The Technology Evaluation Center (TEC) of the Blue Cross andBlue Shield Association (BCBSA) has launched a new Internetresource both to provide physicians, consumers, and healthcareorganizations with scientific assessments of medical devices,drugs, and procedures and to promote the use of scientific evidencein healthcare decision-making. The Web resource at www.bcbs.com/tec showcases a rollingthree-year inventory of TEC assessments on a variety of topics,including cardiovascular medicine, oncology, and diagnosticimaging.
This is a meaningful enhancement to the way we make thisinformation available, says Allan Korn, M.D., senior vice presidentof BCBSA for medical affairs and chief medical officer. Our intentis to promote the use of evidence-based healthcare decision-makingby physicians and consumers. The goal of the effort, according toKorn, is to help people become wiser healthcare consumers throughbetter understanding of the current scientific evidence on theeffectiveness of treatments and tests. Better understanding helpspeople make more informed healthcare choices, Korn says, and tocommunicate more effectively with their physicians in adecision-making partnership.

The Web resources will be updated as new TEC assessments arereviewed by the Medical Advisory Panel and published by BCBSA. Theresource is designed for easy navigation, offering 15 searchableclinical topic areas, keyword searching, and access to summaries ofassessments in processthose recently reviewed by the MedicalAdvisory Panel and being prepared for final publication. Visitorsalso can sign up to receive e-mail alerts when new material ispublished on the Web site.


WEB SITE
Progressive Continues Dominance of Financial ServicesScorecard

Youll be excused if youre a little bored by the news ProgressiveInsurances Web site has been named the top Internet site forinsurance carriers for the third quarter of this year. After all,it is the eighth consecutive quarter the scorecard service Gmez hashonored Progressive. The folks at Progressive are excited, though,because no other financial services company Web site ever has beenranked number one overall eight times in a row.
The Gmez Scorecard measures the quality of online financialservices offerings, with a focus on ease of use, customerconfidence, on-site resources, and relationship services. Theoverall 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 reviewscan be accessed at www.gomez.com.


AGENT PORTAL
Safeco Enhances Point-of-Sale Automation

Safeco has announced plans for a single, unified, Web-basedtechnology platform that will improve point-of-sale automation andallow independent distributors to quote and sell all of thecarriers commercial and personal insurance product lines. A pilotproject will test the personal lines portion of the platform inselect agencies beginning this month. Web-based new-business entryfor personal auto and home insurance products will launch onSafecos agent portal, www.safecoplaza.com, insecond-quarter 2004.

Safeco began online new-business entry in its commercial lines inJanuary. The speed and convenience of online transactions iscredited with boosting sales of business owners policies (BOP) bynearly 36 percent during the first six months of this year. Safecobegan adding commercial auto sales on the Web in July, and workerscompensation will be available online later this fall.
Bringing together our commercial and personal linesnew-business-entry process in a unified, Web-based platform willstrengthen Safecos new company structure that focuses on deliveringproperty/casualty insurance products, says Anne Randall, vicepresident of personal lines automation. A single platform willallow agents to enter customer information once and navigatebetween personal auto and homeowners insurance and businesspolicies, with the ability to issue bindable quotes in minutes. Inaddition, a Web-based process will lower operating costs andimprove efficiency by eliminating agents need to update andmaintain desktop rating software.

M&A
Highline Media Completes Merger With National UnderwriterCompany

Highline Media, LLC, and The National Underwriter Company (NUCO)completed a definitive merger agreement whereby NUCO was acquiredby Highline. Terms of the transaction have not been disclosed.NUCO, formed in 1897, is a leading publishing and informationservices business focused on the insurance industry and the parentcompany of Tech Decisions magazine. In live events, NUCO sponsorsthe 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 chiefexecutive officer. Spire is a $260 million private equity fundbased in New York City with financial interests in a number ofmedia companies.

Highline plans to use National Underwriter as a base from which tobuild a multimarket, multiproduct business-to-business publishingand 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 companyintends to acquire and launch publishing assets in the financialservices, insurance, and real-estate fields.
Goodenough has 25 years in publishing and most recently served asthe president of the Financial Publishing and Conferences Group atThomson, with annual revenues of $75 million. The opportunity toown a commanding position in the insurance industry is a wonderfulone for Highline, Goodenough says. The insurance business is one ofthe nations largest employers and a primary engine for capitalpreservation and growth.


WHOS USING WHAT
Cooperativa De Seguros Multiples, a Puerto Rico-based insurer, hascontracted with IDP for services that ensure compliance with U.S.Treasury Department requirements concerning Specially De-signatedNationals (SDN) through the departments Office of Foreign AssetsControl (OFAC). IDP calls the service OSCAR (OFAC SDN Complianceand Reporting).

John Hancock Financial Services, Inc., has selected IBM to build anon-demand technology infrastructure. IBM will monitor the systemcontinually to prevent service disruptions to John Hancocksmultichannel distribution system.

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

Penn Mutual Life Insurance has deployed the NaviSys Front Officefrom NaviSys. The system will provide illustration software to thePenn Mutual agents and financial advisers for life and deferredannuity products.

OneBeacon Insurance Group has selected EasyLink and its claimsprocessing solution to convert its faxed ACORD first notice of lossforms in ACORD XML data.

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

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

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

Penn National Insurance has reached an agreement with LawsonSoftware for use of Lawsons human resources system, replacing theinsurers legacy payroll application and eliminating manualprocesses.