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Insurance industry companies pledge funds for Haiti

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PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti—Several insurance industry companies have pledged donations and other types of assistance following Haiti's worst earthquake in more than 200 years.

The death toll from Tuesday's magnitude 7.0 earthquake, which devastated much of Haiti's capital city of Port-au-Prince, is expected to exceed 100,000, according to reports.

Among the contributors as of Friday:

  • Warren, N.J.-based Chubb Corp. established a $500,000 fund for disaster relief efforts.

  • Chicago-based Aon Corp. is donating $100,000 to the American Red Cross Haiti Relief and Development efforts and will match up to an additional $300,000 in contributions from Aon employees around the world.

  • Louisville, Ky.-based Humana Inc. is contributing $100,000, which it said could grow to $150,000 through employee matching.

  • UnitedHealth Group Inc. of Minnetonka, Minn., donated $100,000 to the American Red Cross and said it will match up to $50,000 in employee contributions to charitable partner Global Impact. In addition, OptumHealth, which is UnitedHealth's health and wellness operation, is offering a free emotional-support help line for those with relatives or friends in Haiti.

  • Hartford, Conn.-based Aetna Inc.'s Aetna Foundation is providing $10,000 grants to each of six organizations to help fund their relief efforts. In addition, Aetna employees have pledged $25,000, which is being matched by the Aetna Foundation dollar-for-dollar for an additional $25,000. Aetna also is arranging medical evacuations for employer clients with employees injured by the quake and opened its employee assistance program to all Aetna benefit plan members, regardless of whether employers have contracted for EAP services.

  • New York-based Chartis Inc., American International Group Inc.'s property/casualty unit, will hold an employee fundraising drive from Jan. 18 through Jan. 22, with contributions going to the American Red Cross, the International Red Cross and the International Red Crescent. Donations will be matched, and Chartis' senior management has personally committed a minimum of $50,000 to kick off the drive. In addition, Stevens Point, Wis.-based Travel Guard, a travel insurance unit of Chartis, is extending help to any American traveler who needs it, regardless of whether they carried Travel Guard insurance. The coverage is underwritten by National Union Fire Insurance Co. of Pittsburgh, Pa. Travel Guard estimates it had at least 200 insured customers on Haiti when the quake struck.

  • The Allstate Foundation, part of Northbrook, Ill.-based Allstate Corp., made a $50,000 donation to the American Red Cross and said it would match up to $50,000 in employee contributions dollar for dollar.

  • The CIGNA Foundation, part of Philadelphia-based CIGNA Corp., donated $50,000 to the American Red Cross and said it would match another $50,000 in employee donations.

  • Los Angeles-based Health Net Inc. is matching employee donations up to $50,000.

    Los Angeles-based Farmers Insurance Group of Cos. will contribute $25,000 to the American Red Cross.

  • The Insurance Industry Charitable Foundation will provide a total of $25,000 in grants to the International Rescue Committee and World Cares Center.

  • Kingston, Jamaica-based NEM Insurance Co. Jamaica Ltd. is donating bottled water.

  • Franklin Lakes, N.J.-based Medco Health Solutions Inc. is partnering with AmeriCares, a Stamford, Conn.-based humanitarian aid organization, to provide “most in need” medicines to Haiti. In addition, the Medco Foundation is organizing a group of French- and Creole- speaking Medco employee health care workers including pharmacists, nurses and other clinicians to travel to Port-au-Prince to assist in the relief effort.

  • Warwick, R.I.-based InsureMyTrip.com and travel medical provider HCC Medical Insurance Services L.L.C. launched a special initiative providing a 20% discount on medical and evacuation coverage for U.S. travelers heading to Haiti to aid in relief efforts.