) announce an agreement to distribute CARPROOF vehicle history reports through ISB to the Property and Casualty claims industry. This agreement allows CARPROOF to take advantage of ISB's claims knowledge, expertise and market presence, and for ISB to further increase the array of information products available to claims professionals in the handling of P&C claims.
Insurance Fraud and Buildup Add Approximately $400 Million to California Auto Injury Claims, IRC Study Finds.
January 5, 2006 MALVERN, Pa. - A recent Insurance Research Council (IRC) study of auto injury insurance claims puts a price tag on the cost of claim abuse in California. In 2002, between $319 and $432 million in bodily injury liability (BI) payments in the state were attributable to claim fraud and buildup, the IRC estimates. Those amounts represent approximately 11 to 15 percent of all California BI payments that year.
eBusiness and Technology
State of Vermont's Captive Insurance Automates Document Delivery and Improves Productivity with Synergize from Microdea.
Due to continuing growth, the Captive Division was drowning in paper. An electronic document management solution was required to eliminate labour intensive manual paper processes, ensure long-term document security and deliver fast nd secure access to accurate company information. Microdea's Synergize Electronic Document Management was chosen
SAS® Canada establishes Healthcare Advisory Council.
TORONTO,ON. (December 7, 2005) - Furthering its commitment to the healthcare industry, SAS®, the leader in business intelligence, today announced the formation of the SAS Canada Healthcare Advisory Council. The new Council includes prominent industry experts and innovators who are all focused and dedicated to improving the delivery of healthcare services throughout Ontario.
Education and Training
The IAO School Announces Fuel Oil System Inspection Logistics (FOSIL) Course.
This 1-day course will provide the necessary skills required to conduct an inspection of the fuel oil system.?ith FOSIL certification through COHA you will be able to identify infractions related to a fuel oil system including the supply tank, supply piping or tubing, the appliance and the venting system.
LOMA Releases Online Anti-Money Laundering Course.
Atlanta, GA-December 5, 2005-LOMA, the leading trade association to the insurance and financial services industry, announces the release of an online anti-money laundering (AML) course on LOMALearn OnlineLOMA's growing e-Learning portal.
Marketing and the Market Place
Retiring Boomers: Are you Ready? Newlink Group.
"Boomers", one of the most anticipated and analyzed demographic event of all time. For the next 20 years, the Financial Services Industry will focus on selling and servicing this market segment. "Boomers" will experience substantial changes in income stability as well as in spending behaviors.
eMarketer's Seven Predictions for 2006.
JANUARY 11, 2006 - January is here again and with it comes the usual slew of projections and forecasts for the coming year. Not to be left out, eMarketer joins the fray.
Progressive Group of Insurance Companies Online Survey - There's More To The Cost Of A Car Than Just The Purchase Price - But Don't Tell That To Shoppers!
MAYFIELD VILLAGE, Ohio - January 4, 2006 - Are you someone who debates endlessly whether to get leather or fabric interior, or spends a week deciding between fire engine red and canary yellow when shopping for a new car? Or, do you go to the car dealership calculator in hand, ready to crunch some numbers?
Policy and Product Management
InSystems Tracker 6.3 a Streamlines Insurance Product Development, Boosts Speed-to-Market.
MARKHAM, Ontario, Dec. 8, 2005 - InSystems Tracker 6.3, software that streamlines creating new insurance products and securing state regulators' approvals to boost speed-to-market, has been introduced by InSystems, the specialists in complex document and compliance automation for insurance and financial services organizations.
ISO'S iiX Unit Delivers Integrated Underwriting Solutions to Insurance Agents on IBQ Systems Platform.
COLLEGE STATION, TX, Dec. 21 - In a marketing agreement with IBQ Systems, ISO's Insurance Information Exchange (iiX) unit, a leading provider of insurance underwriting information, will integrate its credit, claims and motor vehicle reports (MVRs) on the IBQ platform for easier access by insurers and agents.
Consumer Information
Insurance Corporation of British Columbia rates 2006 SUVs & trucks poorly in rear-end-collision protection.
The Insurance Corporation of British Columbia (ICBC) has announced results of rear-crash protection tests in 2006 pickup trucks and sport-utility vehicles (SUVs).
IIHS - Rear Crash Protection in SUVs & Pickups: Most Seat/Head Restraints Would Do A Poor Job of Protecting Poeple's Necks In Rear-End Crashes.
ARLINGTON, VA - Only 6 of the seat/head restraint combinations in 44 current model SUVs are rated good for protection against whiplash injuries in rear-end crashes. None of the seat/head restraint designs in 15 pickup truck models earns a good rating. Overall 4 out of 5 SUV and pickup seat/head restraints recently evaluated by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety are rated marginal or poor for whiplash protection. This is the first time the Institute has tested SUV and pickup seats using a dummy that can measure forces on the neck during a simulated rear-end crash.
Ontario Government Celebrates Opening of New Cataract Surgery Clinic.
January 9, 2006 - TORONTO - The Ontario government is improving access to cataract surgeries and reducing wait times with the creation of a new cataract surgery Centre of Excellence, Health and Long-Term Care Minister George Smitherman announced today.
from Doug:
A small moment of family memory, TV land. No, not Golden Globes. Aunt in Toronto phoned Sunday evening to say that our youngest son, Carleton U., 2nd year Journalism, had two moments on CTV news during interviews about the election. As an out-of-town voter, he did his duty on Saturday. Hope every one of you too will exercise your franchise.
My grandmother, who passed away in 1999 at 105 years young, voted in every election in her life - well, all of those whe was entitled to once women got the right to vote federally Jan. 1, 1919 when she was 24. Like many things, including health, we don't think much about it, unless we don't have it.