Best's rating changes.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 This summary of Best's Rating 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 October October: see month. 2004 edition pf Best's Review. Best's Rating Changes is an abbreviated version of Best's Rating Monitor, which is published in Best Week, our weekly insurance industry newsletter. See page 18 for the current Guide to Best's Financial Strength Ratings or visit the A.M. 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
Aetna Health Insurance Co of CT 09408 NR-5 A
US: Connecticut
- American Phoenix Life and
Reassurance Co 68152 A- A
US: Connecticut
- Colorado Dental Service Inc 64558 B+ pd B++ pd
US: Colorado
- Delta Dental Plan of
Massachusetts 60193 A- pd A pd
US: Massachusetts
New Parker Centennial Assurance
Company 60403 A+
US: Wisconsin
Town & Country Life Insurance
Company 08049 NR-5 B+
US: Utah
New USAble Corporation 50925 A-
US: Arkansas
HMO
Alameda Alliance for Health 64142 NR-5 B pd
US: California
+ AvMed Inc 64074 B B-
US: Florida
Comanche County Hospital
Authority 64168 NR-5 C++ pd
US: Oklahoma
Contra Costa Health Plan 64085 NR-5 C+ pd
US: California
County of Los Angeles 68680 NR-5 C+ pd
US: California
New Dental Care Plus Inc 64698 B- C+ pd
US: Ohio
El Paso First Health Plans 64692 NR-5 C+ pd
US: Texas
EYEXAM of California Inc 64723 NR-5 B pd
US: California
+ HMO of Northeastern Pennsylvania 68780 B- pd C++ pd
US: Pennsylvania
Local Initiative Health Authority
of LA 64652 NR-5 C++ pd
US: California
Medical Eye Services Inc 64712 NR-5 C++ pd
US: California
NVAL Visioncare Systems of
California 64717 NR-5 C++ pd
US: California
+ PARTNERS National Health Plans of
NC 68822 B++ pd B+ pd
US: North Carolina
Public Health Trust of Dade
County 60183 NR-5 C++ pd
US: Florida
San Francisco Health Plan 64582 NR-5 B pd
US: California
San Joaquin Health Commission 64006 NR-5 B+ pd
US: California
San Mateo Health Commission 64575 NR-5 C++ pd
US: California
Santa Barbara Regional Health
Authority 64710 NR-5 C pd
US: California
Santa Clara County Health
Authority 64576 NR-5 B pd
US: California
Santa Cruz-Monterey Managed
Medical Care 64656 NR-5 B- pd
US: California
+ Touchpoint Health Plan Inc 68802 C++ pd C+ pd
US: Wisconsin
+ WellPath Select Inc 64274 B++ B+
US: North Carolina
Property/Casualty
New Agricultural Workers Group 18553 A-
US: Texas
- Allstate Floridian Indemnity
Company 12128 B+ u A- u
US: Illinois
- Allstate Floridian Insurance
Company 10648 B+ u A- u
US: Illinois
- Allstate Floridian Insurance
Group 18517 B+ u A- u
US: Illinois
American Concept Insurance
Company 03606 NR-4 C-
US: Rhode Island
New American Guaranty Insurance
Company 00130 B++ NR-2
US: North Carolina
American Superior Insurance
Company 12157 E NR-5
US: Florida
- AXA Re Property & Casualty Ins Co 04779 B++ A-
US: Delaware
- Coachman Insurance Company 86547 B- B
Canada: Ontario
- Converium Insurance (North
America) Inc 00554 B B++ u
US: New Jersey
- Converium Reinsurance (NA) Inc 02696 B- A- u
US: Connecticut
+ First Guard Insurance Company 12082 A A-
US: Arizona
New Golden Isles Insurance Company 12718 A-
US: Georgia
New Maxum Specialty Insurance Group 18653 A-
US: Georgia
+ Optimum Farm Insurance Inc 87724 B- C++
Canada: Quebec
+ Optimum Frontier Insurance
Company 87070 B- C++
Canada: Ontario
+ Optimum Insurance Company Inc 87091 B- C++
Canada: Quebec
+ Peachtree Casualty Insurance
Company 02473 B++ B+
US: Florida
New Pilgrim Insurance Company 10670 A- NR-3
US: Massachusetts
Providence Washington Insurance
Co of NY 03784 NR-4 C-
US: New York
Providence Washington Insurance
Company 02411 NR-4 C-
US: Rhode Island
State Capital Insurance Company 00858 NR-5 E
US: North Carolina
New West Virginia National Auto
Insurance Co 12255 B+ NR-5
US: West Virginia
+ Western National Assurance
Company 02536 A- B++
US: Washington
+ Western National Mutual Group 03943 A- B++
US: Minnesota
+ Western National Mutual Insurance
Co 00658 A- B++
US: Minnesota
York Insurance Company 02409 NR-4 C-
US: Illinois
International
- Credit & General Insurance
Limited 86476 A- A u
New Zealand
- Doctors Benefit Insurance Company
Ltd. 77100 D C+
Barbados
- Erika Insurance Ltd. (publ) 87809 B++ A-
Sweden
Grand Central Re Limited 84186 NR-4 B++
Bermuda
New Kenya Reinsurance Corporation
Limited 85416 B+
Kenya
London Assurance JPB 87814 NR-5 A-
Japan
New QBE Insurance (International) Ltd 84314 A NR-5
Australia
+ QBE Reinsurance (Europe) Ltd 84028 A A-
Ireland
Royal & Sun Alliance Insurance
plc JPB 87815 NR-5 A-
Japan
Transmarine Insurance Company Ltd 83994 NR-5 B++
Liechtenstein
Rating Action: (+) or (-) Rating upgraded or downgraded; (New) Assigned
initial rating; (u) Rating placed under review
Ratings Under Review
Rating Current Previous
Action Company Name & Domicile AMB# Rating Rating
Property/Casualty
U Safeway Property Insurance
Company 10672 B u B
US: Nebraska
U Service Insurance Company 03785 A- u A-
US: Florida
International
U Allianz Marine & Aviation
(France) 86992 A+ u A+
France
U British Caymanian Insurance
Company Ltd 86808 A- u A-
Cayman Islands
U Cayman General Insurance Co Ltd 86807 A- u A-
Cayman Islands
U Island Heritage Insurance
Company, Ltd 86644 A- u A-
Cayman Islands
U Olympus Reinsurance Company Ltd. 83019 A- u A-
Bermuda
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 where
by the 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 be subject to
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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