Best's Rating Changes.This summary of Best's Rating Best's rating A rating A.M. Best Co. assigns to insurance companies based on the company's ability to meet its obligations to its policyholders. Changes lists life/health, property/casualty and international insurers, as well as health maintenance organizations, 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 April 2000 edition of Best's Review. Best's Rating Changes is an abbreviated version of Best's Rating Monitor. Previously a stand-alone (jargon) stand-alone - Capable of operating without other programs, libraries, computers, hardware, networks, etc. Exactly what is absent is presumed to be obvious from context. "We only run Windows on stand-alone PCs because it's too dangerous to run it on networked ones." publication, Best's Rating Monitor is now a featured section in Best's Viewpoint, a new publication available as a supplement to Best Week, A.M. Best Co.'s weekly news report. Best's Rating Monitor contains a compilation Compiling a program. See compiler. of all recent rating releases plus supporting rationales for the industry's largest insurance groups and for insurers whose ratings were changed or placed under review. For comprehensive ratings and company information, free of charge, visit www.ambest.com/ratings/access.html. For more information on how to obtain A.M. Best Co. products and publications, including Best's Ratings and Best's Company Reports for individual companies, see page 143. See page 27 for the Current Guide to Best's Ratings and the August 1999 edition of Best's Review for the Detailed Rating Definitions page.
LIFE/HEALTH
Rating Current Effective Prior
Action Company AMB# Rating Date Rating
+ American Service Life Ins Co AR 07899 FPR 5 02/23/00 FPR 4
New Brooke Life Insurance Co MI 68117 A+ g 02/25/00 FPR 7
U CGU Life Ins Co of Amer DE 06337 A+ u 02/23/00 A+ g
U CGU Life Ins Co of NY NY 09098 A+ u 02/23/00 A+ g
PROPERTY/CASUALTY
Rating Current Effective Prior
Action Company AMB# Rating Date Rating
+ Accident Fund Company MI 11770 A 02/24/00 A-
+ Affirmative Insurance Co OH 01795 B+ r 02/25/00 B r
U American Central Ins Co MO 03799 A+ pu 02/23/00 A+ p
U American Employers' Ins Co MA 02151 A+ pu 02/23/00 A+ p
New AXA Re America Ins Co NY 12329 A+ g 02/14/00 NR-5
New AXA Re Prop & Cas Ins Co DE 04779 A+ g 02/14/00 NR-3
+ Builders Mutual Insurance Co NC 12057 A 02/24/00 A-
U CGU Insurance Co of NJ 02193 A+ pu 02/23/00 A+ p
U CGU Insurance Companies MA 18458 A+ u 02/23/00 A+
U CGU Insurance Company PA 02196 A+ pu 02/23/00 A+ p
U CGU Insurance Company of IL 00973 A+ gu 02/23/00 A+ g
U CGU Insurance Company of NY 10606 A+ pu 02/23/00 A+ p
U Commercial Union Ins Co MA 02106 A+ pu 02/23/00 A+ p
U Comm Union Midwest Ins WI 11229 A+ pu 02/23/00 A+ p
U Comm Union York Ins Co ME 00269 A+ ru 02/23/00 A+ r
U CU Homeland Insurance Co MA 02821 A+ ru 02/23/00 A+ r
U CU Lloyd's of Texas TX 02720 A+ ru 02/23/00 A+ r
U Employers' Fire Ins Co MA 02152 A+ pu 02/23/00 A+ p
U Farmers & Merchants Ins Co OK 02524 A+ ru 02/23/00 A+ r
U GA Insurance Company of NY 10604 A+ pu 02/23/00 A+ p
U General Accident Ins Co PA 02195 A+ pu 02/23/00 A+ p
U General Accident Reins Amer CA 00273 A+ gu 02/23/00 A+ g
U General Assurance Company NY 10605 A+ pu 02/23/00 A+ p
+ Hawaiian Ins & Guar Co Ltd HI 11581 B+ r 02/25/00 B r
U Hawkeye-Security Ins Co IA 00466 A+ gu 02/23/00 A+ g
+ Insura Prop & Cas Ins Co OH 02741 B+ r 02/25/00 B r
U Livingston Mutual Ins Co NY 04827 B u 02/08/00 B
U Midwestern Insurance Co OK 02525 A+ ru 02/23/00 A+ r
U North Pacific Insurance Co OR 02372 A+ gu 02/23/00 A+ g
U Northern Assur Co of Amer MA 02155 A+ pu 02/23/00 A+ p
U Oregon Automobile Ins Co OR 02375 A+ gu 02/23/00 A+ g
U Potomac Insurance Company PA 11804 A+ ru 02/23/00 A+ r
U Potomac Insurance Co of IL IL 02760 A+ pu 02/23/00 A+ p
U PXRE Reinsurance Company CT 02797 A gu 02/10/00 A g
U PXRE Re Group NY 18142 A u 02/10/00 A
+ Sheffield Insurance Corp AL 01844 B+ r 02/25/00 B r
+ Shelby Casualty Insurance Co IN 02277 B+ r 02/25/00 B r
+ Shelby Insurance Company OH 00832 B+ r 02/25/00 B r
U Transnational Insurance Co CT 11123 A gu 02/10/00 A g
U Tri-State Insurance Company OK 02526 A+ ru 02/23/00 A+ r
U United Security Ins Co IA 00932 A+ gu 02/23/00 A+ g
+ Vesta Fire Insurance Corp AL 04407 B+ g 02/25/00 B g
+ Vesta Insurance Corporation AL 01813 B+ r 02/25/00 B r
