The Technology Evaluation Center (TEC) of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association (BCBSA) has launched a new Internet resource both to provide physicians, consumers, and healthcare organizations with scientific assessments of medical devices, drugs, and procedures and to promote the use of scientific evidence in healthcare decision-making. The Web resource at www.bcbs.com/tec showcases a rolling three-year inventory of TEC assessments on a variety of topics, including cardiovascular medicine, oncology, and diagnostic imaging.
This is a meaningful enhancement to the way we make this information available, says Allan Korn, M.D., senior vice president of BCBSA for medical affairs and chief medical officer. Our intent is to promote the use of evidence-based healthcare decision-making by physicians and consumers. The goal of the effort, according to Korn, is to help people become wiser healthcare consumers through better understanding of the current scientific evidence on the effectiveness of treatments and tests. Better understanding helps people make more informed healthcare choices, Korn says, and to communicate more effectively with their physicians in a decision-making partnership.

The Web resources will be updated as new TEC assessments are reviewed by the Medical Advisory Panel and published by BCBSA. The resource is designed for easy navigation, offering 15 searchable clinical topic areas, keyword searching, and access to summaries of assessments in processthose recently reviewed by the Medical Advisory Panel and being prepared for final publication. Visitors also can sign up to receive e-mail alerts when new material is published on the Web site.


WEB SITE
Progressive Continues Dominance of Financial Services Scorecard

Youll be excused if youre a little bored by the news Progressive Insurances Web site has been named the top Internet site for insurance carriers for the third quarter of this year. After all, it is the eighth consecutive quarter the scorecard service Gmez has honored Progressive. The folks at Progressive are excited, though, because no other financial services company Web site ever has been ranked number one overall eight times in a row.
The Gmez Scorecard measures the quality of online financial services offerings, with a focus on ease of use, customer confidence, on-site resources, and relationship services. The overall ranking places a priority on a Web sites educational, purchasing, and servicing capabilities.

Finishing behind Progressive, in order, were Allstate, Nationwide, USAA, Geico, State Farm, Electric Insurance Co., The Hartford, Esurance, and 21st Century Insurance. The scorecards and reviews can be accessed at www.gomez.com.


AGENT PORTAL
Safeco Enhances Point-of-Sale Automation

Safeco has announced plans for a single, unified, Web-based technology platform that will improve point-of-sale automation and allow independent distributors to quote and sell all of the carriers commercial and personal insurance product lines. A pilot project will test the personal lines portion of the platform in select agencies beginning this month. Web-based new-business entry for personal auto and home insurance products will launch on Safecos agent portal, www.safecoplaza.com, in second-quarter 2004.

Safeco began online new-business entry in its commercial lines in January. The speed and convenience of online transactions is credited with boosting sales of business owners policies (BOP) by nearly 36 percent during the first six months of this year. Safeco began adding commercial auto sales on the Web in July, and workers compensation will be available online later this fall.
Bringing together our commercial and personal lines new-business-entry process in a unified, Web-based platform will strengthen Safecos new company structure that focuses on delivering property/casualty insurance products, says Anne Randall, vice president of personal lines automation. A single platform will allow agents to enter customer information once and navigate between personal auto and homeowners insurance and business policies, with the ability to issue bindable quotes in minutes. In addition, a Web-based process will lower operating costs and improve efficiency by eliminating agents need to update and maintain desktop rating software.

M&A
Highline Media Completes Merger With National Underwriter Company

Highline Media, LLC, and The National Underwriter Company (NUCO) completed a definitive merger agreement whereby NUCO was acquired by Highline. Terms of the transaction have not been disclosed. NUCO, formed in 1897, is a leading publishing and information services business focused on the insurance industry and the parent company of Tech Decisions magazine. In live events, NUCO sponsors the annual Tech Decisions Exposition and Conference (TechDEC).
Highline is a new company formed by Spire Capital Partners, L.P., and headed by Andrew L. Goodenough, its president and chief executive officer. Spire is a $260 million private equity fund based in New York City with financial interests in a number of media companies.

Highline plans to use National Underwriter as a base from which to build a multimarket, multiproduct business-to-business publishing and related-media company, including a combination of magazine, newsletter, conference, trade show, Web site, and book assets, delivered in print, electronic, and live-event form. The company intends to acquire and launch publishing assets in the financial services, insurance, and real-estate fields.
Goodenough has 25 years in publishing and most recently served as the president of the Financial Publishing and Conferences Group at Thomson, with annual revenues of $75 million. The opportunity to own a commanding position in the insurance industry is a wonderful one for Highline, Goodenough says. The insurance business is one of the nations largest employers and a primary engine for capital preservation and growth.


WHOS USING WHAT
Cooperativa De Seguros Multiples, a Puerto Rico-based insurer, has contracted with IDP for services that ensure compliance with U.S. Treasury Department requirements concerning Specially De-signated Nationals (SDN) through the departments Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC). IDP calls the service OSCAR (OFAC SDN Compliance and Reporting).

John Hancock Financial Services, Inc., has selected IBM to build an on-demand technology infrastructure. IBM will monitor the system continually to prevent service disruptions to John Hancocks multichannel distribution system.

National Life Insurance Co. has selected VIP, a Web-based enterprisewide illustration system from SunGard Insurance Systems, for Nationals term and universal life products.

Penn Mutual Life Insurance has deployed the NaviSys Front Office from NaviSys. The system will provide illustration software to the Penn Mutual agents and financial advisers for life and deferred annuity products.

OneBeacon Insurance Group has selected EasyLink and its claims processing solution to convert its faxed ACORD first notice of loss forms in ACORD XML data.

Medical Liability Mutual Insurance has begun using the OASIS claims management system from Delphi Technology.

Indiana Lumbermens Mutual has chosen Risk Manager from Valen Technologies to help make better core business decisions. Valen provides predictive analysis and decision-enabling software.

Sammons Financial Group has signed a 10-year agreement with Computer Science Corporation to license CSCs suite of life and annuity software offerings, including CyberLife, nbAccelerator, Performance-Plus, VP/MS, and Automated Work Distributor.

Penn National Insurance has reached an agreement with Lawson Software for use of Lawsons human resources system, replacing the insurers legacy payroll application and eliminating manual processes.