Products & Services

CIGNA enhances online disability claims reporting

PHILADELPHIA—CIGNA Group Insurance has enhanced its disability claims reporting platform by providing customers with more self-service capabilities via the Web, the Philadelphia company said.

Through its secure site, employers now have access to critical operational claims information such as advice-to-pay reports; individual claims status and new claim notifications; and analytical information, such as year-over-year trending data and health care reports for customers who also have medical coverage with CIGNA HealthCare, helping them better manage disability-related absences.

The reporting capabilities are available to all self-insured and fully insured disability customers who purchase CIGNA's short- or long-term disability products.

In addition, the reporting platform allows multiple users to access the site simultaneously, viewing reports jointly or independently. The sort and filter functions help users create custom report views that can be reapplied to future reports. Employer administrators can also delegate and manage access to the reports by benefits managers, payroll personnel, supervisors, brokers and others who need to see aggregate claims information, while ensuring the protection of employees' privacy.

For more information, contact Diane Russell, marketing product director, at 215-761-4747 or by e-mail at diane.russell@cigna.com.

Legal expense coverage for elder care facilities

DALLAS—U.S. Risk Underwriters, a specialty lines underwriting manager and wholesale broker, has introduced its ElderCare Legal Expense Reimbursement policy for long-term care facilities, including skilled care, assisted living and continuing care retirement communities.

The policy reimburses these facilities for certain legal expenses that may be incurred in defense of a professional or general liability claim caused by a medical incident, event or offense. There is a deductible of $5,000 with limits up to $250,000.

Coverage is available in all states except Alaska, Florida and Mississippi, and is written with an A-rated carrier on a claims-made basis. No coverage is provided for loss or indemnity.

Agents and brokers looking for more information should contact U.S. Risk Underwriters in Dallas at 800-952-7738, in Houston at 800-833-8803 or in Washington at 800-948-5800.

Best's aggregates products available online

OLDWICK, N.J.—A.M. Best Co. Inc. has released Web-based versions of both the property/casualty and life/health editions of "Best's Aggregates & Averages--United States & Canada," presenting all exhibits in Excel spreadsheet format. "Best's Aggregates & Averages--Online" contains the same information as the print property/casualty and life/health editions.

The 2006 publication includes data drawn from Best's Statement File and can be used to benchmark a company's performance against the rest of the insurance industry or a group of its peers. The exhibits contained in "Best's Aggregates & Averages" can also be used for studying industrywide trends in balance sheets, expenses, investments and more.

To order Oldwick, N.J.-based "Best's Aggregates & Averages--United States & Canada," or for more information, visit www.ambest.com/sales/aggavg or call 908-439-2200, ext. 5742.

AIR model estimates potential wildfire losses

BOSTON—AIR Worldwide Corp. has released a U.S. Wildfire Model, a probabilistic model designed to help insurers better understand the location of their exposures relative to high-risk areas and to estimate potential losses from wildfires.

The model will help insurers, reinsurers and intermediaries manage wildfire risk both for individual policies and entire portfolios of properties in California.

AIR's probabilistic wildfire model is based on a stochastic catalog of potential events that provides insurers with probability distributions of loss and the ability to generate loss costs. The model is available for AIR's CLASIC/2, CATStation and CATRADER catastrophe risk management systems to analyze exposures in California. Future releases of the model will expand its coverage to other Western states.

For more information, visit Boston-based AIR's Web site at www.air-worldwide.com.

Liberty Mutual updates workers comp service

BOSTON—Workers compensation customers can get faster service and better outcomes thanks to an enhancement to the way Liberty Mutual Insurance Co. manages workers comp claims.

The Boston-based insurer said it provides those responsible for managing a claim with online access to all related documents, while fully protecting the privacy of confidential medical information.

Liberty Mutual has reduced the time required for documents from outside resources, such as medical reports, bills and digital photos, to be available in the system. Electronic versions of reports become part of the system as soon as they are received, and paper documents are scanned into the system within a day of being received.

Customers can pull up these documents through RISKTRAC, Liberty Mutual's online risk information system.

Its general liability policyholders will receive similar benefits next year, as the enhancement becomes part of the company's approach to managing liability claims.

For more information, visit www.libertymutual.com.

We'd like to report on new risk management and employee benefit products and services offered by your company. Please send information about your new offerings to: Joe Walker, Business Insurance, 360 N. Michigan Ave., Chicago, Ill. 60601-3806; telephone: 312-649-5283; fax: 312-649-7801; e-mail: jwalker@businessinsurance.com.