DELIVERY STRATEGIES BRIEFS

By Elizabeth Ann Peer

Seattle-based Regence BlueShield has launched its renovated and improved Web site, www.wa.regence.com. Regence implemented these online changes to provide customers with the tools to make more informed decisions about health care. The online features include a user's guide to Regence BlueShield health coverage, a physician locator, pharmacy functions and online insurance forms. A new area of the site will offer patient safety information as evaluated by the industry-recognized ratings of The LeapFrog Group, as well as computerized physician order entry and intensive care unit standards to ensure that the patient gets the best possible care at a hospital. Online enrollment is also set to improve in upcoming months with the automation of the health plan enrollment process. Members of the plan will also be able to check information such as claims and referrals through the Web site.

Policyholders and agents of Prudential Property and Casualty Insurance, a company of Prudential Financial (Newark, NJ), are now able to view insurance information and process transactions online. Sapient (New York), a business and technology consultancy, helped Prudential with the creation of the Web site by talking directly with policyholders and agents about what functions and options they would like available to them in an online insurance environment. From these interviews, Sapient and Prudential developed a Web site that allows users to make payments, change vehicles, driver and coverage information, as well as check claims information.

Boston-based A.I. Risk Specialists Insurance Inc. has selected Duck Creek Technologies' (Bolivar, MO) EXAMPLE Platform Product Suite to head up its Web-based policy processing solution. The suite includes EXAMPLE Express, EXAMPLE Author, and EXAMPLE Server, which will help brokers quote, underwrite and submit business through a Web browser to carriers. The second phase, which should be completed by the end of the year, will allow agents to process the entire cycle of policy administration transactions. Underwriters, business analysts and actuaries can also access quick definitions of rating algorithms, rules and tables, easy development of screens and workflow processes via the Internet.