Markel announces program for child-welfare organizationsMarkel Insurance Co., along with program administrator Child Welfare Insurance Services, introduced Child Welfare Insurance, a program that covers child welfare organizations for group homes with foster care placement. In addition to general liability insurance, the program offers professional liability, and sexual abuse and molestation liability insurance.

For more information, visit www.childinsurance.com.London American introduces program for accountants professional liabilityLondon American Professional Liability LLC introduced a program for accountants professional liability insurance. The program is offered in most states and underwritten by an A XI Best-rated carrier. The program is designed for accounting firms that have up to $17.5 million in revenue and up to 75 professionals.Covered professional services include those performed by an insured in the practice of public accountancy, including financial-planning services; as a member of a formal accreditation board, standard review or similar professional board or committee related to the accounting profession; as an arbitrator, mediator or notary public; as an administrator, executor or representative of an estate; and as a trustee of an individual or family trust.Policy highlights include primary and excess liability coverage, predecessor firm coverage and duty-to-defend coverage. Limits of up to $5 million per claim and aggregate are available. The minimum retention is $5,000 per claim.For more information, contact Ed Velasquez at (201) 944-7000 or [email protected], or visit www.londonamericannj.com.Hiscox USA offers privacy insurance for middle-market businessesHiscox USA announced stand-alone privacy protection insurance for middle-market U.S. companies, including financial and professional services; and retail, health-care and manufacturing businesses. The insurance, written on a nonadmitted basis through Hiscox USA's two New York locations, is available to brokers nationwide.The policy has a sublimit for California Civil Code 1798 security breach notification costs and coverage of subsequent credit-monitoring payments for affected parties. The product also provides duty-to-defend coverage for any resulting regulatory actions brought against the insured.Other policy features include coverage for:–Electronic and non-electronic security events, including "phishing," social engineering and physical theft.–Negligence and breach of contract in connection with personal information, whether or not the insured, subcontractor or outsourcer allegedly caused it.–Breach of statute, including of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act and the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act.–Breach of confidence or violation/infringement of any rights to privacy.–Civil regulatory actions in respect to privacy breaches.–Intellectual property rights, defamation and negligent transmission of a virus.For more information, visit www.hiscoxusa.com.AIG Environmental offers property insuranceAIG Environmental introduced AIG Environmental Property, an insurance facility that supplements the carrier's environmental casualty insurance. The facility results from a collaboration between AIG Environmental and Lexington Insurance Co., a member company of AIG.The facility, set up with small and midsize companies in mind, addresses the need to bundle general liability, pollution, automobile, umbrella and property insurance within a single program. The minimum premium is $5,000. Up to $25 million in limits are available.For more information, contact Charlotte Osborne at (212) 458-6266 or at [email protected].AI Risk introduces product for diagnostic radiology facilitiesA.I. Risk Specialists Insurance Inc., a member company of American International Group, introduced AI Risk Radiology Solutions, a portfolio of property and casualty insurance coverages for diagnostic radiology facilities.Coverages include property insurance, which can be extended to include equipment breakdown insurance. That coverage is underwritten by Hartford Steam Boiler. Policyholders have access to HSB's loss control and consulting services. Workers compensation insurance is underwritten on a guaranteed-cost basis.Additional risk-management services are provided, including consultations services to assess exposures, address compliance issues and avoid claims.For more information, contact Dan McGinnis at (212) 770-1172 or at [email protected].Genesis adds school violent acts policy to its coverages for schoolsIn response to recent acts of violence in American schools, Genesis Underwriting Management Co. developed a first-party insurance policy to fund many elements of schools' emergency response plans. Typical covered expenses include post-crisis management services; post-incident crisis intervention and containment; media, public relations and communications costs; security and civil authority expenses; air-travel and hotel costs for the parents, spouse or child of a victim to the location where the school violent act occurred; and a limited amount for property or equipment that relates directly to the security of the school and that may assist in the mitigation or prevention of future school violent acts.Coverage is available on a nonadmitted basis through Risk Placement Services Inc.For more information, contact Matt Meyer at (859) 245-2500 (for accounts east of the Mississippi) or Katie Detroit (800) 275-6472 (for accounts west of the Mississippi).AIG forms Homeland Security Solutions to address terrorism exposure and risksThe AIG Cos. announced formation of AIG Homeland Security Solutions. The specialty unit provides access to insurance, risk management and security products and services that help companies prevent, mitigate and recover from terrorist incidents and other catastrophic events.The unit offers terrorism- and security-related products and services from AIG member companies. They include emergency planning and threat assessments, political risk and property terrorism insurance, and crisis management services. The unit has designed its portfolio in accordance with the goals of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's National Infrastructure Protection Plan.For more information, contact Robert Cruz at (212) 770-8103 or at [email protected].Progressive offers community banks privacy liability and expense coverageProgressive Casualty Insurance Co. added privacy liability and mitigation expense coverage to its financial institution insurance program. The new coverage is available in most states. Addressing banks' liability arising from unauthorized access to confidential customer information, the new coverage also reimburses banks for post-security breach expenses, including customer notification, account reissuance, credit-monitoring services to detect potential fraud and public relations counsel, if needed.For more information, call Judi Kovach at (800) 274-5222 or visit www.banks.progressive.com.GMAC Insurance starts offering RV coverage via independent agentsGMAC Insurance announced it is offering specialized RV insurance through independent agencies. The move comes as part of the carrier's initiative to expand its product offerings sold through approximately 10,000 independent agencies.RV coverage features include:–Storage coverage, a feature that lowers insurance costs by suspending collision and liability coverage during the months an RV is not in use. Comprehensive coverage stays in effect to protect against fire, storm, wind and theft.