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The Medical Matrix
The Medical Matrix
You've seen the movie "The Matrix."
You've known we are living the information age. But did you know about
the increasing usage of computers in the valuation of your life?
Don't look for Neo or Trinity however, they are
non-existent. Agent Smith (now officially known as INSURANCE Agent Smith) has
run rampant and apparently nobody can do much.
This "Medical Matrix" or better known as Colossus, is a computer software
program utilized by over 60% of the insurance industry in the US, and over 80%
of insurers in other countries to analyze the value of bodily injury claims.
None of the insurance companies that use Colossus advertises that fact.
They don't say they adjust claims by computer, either. And many agents, either
through naiveté or lying, have denied that a company uses such a process.
Even before Colossus, though, insurance company whistleblowers Robert
Dietz and Christy Klein said adjusters played hardball, offering the lowest
possible settlement they believed a client would accept.
"There's so much pressure on you to settle
for the least amount possible," Dietz said,
adding that early in his career, he even low-balled a good friend.
As noted in the Wall Street
Journal on January 2, 2003, insurance companies in the United States have
increasingly implemented the use of computer programs to minimize payments
on automobile accident claims. Different programs are used to minimize
payments out on your vehicle damage, while others track your prior insurance
claims by social security number and others are used to minimize the payment
out to you for settlement of your legal claim. While three such programs
exist to analyze legal claims for bodily injury, the program utilized by
over 60% of the insurance industry is called Colossus, a product of Computer
Sciences Corporation.
Colossus:
What Every Physician Should Know
by Dr. Aaron DeShaw, Esq.
The information contained within his textbook is so revealing for physicians that
Dr. Arthur Croft, world renowned
expert on traumatic injuries and author of
Whiplash Injuries: The Cervical Acceleration/Deceleration Syndrome
stated:
"I strongly encourage physicians and attorneys who treat or
represent injured persons to obtain a copy of the book by Aaron DeShaw, DC,
JD which contains much more important information than I can convey
here. This insight can greatly assist you, your patient, the patient’s
counsel, and, yes, even the claims person handling the claim."
Full text of Dr.
Arthur Croft's article on Colossus
Who uses Colossus?
The following is a list of insurance companies believed to use
insurance claims evaluation software Colossus. The company that makes
Colossus, Computer Services Corporation, declined to reveal which
companies license its product, citing confidentiality restrictions.
The list below was compiled by Bellevue, Wash. attorney Karen
Koehler based on her review of court cases, depositions, press
releases and other research.
Koehler is an expert and speaker on the use of the software by
insurance companies and has written a book on the subject. The dates
next to the insurance company names indicate approximately when the
company began using the program, if known.
- Aetna (see also Travelers)
- Allstate, by 1997
- American National Property & Casualty - since January 1997 in 38
states
- American Family Group of Madison, Wis., since November 1996
- American States, 1994
- Arrow Claims Management, an affiliate of Arrowhead General
Insurance Agency, August 1997
- Atlantic Mutual Insurance Co., 1999
- Axa Insurance LTD, 2001
- Bishopsgate Insurance, April 2000
- California State Automobile Association, October 2000
- Explorer Insurance Company, Burbank, California, December 1997
- Farmers Insurance Exchange, May 2000
- Federated Mutual Insurance Company, Owatonna, Minn., April 1998
- General Casualty Insurance Companies (Winterthur Swiss Insurance
Group), July 1998
- Grange Mutual Casualty Companies, Columbus, Ohio (Dec 1998)
- Great American Insurance Company (American Financial Group,
Inc., Cincinnati, Ohio), March 1998
- Hartford Financial Services, May 2000
- Highlands Insurance Group, 1999
- Horace Mann Educators Corporation, 1999
- Keystone Insurance Companies of Philadelphia
- Metropolitan Group, R.I.
- National Farmers Union Property and Casualty Company, 1999
- Norwich Union (UK)
- Motorists Mutual-American Hardware Insurance Group, Columbus,
Ohio, December 1998
- Ohio Casualty Group of Insurance Companies, January 1998
- OneBeacon Insurance Group, 2001
- Royal & Sun Alliance
- State Auto Insurance Companies of Columbus, Ohio, September 1996
- St. Paul Fire and Marine Insurance Company
- 21st Century Industries, February, 1997
- Travelers/Aetna Property Casualty, September 1996
- United Services Automobile Association (USAA), February 1997
- United States Fidelity & Guaranty Company
- Utica Mutual Insurance Company, 1999
- Westfield Companies, August 2000
- Zurich Personal Insurance (Maryland Casualty Company - also
underwrites through Assurance Company of America, Northern Insurance
Company of New York, Valiant Insurance Company, Maryland Insurance
Company, Maine Bonding and Casualty Company, National Standard
Insurance Company and Maryland Lloyds), June 1998
To learn more about the secrecy behind Colossus see the
following articles:
To reach The Law Office of Dr. Aaron DeShaw please visit
www.doctorlawyer.net
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