This newsletter is for members of the Canadian Insurance Industry, and those who serve it. The newsletter is published weekly, and notes information mostly about the use of the Internet and related technologies in the industry. Some is international, where we feel it is relevant to Canada.
Distribution
MPCF 5G endorsement now available through Markel EZQuote and EZEndorse.
Brokers with Ontario-based clients who rent or lease vehicles can now gain access to Markel's MPCF 5G endorsement through Markel EZEndorse, or request it on a quote for new business using Markel EZQuote.
The Economical Insurance Group to Utilize Brovada Solution for Commercial Upload.
(Toronto, ON: September 6, 2007) Brovada Technologies is pleased to announce that The Economical Insurance Group has chosen to provide its broker partners with Commercial Quoting and Binding functionality via Brovada's nexQuote Solution, the first non-vendor specific commercial comparative rating tool.
Voluntary industry expects improvements in persistency/retention in the next year according to the latest Eastbridge Voluntary Industry Confidence Index.
AVON, CONNECTICUT, USA (August 29, 2007) Almost half (46 percent) of the respondents to the latest Voluntary Industry Confidence Index study expect improvements in worksite/voluntary persistency and retention over the next 12 months. This is a significant improvement over the December 2006 results, where only 36 percent of respondents expected improvements
Claims
Excellus BlueCross BlueShield Tackles Health Insurance Claim Fraud, Waste and Abuse With New Service From IBM.
ARMONK, NY - 06 Sep 2007: Excellus BlueCross BlueShield has contracted to use the new Risk Identification Analysis Service from IBM to help combat health care insurance claim fraud, waste and abuse.
Popularity of high-performance motorcycles helps push rider deaths to near-record high: IIHS.
September 11, 2007 - ARLINGTON, VA - Supersports have the highest death rates and worst overall insurance losses among all types of motorcycles, new analyses by the Institute and Highway Loss Data Institute (HLDI) reveal. Motorcyclists who ride supersports have driver death rates per 10,000 registered motorcycles nearly 4 times higher than rates for motorcyclists who ride all other types of bikes.
I.I.I. Offers September 11 Insurance Analysis, Claims Paid and Future Implications.
NEW YORK, September 10, 2007 - Six years after September 11, 2001, the threat of terrorist attack remains a source of tremendous uncertainty for the United States economy, with potentially negative consequences for both business interests and employment, according to the Insurance Information Institute (I.I.I.).
Product Announcements
The Co-operators introduces program to support Alberta's non-profit and voluntary organizations.
The Co-operators has launched Community Guard, a first-of-its-kind insurance and risk management solution designed specifically to address challenges affecting the non-profit/voluntary sector in Alberta.
Business of Insurance
2007 Best's Pocket Key Rating Guide(™) - Canada Available Free on the A.M. Best Web Site.
OLDWICK, N.J., September 12, 2007 - A.M. Best Co. has released the 2007 edition of Best's Pocket Key Rating Guide - Canada, presenting Best's Ratings and the current year's financial data for insurers operating in every Canadian province (including units owned by companies domiciled outside of Canada).
Unity Life of Canada Proposes to Acquire Individual Life & Accidental Death Insurance Policies of the Canadian Professional Sales Association (CPSA).
TORONTO, Sept. 13, 2007 - Unity Life of Canada and the Canadian Professional Sales Association (CPSA) today announced that they have entered into an agreement under which Unity Life will acquire the individual life and accidental death policies of CPSA.
Financial Insights Asia/Pacific Survey Ascertains Key Priorities and IT Spending Patterns of Insurers.
Singapore and Hong Kong - September 12, 2007 - Leading independent research and advisory firm, Financial Insights, an IDC company, today announced the release of its report discussing findings from a comprehensive polling of senior insurance executives conducted at the annual Financial Insights' InsureTech Conference held last month in Singapore.
Marketing and the Market Place
Desjardins Financial Security Provides Complimentary Three-day Travel Insurance for Shoppers OptimumT Cardholders.
Lévis (Québec), September 6, 2007 - Desjardins Financial Security Life Assurance Company (DFS) and Shoppers Drug Mart®/Pharmaprix® are pleased to announce that they have signed an agreement offering Shoppers/Pharmaprix Optimum MembersT three days of complimentary travel insurance, effective September 8, 2007.
Conning Research: Property-Casualty Surplus Lines of Insurance Outperforming General Commercial Insurance Market.
Hartford, CT, September 4, 2007 - Property-casualty surplus lines have outperformed the general commercial property-casualty insurance market in both premium growth and underwriting profit, according to a new study by Conning Research and Consulting, Inc.
Online Video Strategy Hinges on Content: eMarketer.
SEPTEMBER 10, 2007 - A lack of content is keeping some marketers from developing an online video strategy, according to a PermissionTV poll of advertising, branding and marketing executives.
Policy and Product Management
Zurich Canada supports SFU climate change initiative.
September 11, 2007 - Insurance company Zurich Canada is preparing to work with Simon Fraser University to examine ways to cope with the ongoing challenges of extreme weather events caused by climate change.
eBusiness and Technology
Top Ten Trends in P/C E-Business 2007 and Beyond: Report Published by Celent.
Boston, MA, USA - September 11, 2007 - In 2004, Celent published a report on trends in property/casualty e-business that contained 10 projections for 2007. In this report, Celent revisits those projections based on updated survey data from 44 property/casualty insurer executives and looks forward to 2010.
Gartner Forecasts Worldwide Communications-as-a-Service Revenue to Total $252 Million in 2007.
STAMFORD, Conn., September 4, 2007 - The market for communications as a service (CaaS) has started relatively slowly as providers determine how to define, package and market service as a value-added Internet protocol (IP) telephony offering, according to Gartner, Inc. Worldwide CaaS is projected to total $251.9 million in 2007, a 37.6% increase from last year.
from Doug:
An elderly couple, neighbours, are going through trying times. He contracted an infection earlier this summer and has been in and out of hospital a couple of times. While home, he has been largely bedridden and even with some assistance, it has been a challenge for them to cope. Now they are looking at long-term care for him, but where? Nearby, or close to their daughter's, which is an hour or so away by car? Difficult decisions.
On a happier note, a cousin called yesterday to ask if I wanted some family papers that might otherwise be discarded. She and I are the same age, went to the same one-room school house, lived on farms a mile apart, and shared many family events. She is just retired now from a long public school teaching career and this September has chimed the note of freedom from the classroom for her. Great to see her making the most of the moment. Happy decisions.