Best's Rating Changes.This summary of Best's Rating Best's ratingA rating A.M. Best Co. assigns to insurance companies based on the company's ability to meet its obligations to its policyholders. Changes includes life, health-care and property/casualty insurers domiciled dom·i·cile n. 1. A residence; a home. 2. One's legal residence. v. dom·i·ciled, dom·i·cil·ing, dom·i·ciles v.tr. 1. in North America North America, third largest continent (1990 est. pop. 365,000,000), c.9,400,000 sq mi (24,346,000 sq km), the northern of the two continents of the Western Hemisphere. , as well as international insurers that had ratings assigned as·sign tr.v. as·signed, as·sign·ing, as·signs 1. To set apart for a particular purpose; designate: assigned a day for the inspection. 2. , changed or placed under review since this section last appeared in the August 2004 edition of Best's Review. Best's Rating Changes is an abbreviated version of Best's Rating Monitor, which is published in BestWeek, our weekly insurance industry newsletter. See page 22 for the current Guide to Best's Financial Strength Ratings or visit the A.M. Best Co. Web site at www.ambest.com/ratings/guide.html for detailed rating definitions. The A.M. Best rating of any company and basic company information are also available free of charge at the Web site.
Ratings Changed
Rating Current Previous
Action Company Name & Domicile AMB# Rating Rating
Life/Health
Capital Blue Cross 64554 NR-5 B++ pd
US: Pennsylvania
Family Financial Life
Insurance Company 07936 NR-5 B+
US: Indiana
New Forethought Life Assurance
Company 08321 A- NR-3
US: Indiana
- Life and Health Insurance Co
of America 08070 F D
US: Pennsylvania
+ MONY Life Insurance Company 06751 A+ A u
US: New York
+ MONY Life Insurance Company
of America 08091 A+ A u
US: Arizona
- Standard Life Insurance
Company of IN 07073 B B+
US: Indiana
+ U.S. Financial Life Insurance
Company 08492 A+ A u
US: Ohio
New XL Life Insurance and Annuity
Company 60395 A+ NR-2
US: Illinois
HMO
- Alliance for Community Health 64179 B- pd B pd
US: Missouri
- AMERIGROUP Illinois Inc 64100 C++ pd B- pd
US: Illinois
- Athens Area Health Plan
Select Inc 64556 C+ pd C++ pd
US: Georgia
- Avera Health Plans Inc 64515 C pd C++ pd
US: South Dakota
+ Central Oregon Independent
Health Servcs 64496 C++ pd C+ pd
US: Oregon
- Chinese Community Health Plan 64144 C++ pd B- pd
US: California
- Community Health Group 64145 C++ pd B- pd
US: California
+ Cook Children's Health Plan 64508 C++ pd C+ pd
US: Texas
- Dean Health Plan Inc 64203 C++ pd B- pd
US: Wisconsin
Delmarva Health Plan Inc 68756 NR-5 B+ pd
US: Maryland
- Driscoll Children's Health
Plan 64519 B- pd B pd
US: Texas
Family Health Care Plus Inc 64132 E NR-5
US: Mississippi
- Gundersen Lutheran Health
Plan Inc 64204 C++ pd B- pd
US: Wisconsin
- Health Partners of
Philadelphia Inc 64160 C++ pd B- pd
US: Pennsylvania
- Health Plan of the Upper Ohio
Valley 64201 B- pd B pd
US: West Virginia
- HealthEase of Florida Inc 64647 C pd C+ pd
US: Florida
- HealthSpring Inc 64300 C pd C+ pd
US: Tennessee
- Inland Empire Health Plan 64578 C++ pd B pd
US: California
- Kern Health Systems 64084 B+ pd B++ pd
US: California
Keystone Health Plan Central
Inc 64051 NR-5 B+ pd
US: Pennsylvania
Memphis Managed Care
Corporation 68735 NR-5 C- pd
US: Tennessee
+ Neighborhood Health Plan Inc 68744 C++ pd C+ pd
