Business Insurance back issues from May 1998:
Transit receivership price tag high. (Transit Casualty Co.)
May 04, 1998; ... JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. - The hugely insolvent Transit Casualty Co. may have earned many distinctions since it collapsed in 1985, but one stands out: It is the largest insurance failure ever to happen in a small town.That town is Jefferson City, a state capital of 35,000 people in the ...
High court to hear pension plan case.
May 04, 1998; ... WASHINGTON - How the Supreme Court decides a case involving the use of surplus assets in a contributory defined benefit pension plan could increase employer costs, force them to share surplus pension assets with employees and make offering contributory defined benefit plans less attractive, ...
Comp telemedicine studied. (Texas' workers compensation system)
May 04, 1998; ... AUSTIN, Texas - Using telecommunications networks to link rural workers with job-related injuries to specialized doctors could enhance Texas' workers compensation system and cut costs, a new research report says.Telemedicine has great potential to benefit the workers comp system ...
Expanded liability costly: study.
May 04, 1998; ... Legislative provisions would raise health care premiumsWASHINGTON - One of the nation's largest employer groups will urge its members to stop providing health insurance to their employees if Congress passes controversial health reform legislation that would expand employer ...
Backup child care centers help parents focus on work.
May 04, 1998; ... Tax season is a stressful time for many accounting professionals, but the long workdays are especially hectic for Bernard Pump, who has three children under the age of 6.Mr. Pump, a senior manager in Deloitte & Touche L.L.P.'s Chicago office, and his wife, Karen Kao, a consultant ...
Benefit plan differences add to M&A complexities. (mergers and acquisitions)
May 04, 1998; ... Sedgwick Inc. knew when it bought benefit consultant Noble Lowndes in 1993 that the employees would be moved into Sedgwick's benefit plans.As an operating practice, "we have a single consolidated benefit program for Sedgwick colleagues in the United States," said Mary Heezen, ...
A health plan all its own, (Quad/Covenant Corporate Health Services)
May 04, 1998; ... Private clinics are good medicine for printer's bottom lineATLANTA - A large Wisconsin-based printing company is proving that it can successfully bypass managed care companies' middlemen by setting up its own provider networks to serve several of its worksites around the country. ...
Y2K may cost U.S. $50 billion.
May 04, 1998; ... WASHINGTON - U.S. firms could end up paying $50 billion in Year 2000 remedial costs, says a Federal Reserve official, providing what may be the first federal government estimate on this issue.Separately, a research firm estimates that few of the nation's information technology ...
RIMS to enhance education, technology, quality. (Risk and Insurance Management Society Inc.)
May 04, 1998; ... DeLillo pledges improved servicesSAN DIEGO - The Risk & Insurance Management Society Inc. wants its members to know a "continuum of leadership" is in place to respond to their needs.It's a theme emphasized by the society's new president, Mark A. DeLillo, who told members ...
Risk managers largely dissatisfied with insurer/broker service: survey.
May 04, 1998; ... SAN DIEGO - Risk managers are not very satisfied with the overall performance of their insurers and brokers, according to a survey.In a new quality score card developed by the Risk & Insurance Management Society Inc. and the Quality Insurance Congress and released last week at the ...
Integrated disability called a cost-saver.(1998 RIMS Report)
May 04, 1998; ... SAN DIEGO - Employers wishing to make disability programs cost-efficient, equitable and more helpful to workers should stop contemplating and start integrating.This will not be easy, but it will beat perpetuating old, arbitrary traditions that have turned health and disability ...
Communication programs a matter of perception. (workers compensation communication programs)(1998 RIMS Report)
May 04, 1998; ... SAN DIEGO - Workers compensation communication programs need to be well-defined and targeted to effectively reach all employees in an organization, a marketing expert said.By identifying the current perceptions of employees and managers, risk managers can use effective ...
Benefits exhibitors feature comp-disability integration programs.(1998 RIMS Report)
May 04, 1998; ... Companies also use RIMS to display technological productsSAN DIEGO - "When in doubt, integrate" could have been the motto this year for exhibitors of employee benefit products at the Risk & Insurance Management Society Inc.'s annual conference.Many exhibitors in the San ...
