Seeking to revive stalled health care reform legislation, a top official says the Obama administration plans to present its own reform bill this week. At a news briefing last week, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said the administration would take some of the “best ideas” from measures passed in the House and Senate and incorporate them into a single proposal, which will be posted online prior to a Feb. 25 health care summit.

A bill has been introduced to strip health insurers of the limited antitrust exemption granted to them by the McCarran-Ferguson Act, but unlike a previous version, this measure would not impose the change on medical malpractice insurers. The Health Insurance Industry Fair Competition Act is posted at www.rules.house.gov, the Web site of the House of Representatives' Rules Committee, which will set rules for its consideration this week.

Thirty-six commercial property/casualty insurers received rating upgrades in 2009 while 24 were downgraded, A.M. Best Co. Inc. said in a special report. In Upgrades, Downgrades Moved at a Similar Pace in 2009, Best said upgraded commercial lines insurers “generated strong operating results in select business segments, such as surplus lines and medical professional liability.” Copies of the report can be obtained by going to www.bestweek.com and clicking on Best's Special Reports in the upper-left tool bar.

Humana Inc. said it is cutting its workforce by approximately 1,400 positions, or 5%, as part of a streamlining effort. The reductions, which will occur throughout this year, will include a total of 2,500 positions, but 1,100 new jobs will be added in growth areas such as medical-cost containment capabilities, pharmacy management and specialty products. Employees unable to obtain another position within Humana will be offered severance packages with temporary continuation of health and other benefits.

The Department of Health and Human Services' Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services said it will delay implementation of Medicare Secondary Payer mandatory reporting, which was to begin April 1, to Jan. 1, 2011. Sources say the delay applies only to nongroup health plan reporting, not group health plan reporting.

Endurance Specialty Holdings Ltd. President and CEO Kenneth J. LeStrange will retire effective March 1, the specialty insurer said. David Cash, chief underwriting officer, has been named Endurance's new CEO. William M. Jewett, president and CEO of Endurance's worldwide reinsurance division, has been named president. Both will be nominated to Endurance's board of directors in May, the company said in a statement. Mr. LeStrange will continue as chairman of the board until March 2, 2011, the company said.

Employees' 401(k) account balances in 2009 recovered investment losses suffered in 2008, but still were less than year-end 2007, according to a study. The average 401(k) account balance was $64,200 last year, up 27.9% from $50,200 from year-end 2008. Still, the average 401(k) account was less than 2007 when the average was $69,200, the study by mutual fund provider and 401(k) plan administrator Fidelity Investments found.

Fairfax Financial Holdings Ltd. will acquire workers compensation insurer Zenith National Insurance Corp., the companies said. The transaction is expected to close in the second quarter and is subject to approval by Zenith National stockholders and regulators, the companies said. The transaction would total approximately $1.4 billion.

Hartford Financial Services Group Inc. said Christopher J. Swift will serve as the company's executive vp and chief financial officer, effective March 1. He succeeds Lizabeth Zlatkus, who will become chief risk officer, as announced previously.

Ironshore Inc. named Jordan Gantz senior vp and chief underwriting officer of its U.S. specialty casualty unit....Ironshore also named Dutch Phillips, assistant vp of casualty underwriting at Ironshore Risk Agency, to the expanded role of vp of U.S. specialty casualty....Zurich North America Commercial named Daniel W. Riordan president of its specialties business unit.