ONLINE CLAIMS

The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc., an insurer known for using technology to deliver better service for independent agents, has applied its expertise on behalf of its policyholders when they make a claim. The Hartfords Claim Expediter relies on customized wireless technology that allows appraisers to respond faster and handle auto claims on the spot. This keeps the claims process moving and reduces the time to resolve auto claims.

The Claim Expediter connects the appraiser in the field inspecting the vehicle with the claim handler taking the claim call. The Hartfords claims personnel also are linked electronically to auto-damage estimating sources through a seamless wireless network, improving response time and productivity. Using Claim Expediter, auto appraisers can be notified immediately when a claim is filed so they can assist policyholders faster. When inspecting the vehicle, the necessary resources are at the appraisers fingertips, often leading to resolution of the claim on the spot.

In addition to improved customer satisfaction, shortening the cycle time to resolve a claim pays off in reduced costs associated with vehicle rental and storage charges, says Martin Iverson, vice president of auto physical damage at The Hartford. The fact all the information is contained on one wireless network allows us to think of our response to customers in terms of hours rather than days.

With the Claim Expediter, which in-cludes electronic verification of repair estimates from local repair shops, appraisers have the information they need to discuss options with customers right away, with the goal of getting customers back in their car quickly or providing a replacement vehicle faster. If clear liability can be established, The Hartfords Claim Expediter also enables a total loss to be settled in as little as two hours rather than several days.

For customers who opt to use auto repair shops in The Hartfords preferred network, the process is even faster, since the shops can use the system to submit appraisals and digital photos immediately.

This technology really improves our claim service and customer satisfaction, says Iverson. The seamless link among our staff appraisers, loss-adjusting resources, and The Hartfords network of preferred auto body shops results in happy customers and efficient appraisers.

VOIP

Voice Enabling on Web Site Yields Customer Satisfaction
Esurance, a direct-to-consumer personal auto insurer, launched its new Voice over the Internet Protocol (VoIP) click-to-call service, powered by eStara, Inc. Push to Talk from eStara allows Esurance customers to click a button from PC-to-phone or through phone-to-phone calls to speak with an Esurance insurance adviser directly from Esurances Web site.
In a recent online survey of more than 5,000 eStara Push to Talk users on financial services and banking Web sites, upward of 25 percent said the click-to-call service saved them from abandoning their Web site visit.

AGENCY PORTAL

Allmerica Companies Introduce Web-based Portals for Agents
The Citizens and Hanover Insurance companies, subsidiaries of Allmerica, have launched The Agency Place, a Web-based agency portal that provides its network of independent agents with a centralized gateway to the information and tools agents need to conduct business. The portal is available 24/7, making it easier for agents to conduct business on their own schedules.
The Agency Place provides quicker access to information and faster transaction processing. It also offers agents easy access to detailed billing, claims, and customer and policy information. Agents can tap a library of online documents, forms, manuals, and other informational resources they need to do business with Citizens and Hanover. The portal, currently in its initial rollout stage, is available to all independent agents representing Citizens and Hanover.


WHOS USING WHAT

Donegal Group has signed a licensing agreement with Allenbrook Inc., a provider of policy processing software and consulting services for the insurance industry. Allenbrook will be supplying its PhoenixDirect, which offers Web-enabled agent access for new business. PhoenixDirect will allow Donegal to give its agents accurate, real-time quotes for the carriers varied commercial lines business. Church Insurance Companies, a division of Church Pension Group, has signed a licensing agreement for Phoenix from Allenbrook. The speed-to-market Phoenix solution will provide Church Pension Group with an integrated policy processing and administration system including rate/ quote and issuance, claims, billing, and document and workflow management for the Church Commercial Package Policy.

Western United Life Assurance Company now is in production with the annuity administration solution from AdminServer, Inc. The first phase of AdminServer system implementation included new-business administration for 16 different annuity products.

Unitrin Multi Line has selected the new Web bridge technology from Applied Systems, Inc., to offer real-time billing, claims, and policy inquiries to agencies using the Agency Manager software from Applied. In addition, Allied Insurance has partnered with Applied to supply the Web bridge technology to Allieds agencies.

Fatum Life NV, a Curacao-based member of the Guardian Holdings Group, has picked SunGard Insurance Systems COMPASS as an enterprise group benefits administration system. SunGard Insurance Systems is a global supplier of group benefit administration solutions for the insurance and financial services industries. Fatum Life will leverage the COMPASS solution to help deliver strategic support for product development, billing, collections, and administration. SunGard also announced Mutual of Omaha has selected SunGard COMPASS.

Health Plus, PHSP, a provider of government-sponsored Managed Medicaid health insurance in New York City, has chosen Fuegos software suite FuegoBPM. Fuego and its partner, Daou Systems, a provider of IT consulting and management services to healthcare organizations, collaborated on FuegoBPM to automate the claims management process for Health Plus list of Medicaid recipients and other members.

Old Mutual, one of South Africas leading financial services firms, has implemented COREid, an identity-based security solution from Oblix. COREid is used for identity management and Web access control for user authentication and authorization. The product provides Web single sign-on and user self-service to customers accessing the companys Web-based applications, including online portfolio viewing, investment research, and other financial services.

AAA Life has licensed Agility: Insurance from G2X, a producer of Web-based relationship management solutions for the life insurance industry, for the carriers call center operations in Omaha, Neb. Under the terms of the agreement, AAA Life will be implementing Agility: Insurance and Agility: Leads to increase revenues through improved efficiencies in the lead management process.