Combating entitlement attitude toward workers comp.(1998 RIMS Report)
May 04, 1998; ... SAN DIEGO - A few years ago, International Paper Co. thought the best solution to get facility management's attention to rising workers compensation costs was to charge plants $10,000 for each lost-time injury.The Memphis, Tenn.-based paper manufacturing giant had found that ...
Employers warned of EPL lawsuit threat. (employment practices liability)(1998 RIMS Report)
May 04, 1998; ... SAN DIEGO - Sitting ducks.That's what many employers are when it comes to vulnerability to lawsuits brought by disgruntled workers. The danger of being sued successfully has increased, and even more dramatic is the growth of recent jury awards in employment practices areas such as ...
New retiree health funding idea suggested.(1998 RIMS Report)
May 04, 1998; ... SAN DIEGO - An obscure form of medical savings account could help retirees pay their medical expenses, according to a public-sector risk man-ager.Pierrette E. Ray, risk manager for the city of Westminster, Colo., for more than two years has been studying a little-known portion of ...
Air quality issues may escalate if ignored. (indoor air quality claims)(1998 RIMS Report)
May 04, 1998; ... SAN DIEGO - As indoor air quality problems get more attention horn federal agencies, risk managers also need to take IAQ complaints seriously and investigate each claim, say two occupational safety consultants.By ignoring claims of sick building syndrome, employers face not only ...
Risk managers' role in global benefits highlighted.(1998 RIMS Report)
May 04, 1998; ... SAN DIEGO - Risk managers have an important role to play in funding the employee benefits of companies expanding internationally, a benefits professional says."It is not enough in today's marketplace to assume that the human resources, finance, tax or treasury sections of your ...
Be flexible in fighting ergonomics problems: speakers.(1998 RIMS Report)
May 04, 1998; ... SAN DIEGO - "One size does not fit all" are six words everybody involved in ergonomics should remember.That advice comes from Pamela Simonian, assistant vp-risk services at Sedgwick of California Inc. in Orange, Calif. Even the most sophisticated and ergonomically sound equipment ...
Medical managers useful in wrap-ups.(1998 RIMS Report)
May 04, 1998; ... SAN DIEGO - Risk managers overseeing owner-controlled construction insurance programs likely will find that delegating authority over the management of workers' injuries to a professional medical manager will be far more effective than trying to deal directly with medical providers, a risk ...
Betterley receives Goodell Award. (risk manager George M. Betterley)(1998 RIMS Report)
May 04, 1998; ... Annual membership meeting also features two new awardsSAN DIEGO - George M. Betterley's contributions to the risk management profession have earned him the Risk & Insurance Management Society Inc.'s highest honor: the Dorothy & Harry Goodell Award.Mr. Betterley, known by ...
Exclusive remedy has its exceptions. (workers compensation)(1998 RIMS Report)
May 04, 1998; ... SAN DIEGO - The so-called "exclusive remedy" doctrine enshrined in workers compensation law is far from exclusive.In numerous cases, old and new, courts have ruled that workers have the right to bring civil suits against their employers for injuries that occurred in the workplace, ...
Tailor workers comp audits to each situation: panel.(1998 RIMS Report)
May 04, 1998; ... SAN DIEGO - An effective and appropriate audit of workers compensation claims is essential if an organization's workers comp program is to operate at its top efficiency and without excessive costs.But according to experts addressing the subject on a panel at this year's Risk & ...
Employers advised on ways to minimize risk of EPL lawsuits. (employment practices liability)(1998 RIMS Report)
May 04, 1998; ... SAN DIEGO - The number of employment practices liability claims continues to explode, but employers can manage the risk with workplace policies, by treating employees with dignity and by evaluating claims honestly, several experts say.One step employers can take to minimize their ...
New approach and prizes keep safety program fresh. (safety incentive plans)(1998 RIMS Report)
May 04, 1998; ... Recognizing individuals is importantSAN DIEGO - When Service Merchandise Co. Inc. first created a safety incentive plan, the catalog retailer's employees liked the recognition they were receiving and valued the safety program's T-shirts, hats and prizes.But after three ...
