DIRECTORY: ALTERNATIVE RISK-FINANCING FACILITIES

Business Insurance's eleventh annual survey of alternative risk financing facilities-which service a wide range of corporations, public entities and professionals-lists 70 facilities with 22,195 policyholders in 1996. For participants in both the 1996 and 1997 listings, membership increased an average of 10.7% during 1996, a steady though modest change compared to the 14.6% increase during 1995. The 10.7% membership increase also falls several points short of the expected 13.5% as reported last year.

Thirty-three of the facilites report that they expect to write coverage for more policyholders in 1997 than in 1996, while 27 respondents expect no change in membership and 6 respondents expect a decrease in membership. Last year, 61% of the facilities expected membership to increase, whereas this year only 50% reported an estimated increase. According to the facilities reporting estimated membership for 1997, enrollment will increase an average of 4.8% this year.

The facilities in this directory reported a combined premium volume of 1.1 billion in 1996. Their policyholder capital and surplus totaled 6.6 billion at year end, while combined assets totaled 9.9 billion. New to the guide this year are five facilities, three having written their first policy in 1996 or 1997 and two currently in formation.

For the second year in a row, the most common domicle is Vermont: 32% of the facilities are domiciled in Vermont, a 15% increase from last year. For 1997, 23 facilities are domiciled in Vermont; 16 in Bermuda; 7 in Colorado; 5 each in the Cayman Islands and Illinois; 3 in Hawaii; 2 each in Barbados, California and Delaware; and one each in Florida, Georgia, Minnesota and South Africa. One facility is domiciled in more than one location.

Coverage is written for a broad range of policyholders, including: manufacturers; the plastics, chemical, energy and petroleum industries; educational institutions; health care providers and health care systems; financial institutions; accounting firms; lawyers; structural engineers; home builders and roofing contractors; electric and gas utilities; the forest products industry; ski area operators; grocers; testing laboratories; booksellers; non-profit organizations; bed and breakfast inns; sporting arms manufacturers; franchise owners; pest control and sanitation consulting firms; environmental remediation contractors, consultants and building owners.

This year's directory as features the third annual guide to rent-a-captives, a list of rent-a-captives beginning on page . The majority of these facilities are domiciled in Bermuda; other domiciles include Barbados, Cayman Islands, Delaware, Ireland and Luxembourg. For those rent-a-captives that participated in both the 1996 and 1997 directories, membership totaled 688 at year-end 1996. This was an impressive 18.4% increase from the 581 reported at year-end 1995, surpassing the expected 12.7% estimated increase as reported last year. The rent-a-captives reporting estimated membership for 1997 expect enrollment to increase an average of 24.9% this year. For all participants, premium volume totaled 451.3 million in 1996. Those organizations reporting estimated premium volume for year-end 1997 expect a 26.1% rise in volume. The combined capital and surplus for all rent-a-captives is at 421 million and assets total 2.6billion.