+ Vesta Insurance Group Inc AL 05681 B+ 02/25/00 B
+ Vesta Lloyds Insurance Co TX 11082 B+ r 02/25/00 B r
HMOs
Rating Current Effective Prior
Action Company AMB# Rating Date Rating
New Aetna U.S. Healthcare Inc ME 64155 A- 02/08/00 FPR 6
New Aetna U.S. Healthcare Inc NH 68773 A- 02/08/00 FPR 6
New Aetna U.S. Healthcare Inc TN 60128 A- 02/08/00 FPR 6
New Aetna U.S. Healthcare of CO 64071 A- 02/08/00 FPR 6
New Atrium Health Plan, Inc WI 68611 A- 02/08/00 NR-5
New First Plan of Minnesota MN 68757 A- 02/08/00 NR-5
New HealthLink HMO, Inc MO 60152 B+ 02/22/00 NR-5
New One Health Plan of California CA 64023 A+ 02/22/00 NR-5
New One Health Plan of Colorado CO 64024 A+ 02/22/00 NR-5
New One Health Plan of Georgia GA 64025 A+ 02/22/00 NR-5
New One Health Plan of Illinois IL 64026 A+ 02/22/00 NR-5
New One Health Plan of Texas, Inc TX 64027 A+ 02/22/00 NR-5
New Prudential Hith Care Plan, Inc TX 68787 A- 02/08/00 NR-5
New Prudential Hith Care Pin of CA 68768 A- 02/08/00 NR-5
New Prudential Hith Care Pin of CT 68778 A- 02/08/00 NR-5
New Prudential Hith Care Pin of GA 68911 A- 02/08/00 NR-5
New Prudential Hith Care Pin of NY 68769 A 02/08/00 NR-5
INTERNATIONAL
Rating Current Effective
Action Company AMB# Country Rating Date
- Monegasque de Reassurances 86909 Monaco C-gu 02/24/00
- Reinsurance Australia Corp 86440 Australia C-gu 02/24/00
- Reinsurance Australia Corp Grp 86906 Australia C- 02/24/00
Rating Prior
Action Rating
- B++gu
- B++gu
- B++u
Rating Action: (+) or (-) Rating upgraded or downgraded;
(New) Assigned initial rating; (U) Rating placed under
review. Effective Date: Represents effective date
of Rating Action.
BEST'S RATINGS, FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE RATINGS See benchmark. (FPR FPR Ford Performance Racing FPR Front Patriotique Rwandais (Rwanda Patriotic Front) FPR Floating-Point Register (CPU architecture) FPR Fuel Pressure Regulator (automotive) ) AND QUALIFIED RATINGS A.M. Best assigns Individuals to whom property is, will, or may be transferred by conveyance, will, Descent and Distribution, or statute; assignees. The term assigns is often found in deeds; for example, "heirs, administrators, and assigns to denote the assignable nature of to insurance companies one of three types of rating opinions, a Best's Rating (A++ to F), a Financial Performance Rating (9 to 1), or a Qualified Rating (A++ to F denoted with a "q" subscript (1) In word processing and scientific notation, a digit or symbol that appears below the line; for example, H2O, the symbol for water. Contrast with superscript. (2) In programming, a method for referencing data in a table. ). The Best's Rating represents an opinion based on a comprehensive quantitative quantitative /quan·ti·ta·tive/ (kwahn´ti-ta?tiv) 1. denoting or expressing a quantity. 2. relating to the proportionate quantities or to the amount of the constituents of a compound. and qualitative qualitative /qual·i·ta·tive/ (kwahl´i-ta?tiv) pertaining to quality. Cf. quantitative. qualitative pertaining to observations of a categorical nature, e.g. breed, sex. evaluation of a company's financial strength, operating performance and market profile. The FPR represents an opinion based primarily on a quantitative evaluation of a company's financial strength and operating performance for companies that do not meet A.M. Best's minimum requirements in size and/or and/or conj. Used to indicate that either or both of the items connected by it are involved. Usage Note: And/or is widely used in legal and business writing. operating experience. Qualified Ratings are assigned to Health Maintenance Organizations (HMOs) and U.K. insurers that meet our minimum size and operating experience requirements but do not subscribe to Verb 1. subscribe to - receive or obtain regularly; "We take the Times every day" subscribe, take buy, purchase - obtain by purchase; acquire by means of a financial transaction; "The family purchased a new car"; "The conglomerate acquired a new company"; our interactive rating process. The Qualified Rating is therefore based on the quantitative analysis Quantitative Analysis A security analysis that uses financial information derived from company annual reports and income statements to evaluate an investment decision. Notes: of a company's financial strength, operating performance and market profile.