US: Massachusetts
Paramount Care Inc 68579 NR-4 B+
US: Ohio
Paramount Care of Michigan 64294 NR-4 B+
US: Michigan
- PHN-HMO Inc 64295 C- pd C pd
US: Maryland
- PHP Insurance Plan Inc 64123 C+ pd C++ pd
US: Wisconsin
- Physicians Health Plan of
Southwest MI 64620 C+ pd C++ pd
US: Michigan
Preferred Health Partnership
of TN Inc 64302 NR-5 C++ pd
US: Tennessee
- Preferred Medical Plan 64120 C++ pd B- pd
US: Florida
+ Saint Mary's HealthFirst 64237 C+ pd C pd
US: Nevada
- Santa Clara County 64152 C+ pd C++ pd
US: California
+ Scan Health Plan 60187 C++ pd C pd
US: California
- Security Health Plan of
Wisconsin Inc 64207 C++ pd B- pd
US: Wisconsin
+ Seton Health Plan Inc 64252 C pd C- pd
US: Texas
+ Total Health Choice Inc 68742 C++ pd C+ pd
US: Florida
- Union Health Service Inc 64091 C++ pd B- pd
US: Illinois
- Upper Peninsula Health Plan
Inc 64619 C+ pd C++ pd
US: Michigan
- ValueOptions of California
Inc 64653 B- pd B pd
US: California
- Vantage Health Plan Inc 64282 B- pd B pd
US: Louisiana
+ Welborn Clinic 64272 C+ pd C pd
US: Indiana
+ WellCare of New York Inc 68750 C+ pd C- pd
US: New York
+ Western Dental Services Inc 64651 B+ pd B pd
US: California
Property/Casualty
+ Affirmative Insurance Company 01795 B+ B u
US: Illinois
New Affirmative Insurance Group 18648 B+
US: Illinois
Aries Insurance Company Inc 12181 NR-5 F
US: Florida
- Converium Insurance (North
America) Inc 00554 A- u A
US: New Jersey
- Converium Reinsurance (NA)
Inc 02696 A- u A
US: Connecticut
New New Darwin National Assurance 12699 A
US: Delaware
+ Insura Property & Casualty
Ins Co. Inc 02741 B+ B u
US: Illinois
Nationwide Affinity Insurance
Co of Amer 11802 NR-3 A+
US: Kansas
Oak Casualty Insurance
Company 10626 NR-5 F
US: Illinois
Riverport Insurance Company
of Calif 12346 NR-5 A
US: California
- Security Indemnity Insurance
Company 10420 F E
US: New Jersey
International
Atlas Assurance Company
Limited 85547 NR-5 B+ pd
United Kingdom
AXA General Insurance Limited 85550 NR-5 B+ pd
United Kingdom
AXA Insurance plc 85203 NR-5 B+ pd
United Kingdom
AXA PPP Healthcare Limited 87530 NR-5 B+ pd
United Kingdom
- Converium AG 84820 A- u A
Switzerland
- Converium Group 84394 A- u A
Switzerland
- Converium Insurance (UK)
Limited 89074 A- u A
United Kingdom
- Converium Rueckversicherung
(DE) AG 85629 A- u A
Germany
Guardian Eastern Insurance Co
Ltd 87375 NR-5 B+ pd
United Kingdom
Guardian Health Limited 86507 NR-5 B+ pd
United Kingdom
- International Ins Co of
Hannover Limited 86486 A- A
United Kingdom
State Assurance Company
Limited 84834 NR-5 B+ pd
United Kingdom
Rating Action: (+) or (-) Rating upgraded or downgraded; (New) Assigned
initial rating; (u) Rating placed under review
GUIDE TO BEST'S FINANCIAL STRENGTH RATINGS
A Best's Rating is an independent opinion, based on a comprehensive
quantitative and qualitative evaluation, of a company's balance sheet
strength, operating performance and business profile. Best's Ratings
are not a warranty of a company's financial strength and ability to
meet its obligations to policyholders.
Financial Strength Ratings
A Best's Financial Strength Rating (FSR) is an opinion of an insurer's
ability to meet its obligations to policyholders.
Rating Descriptor Definition
Secure
A++, A+ Superior Assigned to companies that have, in our
opinion, a superior ability to meet
their ongoing obligations to
policyholders.
