SHERRY TAYLOR TO SPEAK ON AgGL
AT AGRIBUSINESS CONFERENCE

Sherry Taylor, AAIS manager of farm and agribusiness, will give a presentation on the new AAIS Agricultural General Liability (AgGL) Program at the 2009 Western Agribusiness Conference, March 18-19 in Sacramento, Calif.

The conference provides courses leading to the professional designation of Agribusiness and Farm Insurance Specialist (AFIS), as well as breakout sessions devoted to other topics in agricultural risk management and insurance. Taylor's presentation provides credit toward the continuing education requirement of attendees who have already earned the AFIS designation.

For information and to register for the conference,

The AgGL, now filed in 17 states and due to be filed countrywide, is the first standardized general liability program specifically designed for farm and agribusinesses.

For more information on affiliating with AAIS for use of the AgGL, contact Rick Maka, director of marketing, at rickm@AAISonline.com or by calling 800-564-AAIS.

WEB SEMINAR SET FOR THURSDAY
ON e2VALUE'S NEW 'PRONTO' PROGRAM 

AAIS member companies are invited to participate in a web seminar describing the new "Pronto" property valuation service offered by e2Value, Inc., Stamford, Conn., a leading provider of online valuation applications.

The seminar is scheduled for tomorrow, Thursday, Feb. 19, at 10 a.m. Central time (11 a.m. Eastern). The presenters will be Debbie Wagner, vice president of sales for e2Value, and Rick Maka, AAIS director of marketing.

To register for the seminar, go to https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/393189858

Pronto™ is a one-stop source where insurance professionals can obtain a complete property report that includes data scoring, images, and an insurance valuation as well as risk mapping. 

AAIS member companies that sign up directly with e2Value for use of Pronto will be eligible for an AAIS member discount.

REGISTRATION OPEN FOR
AAIS MAIN EVENT, APRIL 26-28

Individuals can register online for the 2009 AAIS Main Event, April 26-28 at The Ritz-Carlton in Half Moon Bay, Calif. To get a discount on your registration, sign up by Friday, March 6. (Companies sending more than one person are encouraged to register all of them, including spouses and guests, at the same time, if possible.)

A description of the conference program and hotel reservation form are available online.

For more information, contact Joseph Harrington, director of corporate communications, at joeh@AAISonline.com, or by calling 800-564-AAIS.

LOUISIANA ISSUES NEW GUIDELINES
FOR SCHEDULE RATING PLANS

The Louisiana Department of Insurance (DOI) has announced new criteria for the review and approval of schedule rating plans.

In a recent bulletin, the department states that a schedule rating plan should have, among other things, a "reasonable" minimum qualifying premium for the classification, and a "reasonable" number of scheduled characteristics.

Also, debits and credits can amount to no more than 10% per scheduled characteristic, or 25% for all scheduled characteristics. Proposed debits and credits "must be adequately supported with credible data."

Companies using AAIS individual risk premium modification (IRPM) plans in Louisiana are not immediately affected by the new criteria.

AAIS IRPM plans had previously been approved by the now-abolished Louisiana Insurance Rating Commission, and AAIS has been informed by the Louisiana DOI that those approvals remain in effect.

HAWAII WARNS PRODUCERS
ABOUT MODIFYING CERTIFICATES

A recent memo from the Hawaii Insurance Division reminds property/casualty producers that they could face civil, administrative, and/or criminal sanctions if they amend certificates of insurance in a manner that misrepresents the terms and obligations of the underlying insurance.

In the memo, Insurance Commissioner J.P. Schmidt lists several types of certificate misrepresentations that have come to the attention of the department. They include, among others:

• Naming certain parties as additional insureds even though they may not be covered ;

• Naming additional insureds that have no real interest in a contract between the policyholder and the primary additional insured; and

• Statements that the subject policy is primary and non-contributory when that may not be the case.

"The [certificate] is not intended to provide a vehicle to amend the insurance policy," the memo reads. "The insurer can only be bound by a person or entity with the actual or apparent authority to execute an amendment to the contract."

SOUTH DAKOTA EASES
CONSENT TO RATE REQUIREMENT

A new law in South Dakota removes a requirement that an "excess rate" for a specific risk be filed 30 days before a policy takes effect.

Under current law, if an insured consents in writing to be charged a higher rate than would otherwise apply under an approved rating plan, the agreed-upon rate can be implemented as soon as it is approved by the South Dakota director of insurance.