Employers warned that comp networks not sole answer.(1998 RIMS Report)
May 04, 1998; ... SAN DIEGO - Risk managers who build managed care networks for employees injured at work will not automatically lower their companies' workers compensation costs, a risk manager and a workers comp management vendor agree.The network will succeed only if employers have contracted ...
Disney World doesn't goof around with safety.(1998 RIMS Report)
May 04, 1998; ... SAN DIEGO - Employers that demonstrate to their employees that they really do care about safety are likely to have fewer workplace accidents, loss control experts say.For loss control to be effective, "you must have sincere management commitment and interest, you must have ...
A call to action in comp law. (workers' compensation)(1998 RIMS Report)
May 04, 1998; ... SAN DIEGO - Risk managers must become familiar with the workers comp laws where they have operations and become involved with the legislators and regulators in those states to help guide development of the laws, two experts say."The rules of the game are set in the public debate ...
Dispelling preconceived notions about IDM programs. (integrated disability management)(1998 RIMS Report)
May 04, 1998; ... SAN DIEGO - Employers who take on the task of implementing an integrated disability management program must convince management and employees that some preconceived notions about the programs are inaccurate.The programs are gaining popularity as businesses begin to incorporate ...
Preventive steps put employers on safer legal ground. (employee benefits)(1998 RIMS Report)
May 04, 1998; ... SAN DIEGO - Employers that think they have a firm legal footing in today's benefits environment should beware: The ground below may be quicksand.Legal challenges facing even knowledgeable and well-meaning plan sponsors have increased multifold as the benefits world has grown more ...
Insured '97 cat losses down. (catastrophe claims)
May 04, 1998; ... Almost half the $6.7 billion came from the United States, report saysInsured 1997 catastrophe losses, adjusted for inflation, were about half the 1996 level and way below the average for the years 1989 to 1996, according to a report by Swiss Re U.K.However, at $6.7 ...
Gibraltar solidifying its spot as a domicile.
May 04, 1998; ... GIBRALTAR - At the southwestern tip of Europe, the isthmus of Gibraltar, less than four square miles and attached to the European mainland by a narrow strip of land, has been the center of much attention over the past year.In June of last year, the United Kingdom's Department of ...
Captives must add risks: speaker.(European Captives Convention)
May 04, 1998; ... PARIS - Captive insurance companies must expand beyond their traditional scope by bringing in new types of risks.That was the message from the first European Captives Convention, held in Paris last month.Hugh Rosenbaum, convention chairman and principal in London of risk ...
Reinsurers urged to offer captives more.(European Captives Convention)
May 04, 1998; ... PARIS - As captive insurance companies take on broader and more complex risks, reinsurers' services must keep pace, a reinsurance executive says.Captive owners are becoming more sophisticated in what they want from service providers, Erwin Zimmermann, chief executive officer of ...
Awareness, flexibility, savings key. (captive insurance company risk management tools)(European Captives Convention)
May 04, 1998; ... Captives risk management tools, not just tax havens: PanelPARIS - The development of greater risk awareness throughout an organization, increased insurance flexibility and cost savings are the major advantages of captive insurance companies, says a panel of risk managers. ...
Transit receivership price tag high
May 04, 1998; ... DOUGLAS McLEODJEFFERSON CITY, Mo. - The hugely insolvent Transit Casualty Co. may have earned many distinctions since it collapsed in 1985, but one stands out: It is the largest insurance failure ever to happen in a small town.That town is Jefferson City, a state capital ...
High court to hear pension plan case
May 04, 1998; ... MARK A. HOFMANNWASHINGTON - How the Supreme Court decides a case involving the use of surplus assets in a contributory defined benefit pension plan could increase employer costs, force them to share surplus pension assets with employees and make offering contributory defined ...
Comp telemedicine studied
May 04, 1998; ... MEG FLETCHERAUSTIN, Texas - Using telecommunications networks to link rural workers with job-related injuries to specialized doctors could enhance Texas' workers compensation system and cut costs, a new research report says.Telemedicine has great potential to benefit the ...