Catholic Mutual Group has opted for ChoicePoint from Insurity Inc. to deliver full outsourced policy-management services and software, including bureau reporting, claims management, management reporting, and back-office functions. Insurity will host all applications and handle all updates and rate changes.

AmerUs Life Insurance Group, a subsidiary of AmerUs Group Co., successfully has implemented Field Administration Support and Tracking system (FASAT) from DSPA Software Inc. in the first of two phases covering all of the AmerUs Life Insurance Group companies.

Blue Cross of Northeastern Pennsylvania has chosen the edocs, Inc., technology platform to power its new member portal application. edocs offers customer self-service and e-billing software solutions. With the edocs software, the insurer will supply its members with online access to frequently accessed information and transactions.

The CNA group of insurance companies has decided on the SIRCON solution from Innovative IT Solutions, Inc., to manage the organizations appointment processing and licensing. Innovative IT Solutions offers online services and products for licensing, regulatory compliance automation, and producer management within the insurance industry.

International Corporate Marketing Group, a subsidiary of Hartford Life, Inc., has selected the EDITSOLUTIONS suite of components from Systems Engineering Group to process variable life insurance and commissions.

AutoOne Insurance, a division of OneBeacon Insurance Group, has reached agreement with Applix, Inc., which produces business intelligence (BI) and business performance management (BPM) solutions. Applix has enabled AutoOne to forecast and report on the financial performance of its Limited Assignment Distribution (LAD) Assigned Risk automobile insurance operations through the use of Applixs TM1-based planning, forecasting, and reporting applications.

CIGNA HealthCare has teamed with Post-N-Track Corp. to deliver faster claims submission and tracking for healthcare providers, billing entities, and transaction aggregators. The new service is available through a secure Web-based transaction solution that administers, monitors, and controls these transactions.

Empire Financial Group has completed a successful implementation with SOLCORP, a source of software solutions to the life insurance and financial services industries and a subsidiary of EDS. The SOLCORP/E-LINKS solution has allowed Empire to join Canadian insurers trading segregated fund products through FundSERV, the leading network service provider for the Canadian investment fund industry.

Firemans Fund Insurance Company (FFIC), which offers property/casualty insurance products, has begun to implement Webify Solutions Insurance Transaction Applications, a suite of Web services-based applications that permit process and transaction integration among disparate business systems within the company. Firemans Fund selected Webify Solutions to improve agencies ease of doing business with FFIC, leverage ACORD specifications, and drive down operational costs through straight-through processing.

Grange Insurance Group has decided on the ProClarity Analytics Platform from ProClarity Corporation as a business solution to drive improved operational performance and increased competitive positioning. Grange, which deals in personal and commercial insurance coverage in the western states, will use the ProClarity business intelligence solution to identify business trends, increase sales opportunities, and improve customer service through enhanced policy management.

Farmers Mutual Hail Insurance Company, a national provider of crop insurance and reinsurance services, has purchased the ImageRight document management system, including the ImageRight desktop and advanced workflow; fax and e-mail capabilities; archive, unarchive, and import modules; the database updates package; the software developers toolkit; and ImageRights FastTRACK implementation program.

Property/casualty insurer OneBeacon has partnered with Opus Group, which offers performance management solutions for the insurance industry, to improve service and reduce operating costs for its personal lines underwriting, customer service, and claims areas. The Opus Group Performance Management solution for OneBeacon includes Opus Suite Performance Analytics software and expert process optimization and training services.

Arbella Insurance Group, a property/casualty insurer, has chosen Document Sciences Cor-porations ReadyForms as its enterprise document automation solution. ReadyForms supplies a library of prebuilt electronic bureau forms, complete with predefined business rules for automated forms assembly, and delivery via Document Sciences xPression content processing technology.

Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company has awarded First Choice Solutions, which delivers mobile electronic claims-handling technology and services, a contract to render those services on a national basis. First Choice Solutions offers a blend of services and technology designed to provide ease-of-use and severity savings to the insurance industry.

Indiana Farmers Mutual Insurance Company and Connective Technologies, Inc., announced the signing of a contract to provide TEAM-UP Download to Indiana Farmers Mutuals agents.

Grinnell Mutual Reinsurance Company has an-nounced the successful implementation of Xenos GoXML Integration Solution. Xenos Group Inc. is a data-to-e-content company. The new system equips field agents with real-time access to information and ACORD-based insurance policy generation.

Montana State Fund, the largest workers compensation carrier in the state, has opted for Guidewire ClaimCenter to increase efficiency and customer service in its claims operation. The implementation is being led by HCL Technologies, one of Guidewires implementation partners.

Fort Dearborn Life Insurance Company has joined the Boca Information Sciences Group (BISG) Carrier Content Partner Program. This agreement will allow Fort Dearborn to leverage BISGs WebAgent technology to distribute the carriers content automatically to agency Web sites.

Kansas City Life Insurance Company has contracted with Preferred Medical Claim Solution to use the PMCS Advance Funded Provider (AFP) program. The AFP program utilizes the PMCS Preferred Data Interchange (PDI), an electronic data interchange between PMCS and a number of benefits administration software programs, including TriZettos QicLink operating system. PDI facilitates and streamlines the processing of out-of-network claims for PMCS clients.

Ameritas Acacia, a diversified family of insurance and financial services, and its full-service broker/dealer, Ameritas Investment Corp., have selected eMoney Advisors AdvisorPlatform as their financial planning system.

Hastings Mutual Insurance Company has selected Duck Creek Technologys Example Platform Product Suite, including: Example Author, Example Server, and Example Express.