News Currents

Marsh to accept contingent pay as MGA

In a departure from their $850 million agreement prohibiting all contingent payments, New York officials have agreed to let Marsh & McLennan Cos. Inc. (MMC) accept contingent commissions from an insurer for which Marsh is operating as a managing general agent or underwriting manager.

The changes were included in an agreement signed Aug. 17 by New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer, Insurance Superintendent Howard Mills and executives from MMC and Marsh Inc. and filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

The new pact modifies the January 2005 agreement that banned all contingent commissions or profit sharing deals involving payments based on the volume of business which Marsh placed with various insurers.

Aon Corp., Willis and Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. all signed similar agreements to forfeit contingent commissions.

The amendment defines the situations where Marsh may accept contingencies where it has been appointed a managing general agent or an underwriting manager to be the insurer’s representative in connection with the management of the insurer’s book of business in a specific product or product line; and in such capacity Marsh communicates with prospective insureds only through professional insurance brokers and places all such business for such product or product line only with and for such insurer.

It clarifies MGA compensation as the compensation received from the appointing insurer as consideration for the MGA services.

N.Y. comp bill vetoed

New York Gov. George Pataki has vetoed a bill (A.8713-B) that insurers say would have increased costs in the state’s workers’ compensation system.

According to Gary Henning, American Insurance Association assistant vice president, insurers opposed the bill because “it would have increased costs while providing no reform.”

The measure would have increased the pre-authorization threshold from $500 to $1,200 for special workers’ compensation medical services, such as MRIs and other high tech treatments. It also would have decreased the reserve requirements for self-insured trusts.