INDIANAPOLIS, Sept. 21, 2010 — Along with a robust Property/Casualty agenda, the Society of Insurance Research will continue its Health Insurance initiative at the conference coming up in Jacksonville, Florida November 14-17, 2010 (http://www.regonline.com/sir-40-years).
"The Health content is by, for, and of the experts," says Richard Skyba, Assistant Director of Specialty Products at Regence BlueCross BlueShield, who is leading SIR's Health outreach. "It will focus on advanced level subject matter including new product paradigms, advanced actuarial and underwriting tactics, and groundbreaking research." The specific agenda can be seen on-line at http://www.regonline.com/sir-40-years.
SIR President Denese Ross, who is also Vice President of GMAC Insurance, noted that the Health track in Jacksonville "is just one part of continuing the initiative launched in 2009 to increase the Society's value and membership on the Health side of the business. We are hearing that there is a real need for a forum like SIR that is focused on helping research practitioners find practical answers to current and emerging challenges."
Conference Chairman Gary Hodge, Marketing Research Manager for the American Modern Insurance Group, says: "The content in the Health track should be especially timely since the conference will occur within two weeks after the 2010 Congressional elections. Beyond the sessions specifically analyzing impacts of 'Healthcare Reform,' discussions of new product design concepts for health, vision, and dental coverage will also be in the context of the new regulations."
The event will begin with an optional pre-conference workshop on Sunday, November 14th called "Insurance Fundamentals." This survey course provides an overview of the unusual structure, terminology, and economics of the insurance industry. Sponsored by SIR in a number of locations since 2008, it has been popular with persons seeking a broader perspective to interact with other disciplines within a carrier, or who need to "speak the language" to sell products or services to insurance carriers.
General sessions at the conference, designed for attendees from all lines of the insurance business, will survey the latest initiatives in research methodologies and product management, and look at the state of the industry from various perspectives including those of trade associations and financial analysts.
Other sessions will probe agency – carrier relationships; leveraging social media and proprietary online communities in relationships with agents and customers; and consumer shopping behavior.
A panel in the Technology track will look at the current state of the art in analytical and modeling tools for insurance marketing, pricing, claims, retention, and underwriting.
The Competitive Intelligence track will attack questions that are especially challenging because data is either not filed separately or not filed at all, looking for approaches that can be adapted to such questions across diverse lines of business. A presentation by Fuld & Co will outline an approach, then participants will apply those principles in case studies.
Discounted pricing for conference registrations is available until September 30th. Interested persons can learn more and register at http://www.regonline.com/sir-40-years, or use the links at http://www.sirnet.org.
About the SIR
The SIR is a leading forum for insurance practitioners from all aspects of the industry, focusing on emerging research approaches and industry issues for the benefit of individual members and their employers. SIR members have accountabilities in research, product development, competitive intelligence, marketing, strategic planning, and many other disciplines within the business.
For more information, see http://www.sirnet.org, email Email, or call SIR Executive Director Ed Budd at 317-398-3684.
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