Expanded liability costly: Study
May 04, 1998 ... Legislative provisions would raise health care premiumsMARK A. HOFMANNWASHINGTON - One of the nation's largest employer groups will urge its members to stop providing health insurance to their employees if Congress passes controversial health reform legislation that would ...
Backup child care centers help parents focus on work
May 04, 1998; ... AMANDA MILLIGANTax season is a stressful time for many accounting professionals, but the long workdays are especially hectic for Bernard Pump, who has three children under the age of 6.Mr. Pump, a senior manager in Deloitte & Touche L.L.P.'s Chicago office, and his wife, ...
Benefit plan differences add to M&A complexities
May 04, 1998; ... JERRY GEISELSedgwick Inc. knew when it bought benefit consultant Noble Lowndes in 1993 that the employees would be moved into Sedgwick's benefit plans.As an operating practice, 'we have a single consolidated benefit program for Sedgwick colleagues in the United States,' ...
A health plan all its own
May 04, 1998; ... Private clinics are good medicine for printer's bottom lineROBERT KAZELATLANTA - A large Wisconsin-based printing company is proving that it can successfully bypass managed care companies' middlemen by setting up its own provider networks to serve several of its worksites ...
Y2K may cost U.S. $50 billion
May 04, 1998; ... JUDY GREENWALDWASHINGTON - U.S. firms could end up paying $50 billion in Year 2000 remedial costs, says a Federal Reserve official, providing what may be the first federal government estimate on this issue.Separately, a research firm estimates that few of the nation's ...
RIMS to enhance education, technology, quality
May 04, 1998; ... DeLillo pledges improved servicesMICHAEL BRADFORDSAN DIEGO - The Risk & Insurance Management Society Inc. wants its members to know a 'continuum of leadership' is in place to respond to their needs.It's a theme emphasized by the society's new president, Mark ...
Risk managers largely dissatisfied with insurer/broker service: Survey
May 04, 1998; ... MICHAEL BRADFORD and RODD ZOLKOSSAN DIEGO - Risk managers are not very satisfied with the overall performance of their insurers and brokers, according to a survey.In a new quality score card developed by the Risk & Insurance Management Society Inc. and the Quality ...
Integrated disability called a cost-saver
May 04, 1998; ... ROBERT KAZELSAN DIEGO - Employers wishing to make disability programs cost-efficient, equitable and more helpful to workers should stop contemplating and start integrating.This will not be easy, but it will beat perpetuating old, arbitrary traditions that have turned ...
Communication programs a matter of perception
May 04, 1998; ... GAVIN SOUTERSAN DIEGO - Workers compensation communication programs need to be well-defined and targeted to effectively reach all employees in an organization, a marketing expert said.By identifying the current perceptions of employees and managers, risk managers can use ...
Benefits exhibitors feature comp-disability integration programs
May 04, 1998; ... Companies also use RIMS to display technological productsMICHAEL PRINCESAN DIEGO - 'When in doubt, integrate' could have been the motto this year for exhibitors of employee benefit products at the Risk & Insurance Management Society Inc.'s annual conference. ...
Combating entitlement attitude toward workers comp
May 04, 1998; ... SALLY ROBERTSSAN DIEGO - A few years ago, International Paper Co. thought the best solution to get facility management's attention to rising workers compensation costs was to charge plants $10,000 for each lost-time injury.The Memphis, Tenn.-based paper manufacturing ...
Employers warned of EPL lawsuit threat
May 04, 1998; ... ROBERT KAZELSAN DIEGO - Sitting ducks.That's what many employers are when it comes to vulnerability to lawsuits brought by disgruntled workers. The danger of being sued successfully has increased, and even more dramatic is the growth of recent jury awards in employment ...
New retiree health funding idea suggested
May 04, 1998; ... ROBERT KAZELSAN DIEGO - obscure form of medical savings account could help retirees pay their medical expenses, according to a public-sector risk manager.Pierrette E. Ray, risk manager for the city of Westminster, Colo., for more than two years has been studying a ...
