NATIONAL NEWS ZONE......

A.M. Best Co. will host a Webcast entitled, “Cutting Edge Claims Management” on Wednesday, July 15, from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. EDT. Registration is free online at http://us.lrd.yahoo.com/_ylt=Ai5Oorc.MzhoAfQjaz6W2j2vMncA/SIG=15m03jrv0/**http%3A//cts.businesswire.com/ct/CT%3Fid=smartlink%26url=http%253A%252F%252Fwww.ambest.com%252Fclaims09%26esheet=5989249%26lan=en_US%26anchor=www.ambest.com%252Fclaims09%26index=1.

As overall underwriting results for the U.S. property/casualty industry trend negative, insurers are focusing on how to manage claims more effectively. During the Webcast, the editors of Best’s Review and a panel of experts will discuss how insurers are using new information, technology, strategies and tools to control claims costs, speed claims resolution, reduce fraudulent claims and remain compliant with claims regulations.

Speakers include:

• Michael Costonis, executive director, North American Insurance Practice at Accenture
• Dorothy Muir, senior vice president of Claims, Maiden Re.
• Peter Crosa, of Peter J. Crosa & Co., an insurance adjusting firm and active claims writer.
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Additional speakers will be named shortly.

Attendees can submit questions or comments for the discussion by e-mailing mailto:news@ambest.com;_ylt=AluJUTtCoT3MvAR4XiZJ8cCvMncA. Questions and comments will be discussed before and during the live event.

To learn about Webcast sponsorship opportunities, call (908) 439-2200, ext. 5399, or e-mail mailto:advertising_sales@ambest.com;_ylt=AplZa4UKOUUEwn.OjBZHfhuvMncA.

For more information about the Webcast, call (908) 439-2200, ext. 5561, or e-mail mailto:lee.mcdonald@ambest.com;_ylt=AkoAysj_up17WearkRZfi0WvMncA.

• Ken Crerar, president of The Council of Insurance Agents & Brokers, sent a letter Tuesday to the Senate HELP committee regarding this week’s health care legislation markup, citing concerns about key provisions that could result in inexperienced decision-making and discourage participation in employer-provided preventative care and wellness programs. Crerar’s statement regarding these provisions of the bill follows:
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• “As the Senate HELP committee considers creating state and regional gateways for individuals and small businesses to purchase health insurance, it would be a disservice to deny experienced insurance professionals from serving as a navigator in the exchange. Every day thousands of insurance brokers advise companies on options to mitigate rising costs, manage programs to improve the health of employees and their dependents, and advise on complex insurance regulations. Moreover, to completely abandon the depth of knowledge and resources brokers provide the insurance marketplace as a distribution system and replace with one that is untested and inexperienced is potentially disastrous. It would be unfair to individuals or employers securing insurance through the gateway to entrust their insurance decisions to an entity with little or no experience in the insurance market.
  
  
• “Furthermore, there is nearly uniform consensus on the successes of preventative care and wellness programs. We believe that instituting community rating policies for groups larger than 50 would be a disincentive for employers to develop and implement wellness programs. To allow premium variances on behavior like smoking encourages companies and individuals to focus on increasing their health as a means to lowering costs. We urge the committee to cap community rating at 50 lives to ensure medium and large companies continue to strengthen the health of their workforce. “Finally, we remain opposed to a government insurance plan. We can achieve the goals of lower costs, expanding coverage and increasing quality without a government plan that would be detrimental to the employer-provided system.”