Published: September 2008

The Cost of Regulation

U.S. insurers will pay $1.5 billion for states to regulate them in '09. Outcomes vary widely.

The Cost of Regulation
U.S. insurers pay $1.5 billion for states to regulate them. Outcomes vary widely By R. J. Lehmann. Regulatory/Law. Page 32.

Doctor's Orders
This physician-owned medical malpractice insurer stays health by keeping active. By Sean P. Carr. Property/Casualty. Page 40.

Deleting the "In" Box
Doctors receive a "horrifying" quantity of junk mail, according to Doctors Company Chairman and CEO Dr. Richard E. Anderson. "A doctor's 'in' box is a scary place to be." By Sean P. Carr. Property/Casualty. Page 44.

Foreign Policies
Some U.S. life insurers have opened for business elsewhere, and find growth comes with many challenges. By Ron Panko. Life. Page 48.

U.S. Life Results by Line in 2007: Total U.S. Life Industry Grew 5.4%
Swiss Re slips from second to third in ordinary life business in force, while AIG climbs from second to first place in credit life in force. ING surges from 19th to ninth place in terms life business issued and Prudential drops from second to 11th in group life business issued. By Stephen Brown Klinger. Life. Page 52.

The Simple Truth
What happened to selling life insurance? By Ronald D. Verzone. Life. Page 58.

A History Lesson in Insurance Screening
A cancer marker being proposed for screening applicants could be a wolf in sheep's clothing. By Hank George. Life. Page 60.

Worlds Apart
Competitive reality, no regulatory requirements, is bringing the integrated economic model to the United States By Douglas A. French, Michael Hughes. Regulatory/Law. Page 61.

Joining the Crowd
U.S. life insurers already have learned plenty of lessons from their European competitors about transitioning to an economic management framework. By Douglas A. French, Michael Hughes. Regulatory/Law. Page 62.

The Young and the Restless
Saddled with living expenses, student loans and credit card debt, few young adults consider health insurance a priority. By Lori Chordas. Health/Employee Benefits. Page 64.

In Excess
Traditional insurers and other firms want to partake in fast-growing specialty lines. By Bonnie Brewer Cavanaugh. Property/Casualty. Page 68.

A Clearer Understanding
The proposed Nonadmitted & Reinsurance Reform Act of 2007 is the most important legislation of concern to surplus lines insurers, said Tom Mulligan, executive vice president of Western World Insurance Group and chair of the legislative committee of the National Association of Professional Surplus Lines Offices Ltd. By Bonnie Brewer Cavanaugh. Property/Casualty. Page 70.

KNow Your Way Around a Claim
A few techniques can help move claims meetings along and result in success. By Lance Ewing. Property/Casualty. Page 72.

High-Tech Prep
Disaster planning tools keep agents open for business even after catastrophes strike. By Bonnie Brewer Cavanaugh. Agent/Broker. Page 74.

Lessons Learned: No Train, No Gain
Though times are tough, it's smart to keep your staff primed for the rebound. By Shirley Woods. Agent/Broker. Page 77.

Between The Lines
The economy has hurt life insurance-linked securities and monolines, but spared property-cat products. By David Dankwa. Reinsurance/Capital Markets. Page 79.

Solvency II Could Offer Advantages
Companies may find opportunities in this integrated approach to risk management. By Robert Dyer. Technology. Page 81.

Getting Real with Real Time
Direct writers conduct business 24/7 on the Internet, but is agency automation up to speed? By Lori Chordas. Technology. Page 82.

New Directions
Unimpressive results cause disability insurers to try different growth tactics. By Ron Panko. Health/Employee Benefits. Page 87.

Insurers' Paper Focuses on Returning Disabled Veterans
Returning disabled policyholders to work has long been a priority of disability insurers. By Ron Panko. Health/Employee Benefits. Page 90.

Big Opportunities
Banking still holds untapped growth potential for insurers. By Sam Radwan. Property/Casualty. Page 91.

The Agent Equation
Agent passivity is probably the biggest obstacle to improving the cross-sale of banking products to insurance customers. By Sam Radwan. Property/Casualty. Page 92.

Loss Reserving: A Fresh Look
The difficulty in setting reserves and the risk of insolvency are just two of the many reasons to revisit reserving. By Frank J. Coyne. Property/Casualty. Page 95.

Take the Lead
Insurers should start preparing for the Model Audit Rule that will debut in 2010. By Ken Croarkin, Kevin Sullivan. Regulatory/Law. Page 97.

Aiming for Fair and Accurate
A conflict of interest must be considered in judicial review. But how? By Frank N. Darras. Regulatory/Law. Page 99.

Critical Injuries
Bodily injury liability insurers need protection against unseen risks in Medicare Set-Aside settlements. By Henri Bersoux. Health/Employee Benefits. Page 100.

Beating the System
Insurers may be able to overcome legacy problems by using the 'agile' approach. By Dave Sohigian. Technology. Page 103.

A More E-ffective Strategy
Maintaining an outdated Web site is no way to attract today's customers. By Kevin Roper. Technology. Page 107.

Learn to Live a Lighter Life
State Farm Helps more than half a million Americans create healthier, longer lives through The 50 Million Pound Challenge. By Lori Chordas. The Last Word. Page 112.

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All editions
January 2008: Behind the Ad Surge
Februrary 2008: What's Your Agency Worth?
March 2008: Growing Green
April 2008: Building the Worldwide Health Network
May 2008: Sportsmanlike Conduct
June 2008: A Weighty Issue
July 2008: Standing the Test of Time
August 2008: Re Match
September 2008: The Cost of Regulation