A, A- Excellent Assigned to companies that have, in our
opinion, an excellent ability to meet
their ongoing obligations to
policyholders.
B++, B+ Very Good Assigned to companies that have, in our
opinion, a good ability to meet their
ongoing obligations to policyholders.
Vulnerable
B, B- Fair Assigned to companies that have, in our
opinion, a fair ability to meet their
current obligations to policyholders,
but are financially vulnerable to
adverse changes in underwriting and
economic conditions.
C++, C+ Marginal Assigned to companies that have, in our
opinion, a marginal ability to meet
their current obligations to
policyholders, but are financially
vulnerable to adverse changes in
underwriting and economic conditions.
C, C- Weak Assigned to companies that have, in our
opinion, a weak ability to meet their
current obligations to policyholders,
but are financially very vulnerable to
adverse changes in underwriting and
economic conditions.
D Poor Assigned to companies that have, in our
opinion, a poor ability to meet their
current obligations to policyholders
and are financially extremely
vulnerable to adverse changes in
underwriting and economic conditions.
E Under Assigned to companies (and possibly
Regulatory their subsidiaries/affiliates) that
Supervision have been placed by an insurance
regulatory authority under a
significant form of supervision,
control or restraint whereby they are
no longer allowed to conduct normal
ongoing insurance operations. This
would include conservatorship or
rehabilitation, but does not include
liquidation. It may also be assigned to
companies issued cease and desist
orders by regulators outside their home
state or country.
F In Liquidation Assigned to companies that have been
placed under an order of liquidation by
a court of law or whose owners have
voluntarily agreed to liquidate the
company. Note: Companies that
voluntarily liquidate or dissolve their
charters are generally not insolvent.
S Suspended Assigned to companies that have
experienced sudden and significant
events affecting their balance sheet
strength or operating performance and
whose rating implications cannot be
evaluated due to a lack of timely or
adequate information.
Rating Modifiers and Affiliation Codes
A rating modifier can be assigned to indicate that a Best's Rating may
be subject to near-term change (under review), that a company did not
subscribe to Best's interactive rating process (public data) and that
the rating is assigned to a syndicate operating at Lloyd's. Affiliation
codes (g, p, and r) are added to Best's Ratings to identify companies
whose assigned ratings are based on group, pooling or reinsurance
affiliation with other insurers.
Modifier Descriptor Definition
Rating
Modifiers
u Under Review A modifier that generally is event-
driven (positive, negative or
developing) and is assigned to a
company whose Best's Rating opinion is
under review and may subject change in
the near-term, generally defined as six
months.
pd Public Data Assigned to insurers that do not
subscribe to Best's interactive rating
process. Best's "pd" Ratings reflect
qualitative and quantitative analyses
using public data and information.
s Syndicate Assigned to syndicates operating at
Lloyd's.
Affiliation Codes g Group p Pooled r Reinsured
Not Rated Categories (NR)
Assigned to companies reported on by A.M. Best, but not assigned a
Best's Rating. The five categories are:
NR-1: Insufficient Data.
NR-2: Insufficient Size and/or Operating Experience.
NR-3: Rating Procedure Inapplicable.
NR-4: Company Request.
NR-5: Not Formally Followed.
Rating Outlook
Best's interactive Ratings (A++ to D) are assigned a Rating Outlook
that indicates the potential direction of a company's rating for an
intermediate period, generally defined as the next 12 to 36 months.
Rating Outlooks, which appear in the rating rationale section of the
company's Best's Company Report, are as follows:
Positive Indicates a company's financial/market trends are
favorable, relative to its current rating level and, if
continued, the company has a good possibility of having its
rating upgraded.
Negative Indicates a company is experiencing unfavorable financial/
market trends, relative to its current rating level and, if
continued, the company has a good possibility of having its
rating downgraded.
Stable Indicates a company is experiencing stable financial/market
trends and there is a low likelihood that its rating will
change in the near term.
Best's Ratings are distributed via press release and/or the A.M. Best
Web site at www.ambest.com, and are published in the Rating Monitor
section of BestWeek[R]. Best's Ratings are proprietary and may not be
reproduced without permission.
Copyright [c] 2004 by A.M. Best Company, Inc.
Version 062504
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