FIVE COMPANY EXECUTIVES
SELECTED FOR MAIN EVENT PANEL

Five property/casualty insurance company executives have been selected to appear on an executive panel at the upcoming AAIS Main Event conference, April 26-28 in Half Moon Bay, Calif.

The five executives appearing on the panel are:

·         Stuart Henderson, president and CEO, Western National Insurance Group, Edina, Minn.;

·         Judy Jackson, president and CEO, NLC Insurance Companies, Norwich, Conn.;

·         Andre Krutainis, vice president and product officer, Harleysville Insurance, Harleysville, Pa.;

·         Chester "Chet" Szczepanski, vice president and chief actuary, Donegal Insurance Group, Marietta, Pa.; and

·         Richard Zick, president and CEO, Utica First Ins. Co., Utica, N.Y.

The panel discussion is scheduled for Monday morning, April 27, and the panelists will offer their reactions to issues raised by the two preceding speakers:

• Howard Mills, a Deloitte advisor and former New York insurance superintendent, who will speak on the new political and regulatory environment; and

• Lamont Boyd, director of product management for Fair Isaac Corporation, who will speak on the outlook for credit-based insurance scoring in light of the credit crisis.

Rooms still available

The conference hotel has extended the AAIS room block through tomorrow, April 2. Rooms may be available after that date, but there is no guarantee they will be available at the AAIS group rate.

You can reserve a room online; be sure to add the AAIS group code (dhpdhpa) under "Additional Information." Alternatively, you can use a hotel reservation form developed specifically for the Main Event.

A description of the conference program and conference registration are also available online.

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

BUSINESSOWNERS/ARTISANS
STATISTICAL PLAN REVISED

AAIS is providing a revised Businessowners/Artisans statistical plan to each of its affiliates that reports statistical data for those programs.

Among other things, the revised statistical plan adds new fields for capturing information now considered essential to the rating of small business risks, including wind loss mitigation factors, loss settlement terms under the policy, and the level of coverage for mold and terrorism.

AAIS is a licensed property/casualty statistical agent in all states except Texas, and it provides credits toward program affiliation assessment fees for reporting timely, accurate data.

For information on AAIS's statistical reporting services, contact Larry Thill, AAIS manager of statistical services, at larryt@AAISonline.com or by calling 800-564-AAIS, ext. 211.

AAIS CONSULTING WITH TEXAS
OVER POLLUTION EXCLUSION

AAIS has been in consultation with the Texas Department of Insurance (TDI) concerning the language of pollution exclusions after the TDI expressed concern over the application of such exclusions.

In a recent case, an insurance carrier argued that smoke inhalation suffered by victims of a fire was subject to a pollution exclusion, and that there was no coverage under the policy in question.

The carrier subsequently withdrew that argument after a public outcry, but the TDI has issued a bulletin calling for insurance carriers and advisory organizations to work with public agencies to ensure that pollution exclusions are not applied "to situations and claims that are not intended to be excluded."

AAIS staff members have consulted with TDI staff over the matter and submitted draft language for informal review. AAIS will take appropriate filing action once the department provides some indication of what will be acceptable language for a pollution exclusion.

RHODE ISLAND UPDATES
CONSENT-TO-RATE RULE

A bulletin issued by the Rhode Island Division of Insurance updates the requirements for filing a "consent to rate" form, an agreement between an insurer and an insured to issue an insurance policy at rates higher than those filed and approved.

The regulation retains the detailed reporting standards for such filings, increases the premium level for certain reporting requirements to $10,000, and adds a requirement that consent-to-rate filings be submitted using "SERFF," the System for Electronic Rate and Form Filing.