Health Insurance Underwriter

INDUSTRY INNOVATIONS

If you have a new product or service you would like to have considered for inclusion in this column in future months, send the information toeditor@nahu.org.

AMS Prime Goes Online

AMS Services, a provider of insurance agency automation, has announced the release of AMS Prime Online. This agency-management system is ideal for smaller agencies and is flexible. By going online, agencies will be able to provide faster customer service, have less exposure to errors and omissions, and see improved business continuity with fewer IT issues.

Small and midsize agencies can gain a significant competitive advantage by adopting online solutions.

Prime Online allows agencies to service customers better and faster while delivering value in operational efficiencies:

• Elimination of up-front investment and maintenance costs typically associated with IT hardware and software

• Enhanced security of insurance business data, such as customer data maintained in an agency’s management system

• Provision of extensive business continuity capabilities achieved through regular backups and offsite protection of data

• Access to agency systems anywhere there is an Internet connection, thereby allowing agency executives and employees to run and grow the business even when traveling or in a remote location

For more information, visit www.amsservices.com.

Hartford Enhances Variable Annuity Product
and Sales Capabilities

Hartford Financial Services Group is making it easier for consumers to prepare for retirement by enhancing its variable annuity product lineup with Hartford Leaders, which combines the best investment options, features, benefits, service and support from its two prior products into one variable annuity. Advantages of the program include:

• Investment Choice—Clients can now invest in the only variable annuity in the industry with a fund lineup including standout offerings from American Funds, Franklin-Templeton and the

Hartford. In all, clients will be able to choose from among a roster of 12 professional money managers with 81 total investment options.

• Enhanced Income Protection—The Hartford has enhanced its guaranteed lifetime withdrawal benefit. The new version will offer a larger amount of income along with the flexibility for the contract holder to take additional income if the market performs well. In essence, the investor’s level of income protection has the potential to grow as his or her income needs grow over time.

• Powerful, Focused Sales Support—The Hartford’s variable annuity wholesaling force, previously supporting both of The Hartford’s variable annuity lines, has been combined. This team of roughly 175 wholesalers will now focus on sales, service and education for a single product.

For more information, visit www.hartfordinvestor.com.

BeneTrac Announces HR Software

Bene Trac, a provider of Web-based electronic enrollment and employee benefits administration software, recently announced a new feature to its benefits software. Mail Room enables benefits and HR managers to identify and e-mail pertinent information to employees based on employee status, location, plan enrollment or other benefits criteria, directly from Bene Trac’s benefits management software.

HR managers can use Mail Room’s templates to automatically send an e-mail introduction to new hires as they enter the system or to create and deliver emails to individuals meeting filter criteria—from location, department, insurance plans, enrollment status, retirement status and others—without leaving Bene Trac. Mail Room can send a confirmation or provide a carbon copy of e-mails. HR managers simply select “Mail Room” from the “Tools” button, and are prompted along a process similar to using Report Factory, a leading reporting capability in Bene Trac, capitalizing on familiarity with the system.