Daybook for Thursday, July 31, 2008: Senate Eyes Pennsylvania Health Insurance Market

WASHINGTON, Jul 30, 2008 (A. M. Best via COMTEX) -- SIGI | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating -- The proposed merger of Pittsburgh-based Highmark Inc. and Philadelphia-based Independence Blue Cross is up for debate at a 2:15 p.m. hearing of the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee's Antitrust, Competition Policy and Consumer Rights Subcommittee. The hearing is slated for the Dirksen Senate Office Building in Washington, D.C. A.M. Best's daily daybook is available in expanded form for online viewing at http://www.ambest.com/daybook.

? American Physicians Capital Inc., Aon Corp., Baldwin & Lyons Inc., First American Corp., First Mercury Financial Corp., Prudential plc, Selective Insurance Group Inc. and Sun Life Financial Inc. are scheduled to release their respective second-quarter earnings reports by the end of the day.

? The American Enterprise Institute holds an afternoon panel conference on the effect of state laws and regulation on health insurance premiums, with Roger Feldman and Steven Parente of the University of Minnesota issuing a new analysis of state premium data. The panel is scheduled for 12:15 p.m., at the institute's Washington, D.C. headquarters.

? The Risk and Insurance Management Society goes into the third day of its 33rd Annual Florida Educational Conference at the Ritz-Carlton hotel in Naples, Fla.

? The American Casualty Co. of Reading, Pa., observes its 106th year of incorporation. The company is a member of the CNA Insurance Cos.

Search A.M. Best Co.'s extensive directory of upcoming industry meetings and conventions at http://www3.ambest.com/review/convsearch/meetsrch.asp.

(By Jonathan Williams, BestWeek: Jonathan.Williams@ambest.com)

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