Delivery Strategies Briefs

Progressive Insurance (Mayfield Village, OH) will offer its customers enhanced electronic billing and payment services using Atlanta-based CheckFree Corp.'s i-Solutions service. While Progressive first offered the direct online payment option to its insureds in 1998, with CheckFree, Progressive customers will now be able to receive and pay bills at all CheckFree-affiliated sites, which include banks, credit unions and Internet portals.

John Hancock's Group Insurance Division expanded its eGroup business model for group life sales, making it available to benefits consultants with large clients. Boston-based John Hancock also redesigned the eGroup Web site (www.egroup.jhancock.com) and is now including customized client Web sites as part of its product offering. The firm's eGroup model allows producers to negotiate plan design features and pricing directly with group life underwriters; a dedicated home office team manages the process from pre-sale to installation and handles services and claims.

CNA (Chicago) will provide its agency force with CertificatesNow, an online certificate of insurance processing service, thanks to a services agreement with ConfirmNet Corp. (San Diego). The first implementation of the new services will begin in Michigan.

Pethealth, Inc., the parent company of Canadian pet insurance provider PetCare Insurance Brokers Ltd., entered into a strategic alliance with Universal Insurance Services (UIS, Grand Rapids, MI) by which UIS will exclusively market PetCare pet insurance programs to the referral-based distribution network of Quixtar Indpendent Business Owners and members residing in the US and Canada. PetCare insurance programs will be available at www.uis-insurance.com, as well as through newsletters, brochures and other marketing channels over the duration of the three-year agreement.

Anthony O'Donnell has covered technology in the insurance industry since 2000, when he joined the editorial staff of Insurance & Technology. As an editor and reporter for I&T and the InformationWeek Financial Services of TechWeb he has written on all areas of information ... View Full Bio