–$3,000 of personal contents coverage. Additional coverage can be purchased.–Optional replacement cost coverage for RVs that are totaled or stolen. Coverage applies regardless of whether the insured was the RV's original owner.–Optional "Full-timer Liability Coverage," a product similar to homeowners insurance, that covers injuries in or around the RV, as well as personal liability.The product initially was offered through independent agents in Arizona, Illinois, Ohio and Tennessee. The carrier plans to extend it to agencies in other states throughout 2007.For more information, visit www.gmacinsurance.com.A&H coverage for public entities available from SchinnererSchinnerer Insurance Services announced accident and health policies that cover volunteer activities, civic group functions, special events, fundraisers and youth sports teams. Premiums start at $350 annually for each.Volunteer Accident Insurance can be written for entities having any number of volunteers. If an accident occurs, the volunteer receives a substantive benefit without exposing the public entity's general liability or workers compensation policies to additional claims.Park & Recreation-Team Sports Insurance is available for team members participating in a scheduled game, an official tournament or team practice. Coverage may apply to coaches and volunteers. All sports are eligible.Child Care Group Accident Insurance covers staff members and preschool children enrolled in daycare facilities or nurseries.For more information, visit www.Schinnerer.com.Travelers announces packages for small technology firmsTravelers Select Accounts announced Technology Office Pac and Technology Manufacturers Pac Plus.The two new segments are a part of Master Pac, Travelers' businessowners policy, and address the risks associated with small technology-focused businesses.The products address more than 25 exposures important to technology businesses. Technology Office Pac is tailored to businesses like computer consultants, software firms and Web site designers. Technology Manufacturers Pac Plus provides coverage for businesses that manufacture technology products.A core coverage protects businesses from loss of revenue or income resulting from necessary suspension of electronic computer operations caused by denial-of-service attacks. Up to $25,000 of such coverage is automatically provided for insureds that have business income and extra expense coverage.An endorsement provides 15 extensions of general liability coverage, including broadened named insured and blanket additional insured coverage for managers or lessors of premises, and lessors of leased equipment. It covers suits brought anywhere in the world.For more information, visit www.travelers.com.Progressive increases limits for signature guarantee bondsProgressive Casualty Insurance Co. announced that it will increase to $5 million its limits for Securities Transfer Agents Medallion Program (STAMP) Signature Guarantee Bonds for community banks. The coverage is provided as part of the insurance company's financial institution program. Banks participating in STAMP are required to maintain signature guarantee bonds as a guaranty of indemnification to transfer agents. Historically, the maximum limit available in the market has been $2 million. Effective April 2, banks that want to guarantee signatures on securities valued above $2 million must purchase higher limits.For more information, call Judi Kovach at (800) 274-5222 or visit www.banks.progressive.com.ACE USA introduces E&O coverage for the managed care industryACE USA announced a primary and excess product focusing on the managed care industry. The product, offered by the ACE Medical Risk division, is available to hospitals, long-term care and miscellaneous healthcare facilities. Medical professional liability coverage also is available for allied health professionals, dentists, podiatrists and chiropractors. In addition, ACE Medical Risk offers products liability insurance for biotechnology, clinical trials, specialty pharmaceutical and non-invasive medical device companies.For more information, visit www.acemedicalrisk.com.OTHER MARKET NEWSoM.J. Hall & Co. acquired Cravens, Leffler & McCormick. CLM's operations in Walnut Creek, Calif., will be moved to San Francisco, where it will operate as a branch of M.J. Hall.oU.S. Risk Insurance Group Inc. acquired E.M. Morrow Insurance General Agency Inc., in Oakland, Calif. The agency's management will continue to operate the agency. It will become a subsidiary office of U.S. Risk of California Inc., which does business as U.S. Risk Brokers Insurance Services Inc. and is headquartered in Irvine, Calif.For more information, contact David Barkley at (510) 834-8366.oAll Risks Ltd., a wholesale broker and managing general agent headquartered in Hunt Valley, Md., opened branch offices in Seattle, Wash., and Orlando, Fla.For more information, contact the Seattle branch at 18300 N.E. Union Hill Rd., #286, Redmond, WA 98052, (866) 598-9047, or the Orlando branch at 801 International Parkway, 5th Floor, Lake Mary, FL 32746, (407) 562-1420.oMarkel Insurance Co. announced that it acquired the social services program business of Black/White & Associates Insurance Brokers. The transaction was scheduled to close on April 1. Black/White's Alameda, Calif., location will become a Markel underwriting and marketing office, and will continue servicing existing and new accounts. Markel will retain Black/White's agency network for renewal and new business, and will extend opportunities to Markel agents.For more information, visit www.markelinsurance.com .