Air quality issues may escalate if ignored
May 04, 1998; ... SALLY ROBERTSSAN DIEGO - As indoor air quality problems get more attention from federal agencies, risk managers also need to take IAQ complaints seriously and investigate each claim, say two occupational safety consultants.By ignoring claims of sick building syndrome, ...
Be flexible in fighting ergonomics problems: Speaker
May 04, 1998; ... GAVIN SOUTERSAN DIEGO - 'One size does not fit all' are six words everybody involved in ergonomics should remember.That advice comes from Pamela Simonian, assistant vp-risk services at Sedgwick of California Inc in Orange, Calif. Even the most sophisticated and ...
Medical managers useful in wrap-ups
May 04, 1998; ... DAVE LENCKUSSAN DIEGO - Risk managers overseeing owner-controlled construction insurance programs likely will find that delegating authority over the management of workers' injuries to a professional medical manager will be far more effective than trying to deal directly with ...
Betterley receives Goodell Award
May 04, 1998; ... Annual membership meeting also features two new awardsMICHAEL BRADFORDSAN DIEGO - George M. Betterley's contributions to the risk management profession have earned him the Risk & Insurance Management Society Inc.'s highest honor: the Dorothy & Harry Goodell Award. ...
Exclusive remedy has its exceptions
May 04, 1998; ... GAVIN SOUTERSAN DIEGO - The so-called 'exclusive remedy' doctrine enshrined in workers compensation law is far from exclusive.In numerous cases, old and new, courts have ruled that workers have the right to bring civil suits against their employers for injuries that ...
Tailor workers comp audits to each situation: Panel
May 04, 1998; ... RODD ZOLKOSSAN DIEGO - An effective and appropriate audit of workers compensation claims is essential if an organization's workers comp program is to operate at its top efficiency and without excessive costs.But according to experts addressing the subject on a panel at ...
Employers advised on ways to minimize risk of EPL lawsuits
May 04, 1998; ... ROBERTO CENICEROSSAN DIEGO - The number of employment practices liability claims continues to explode, but employers can manage the risk with workplace policies, by treating employees with dignity and by evaluating claims honestly, several experts say.One step employers ...
New approach and prizes keep safety program fresh
May 04, 1998; ... Recognizing individuals is importantROBERTO CENICEROSSAN DIEGO - When Service Merchandise Co. Inc. first created a safety incentive plan, the catalog retailer's employees liked the recognition they were receiving and valued the safety program's T-shirts, hats and prizes ....
Employers warned that comp networks not sole answer
May 04, 1998; ... DAVE LENCKUSSAN DIEGO - Risk managers who build managed care networks for employees injured at work will not automatically lower their companies' workers compensation costs, a risk manager and a workers comp management vendor agree.The network will succeed only if ...
Disney World doesn't goof around with safety
May 04, 1998; ... JOANNE WOJCIKSAN DIEGO - Employers that demonstrate to their employees that they really do care about safety are likely to have fewer workplace accidents, loss control experts say.For loss control to be effective, 'you must have sincere management commitment and ...
Fast returns promoted
May 04, 1998; ... Consultant outlines return-to-work strategyJUDY GREENWALDSAN DIEGO - A steel mill in an assigned risk pool that paid what amounted to more than $6,000 a year per worker in workers compensation premiums clearly had an ineffective return-to-work program.But a ...
A call to action in comp law
May 04, 1998; ... MICHAEL PRINCESAN DIEGO - Risk managers must become familiar with the workers comp laws where they have operations and become involved with the legislators and regulators in those states to help guide development of the laws, two experts say.'The rules of the game are ...
Dispelling preconceived notions about IDM programs
May 04, 1998; ... MICHAEL BRADFORDSAN DIEGO - Employers who take on the task of implementing an integrated disability management program must convince management and employees that some preconceived notions about the programs are inaccurate.The programs are gaining popularity as ...
Preventive steps put employers on safer legal ground
May 04, 1998; ... SAN DIEGO - Employers that think they have a firm legal footing in today's benefits environment should beware: The ground below may be quicksand.Legal challenges facing even knowledgeable and well-meaning plan sponsors have increased multifold as the benefits world has grown more ...