State privacy laws leave RMs in the dark. (Regulation).
New statutes and regulations in the states that aim to ensure privacy could threaten to limit the ability of insurance companies to share information on workers' compensation and third-party liability claims with their policyholders. A wave of new state and federal privacy rules has been creeping across...

The Old College Try.
This year's winner of the Best Workers' Comp program is Villanova University, which reduced paid claims by 84 percent over a five-year period. The secret? A team approach that included the broker and carrier--and reined in a severely undermanaged system. What do you do with a workers'...

Computer-Use Injuries on the Rise.
The number of computer-use injuries is increasing, but few employers implement preventative measures at the work station until problems arise. Nevertheless, "Computer ergonomics is a serious issue in business today and should be a major concern for both employees and employers," advises Melody Alexander, professor of business education and...

INSURANCE ONLINE.
New York-based Cybersettle, the Internet dispute resolution service that Risk & Insurance first visited in February, is now settling workers' compensation claims over the Internet. Previously, the company offered 24-hour real-time electronic settlements for bodily injury/property damage, medical malpractice, and commercial litigation. Cybersettle's homepage (www.cybersettle.com) posts information...

Insurers Brace for Change.
Technology keeps changing the way insurers do business. Expert systems, predictive modeling, and e-commerce are all expected to transform the rules of doing business in the property/casualty industry Better decisions faster. This is the concept at the heart of new technologies in the insurance industry. Advancing technologies,...

Ergonomics Standards & EPLI.
The well-publicized and controversial OSHA ergonomic standards, effective on Jan. 16, 2001, raise interesting issues, some of which are being challenged in the courts. OSHA lists work-related musculoskeletal disorders as the leading workplace injury in the United States, which costs employers $15 billion to $18 billion in workers' compensation...

Unaccustomed to foreign customs: globalization means more companies are doing business abroad, but it also thrusts upon a risk manager a world to which she is unfamiliar.
Summary * Traveling abroad constitutes an overlooked risk for a corporation because of an ever-present dangerous international climate, lack of security planning and differences in insurance coverage. * A gift might be perceived as a token of good faith or a bribe in an attempt...

Getting a Handle on Workers' Camp Abroad.
At first blush, the issues surrounding workers' compensation outside the U.S. seem simple: coverage follows employees around the world. Local laws, however, can make managing this exposure complex. A first glance, the issues surrounding workers' compensation for a company's global operations appear simple. Workers' compensation...

Toxic mold. (Risk Primer).
The financial impact of toxic mold on the insurance industry is already significant. While it may not cause the same financial problems that asbestos did, you can be sure that it will be long lasting and that the insurers and policyholders alike will be grappling with this dilemma for...

Bugs in the workplace: from mold to asbestos to Legionnaires' disease to hepatitis, infectious diseases lurk within the work environment. Have you done enough to keep workers healthy? (Workers' Compensation).
In 1976, a mysterious disease broke out among conventioneers at the American Legion conference in Philadelphia. What was not known then is that a bacteria that causes a serious form of pneumonia can harbor in air conditioning and cooling systems. Public health officials now know that Legionnaires disease is...