HCSC, BCBS of Okla.
An independent hearing examiner, on behalf of the Oklahoma Insurance Department, approved a request by Health Care Services Corporation (HCSC) to merge with Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Oklahoma. HCSC, with nearly 10 million policyholders, also operates as Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois, Texas and New Mexico. HCSC will assume all assets, liabilities and obligations of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Oklahoma.
The merger will affect over 600,000 members of BCBS of Oklahoma, the state’s oldest and largest private health insurer. The insurance department will continue to maintain regulatory authority over the company’s business, according to State Insurance Commissioner Kim Holland.
Texas Capital Bank created a new line of business, BankDirect Capital Finance, to provide premium finance and other financial services to insurance agencies and their customers on a nationwide basis. BankDirect Capital Finance was formed through the acquisition of Dallas-based Premium Finance Holdings and the hiring of a team of people from Baytree Finance Company. Additional-ly, Texas Capital Bank has purchased the premium finance loan portfolio and operations from Baytree to ensure service and relationship continuity for clients.
The group will be led by CEO Joseph Shockey and President Greg Boots.
Skywire Software, InsBridge
Frisco, Texas-based Skywire Software, which focuses on the insurance and financial services industries, completed its acquisition of InsBridge. InsBridge provides rating and underwriting applications for the insurance industry.
InsBridge’s customers range from top 100 P/C insurance carriers like State Auto Insurance Companies and Ohio Casualty Group to financial leaders like Wells Fargo Insurance. Similar to Skywire Software, InsBridge also serves the managing general agency market.
Skywire Software markets Thazar’s InsSight, a business intelligence system; Policyware, a centralized Web-based agency management system designed for MGA’s and excess and surplus brokers; and financial accounting, enterprise application development and IT outsourcing for insurers.
IIA of Houston, National Alliance
The National Alliance for Insurance Education & Research and the Independent Insurance Agents of Houston announced that the IIA of Houston will take over the administration of the Certified Insurance Service Representatives (CISR) Program in Houston, effective January 2006.
The CISR Program, founded in 1986, is a designation program as well as a continuing education opportunity, and a source of insurance product and service education for all front-line service professionals, or any employee of an agency, company, or insurance-related business. More than 20,000 insurance professionals hold the CISR designation.
“Since May 2004, the IIA of Houston has conducted the Certified Insurance Counselors (CIC) Program in the Houston area, and taking on the coordination and delivery of the five CISR courses through our Association was a natural progression,” IIAH President Donald E. “Woody” Woodard Jr. explained.
For specific information about CISR courses in Houston, contact the IIA of Houston: (713) 812-7830, www.iiah.org, or The National Alliance: (800) 633-2165, www.TheNationalAlliance.com.
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