Secure Best's Ratings
A++ and A+ Superior
A and A- Excellent
B++ and B+ Very Good
Vulnerable Best's Ratings
B and B- Fair
C++ and C+ Marginal
C and C- Weak
D Poor
E Under Regulatory
Supervision
F In Liquidation
S Rating Suspended
Secure FPR Ratings
FPR 9 Very Strong
FPR 8 and 7 Strong
FPR 6 and 5 Good
Vulnerable FPR Ratings
FPR 4 Fair
FPR 3 Marginal
FPR 2 Weak
FPR 1 Poor
RATING MODIFIERS and AFFILIATION affiliation (  fil´ēā´sh CODESRating Modifiers are assigned to Best's Ratings and Financial Performance Ratings to identify companies whose rating opinions are Under Review (u) and may be subject to near-term near-term adj. Of, for, or involving a short period of time in the near future. change; or Qualified (q) which may be assigned to HMOs and U.K. insurers whose ratings are based solely on quantitative analysis. Affiliation Codes are based on a Group (g), Pooling (p) or Reinsurance The contract made between an insurance company and a third party to protect the insurance company from losses. The contract provides for the third party to pay for the loss sustained by the insurance company when the company makes a payment on the original contract. (r) affiliation with other insurers. Rating Modifiers u - Under Review q - Qualified Affiliation Codes g - Group p - Pooled r - Reinsured NOT RATED CATEGORIES (NR) Companies not assigned a Best's Rating or FPR are assigned to one of five NR categories which identifies the primary reason a rating opinion was not assigned to the company. For additional information, refer to the Preface pref·ace n. 1. a. A preliminary statement or essay introducing a book that explains its scope, intention, or background and is usually written by the author. b. An introductory section, as of a speech. 2. .
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
FINANCIAL SIZE CATEGORIES (FSC FSC See: Foreign Sales Corporation ) Assigned to all companies and reflects their size based on their capital, surplus and conditional Subject to change; dependent upon or granted based on the occurrence of a future, uncertain event. A conditional payment is the payment of a debt or obligation contingent upon the performance of a certain specified act. reserve funds in millions of U.S. dollars, using the scale below. For additional information, refer to the Preface. FSC I less than 1 FSC II 1 to 2 FSC III 2 to 5 FSC IV 5 to 10 FSC V 10 to 25 FSC VI 25 to 50 FSC VII 50 to 100 FSC VIII 100 to 250 FSC IX 250 to 500 FSC X 500 to 750 FSC XI 750 to 1,000 FSC XII 1,000 to 1,250 FSC XIII 1,250 to 1,500 FSC XIV 1,500 to 2,000 FSC XV greater than 2,000 How to obtain the latest Best's Ratings * For the latest Best's Ratings and Best's Company Reports (which include Best's Ratings) visit the A.M. Best web site at www.ambest.com. You may also obtain Best's Company Reports by calling our Customer Service Department at 908-439-2200, ext. 5742. To expedite ex·pe·dite tr.v. ex·pe·dit·ed, ex·pe·dit·ing, ex·pe·dites 1. To speed up the progress of; accelerate. 2. your request, please provide the company's identification number (AMB AMB Ambient AMB Ambassador AMB Amber AMB Ambulance AMB Associação Médica Brasileira (Brazil) AMB Ambulatory AMB Advanced Memory Buffer (FBDIMM control unit on DRAM) #). * All rating actions are published in Best's Rating Monitor (our most timely and complete release of ratings in print). Selected rating changes and new ratings are published in Best Week(R) and Best's Review(R) (our monthly magazine). |
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