This edition reflects all financial strength rating changes--assignments, changes or placed under review--that occurred for life, health and property/casualty insurers domiciled in North America, as well as non-U.S. insurance companies, since this section last appeared in the September 2009 edition of Best's Review.
See page 27 for the current Guide to Best's Financial Strength Ratings or visit the A.M. Best Co. Web site at www.ambest.com/ratings/guide.html for detailed rating definitions. The A.M. Best rating of any company and basic company information also are available free of charge at www.ambest.com/ratings/access.html.
Ratings ChangedRating Current PreviousAction Company Name & Domicile AMB# Rating Rating U.S. Life/Health Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island 64570 NR-5 B+ pd Rhode Island Blue Cross & BS of NC 64070 NR-5 A- pd North Carolina Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama 60080 NR-5 B++ pd Alabama Blue Cross Blue Shield of Tennessee Inc 64002 NR-5 A- pd Tennessee CareFirst of Maryland Inc 64470 NR-5 B+ pd MarylandNew Charleston Capital Reinsurance LLC 76825 A- NR-5 District Of ColumbiaNew Columbia Capital Life Reinsurance Co 60579 A- NR-3 District Of Columbia Group Hospitalization and Medical Svcs 64471 NR-5 B++ pd District Of Columbia- Guaranty Income Life Insurance Co 6504 B B+ Louisiana Hawaii Medical Service Association 64035 NR-5 B+ pd Hawaii HealthNow New York Inc 64602 NR-5 B+ pd New York Horizon Healthcare Services Inc 64022 NR-5 B++ pd New Jersey Independence Blue Cross 64553 NR-5 B pd Pennsylvania Louisiana Health Service & Indemnity Co 68440 NR-5 B++ pd Louisiana- Popular Life Re 60399 B B+ Puerto Rico U.S. HMO ADVANTAGE Health Solutions Inc 64624 NR-5 C++ pd Indiana Aetna Health Inc (a TN corp) 60128 NR-5 A- Tennessee Aetna Health Inc (an AZ corp) 68971 NR-5 A- Arizona Aetna Health Inc (an OK corp) 64367 NR-5 A- Oklahoma Aetna Health of IL 60122 NR-5 A- Illinois Alliance for Community Health 64179 NR-5 B- pd Missouri Aloha Care 64224 NR-5 B+ pd Hawaii AMERIGROUP Maryland 64612 NR-5 C++ pd District Of Columbia AMERIGROUP New Jersey Inc 64209 NR-5 C++ pd New Jersey Rating AMERIGROUP Ohio Inc 64873 NR-5 C++ pd Ohio AMERIGROUP Texas Inc 64238 NR-5 C++ pd Texas AmeriHealth HMO Inc 64139 NR-5 B pd Pennsylvania Athens Area Health Plan Select Inc 64556 NR-5 C++ pd Georgia Avera Health Plans Inc 64515 NR-5 B- pd South Dakota Bravo Health Mid-Atlantic Inc 64697 NR-5 C+ pd Maryland Bravo Health Pennsylvania Inc 64743 NR-5 C+ pd Pennsylvania Care 1st Health Plan Inc 64143 NR-5 B- pd California CareFirst BlueChoice Inc 68605 NR-5 B++ pd District Of Columbia CareSource 68574 NR-5 C++ pd Ohio CareSource Michigan 64042 NR-5 C pd Michigan Children's Mercy's Family Hlth Partners 64183 NR-5 C+ pd Missouri Chinese Community Health Plan 64144 NR-5 C+ pd California Colorado Access 64310 NR-5 C pd Colorado Columbia United Providers Inc 64106 NR-5 C+ pd Washington Community First Health Plans Inc 64049 NR-5 C+ pd Texas Community Health Choice Inc 64454 NR-5 C+ pd Texas Community Health Group 64145 NR-5 C+ pd California Community Health Plan of Washington 64472 NR-5 B pd Washington CommunityCare HMO Inc 64165 NR-5 C++ pd Oklahoma Cook Children's Health Plan 64508 NR-5 C+ pd Texas Cox Health Systems HMO 64421 NR-5 C++ pd Missouri DC Chartered Health Plan Inc 64625 NR-5 B- pd District Of Columbia Denver Health Medical Plan Inc 64420 NR-5 C+ pd Colorado Driscoll Children's Health Plan 64519 NR-5 C- pd Texas El Paso First Health Plans 64692 NR-5 C+ pd Texas Elderplan Inc 64286 NR-5 B pd New York Fallon Community Health Plan Inc 60160 NR-5 B pd Massachusetts FirstCarolinaCare Insurance 64268 NR-5 B+ pd Company Inc North Carolina Gateway Health Plan Inc 60129 NR-4 B- Pennsylvania Geisinger Health Plan 68588 NR-5 B+ pd Pennsylvania Good Health HMO Inc 68956 NR-5 B pd Missouri Grand Valley Health Plan Inc 68632 NR-5 C++ pd Michigan Group Health Coop of South 68807 NR-5 B+ pd Central WI Wisconsin Group Health Cooperative 64044 NR-5 B++ pd Washington Group Health Cooperative of Eau 68654 NR-5 B- pd Claire Wisconsin Group Health Plan Inc 68667 NR-5 C++ pd Minnesota Gundersen Lutheran Health Plan 64204 NR-5 C+ pd Inc Wisconsin Harmony Health Plan of Illinois 64093 NR-5 C++ pd Inc Illinois Health Alliance Plan of Michigan 68810 NR-5 B++ pd Michigan Health Partners of Philadelphia 64160 NR-5 C+ pd Inc Pennsylvania Health Plan of Michigan 64615 NR-5 B- pd Michigan Health Plan of the Upper Ohio 64201 NR-5 B pd Valley West Virginia Health Plus of Louisiana Inc 64279 NR-5 B pd Louisiana Health Right Inc 64611 NR-5 C++ pd District Of Columbia Health Tradition Health Plan 68620 NR-5 C++ pd Wisconsin HealthEase of Florida Inc 64647 NR-5 B- pd Florida HealthPartners Inc 68731 NR-5 B+ pd Minnesota HealthPlus of Michigan Inc 68555 NR-5 B- pd Michigan HealthPlus Partners Inc 64762 NR-5 C pd Michigan HealthSpring of Alabama Inc 68784 NR-5 C++ pd Alabama HealthSpring of Tennessee Inc 64300 NR-5 C+ pd Tennessee HMO Louisiana Inc 68990 NR-5 B++ pd Louisiana HMO of Northeastern Pennsylvania 68780 NR-5 B pd Pennsylvania Horizon Healthcare Dental Inc 64696 NR-5 B+ pd New Jersey Horizon Healthcare of New Jersey 68960 NR-5 B++ pd Inc New Jersey Independent Health Association 64343 NR-5 B++ pd New York Inland Empire Health Plan 64578 NR-5 C pd California Inter Valley Health Plan Inc 64148 NR-5 C pd California Kaiser Fdn Hlth Pl Mid-Atlantic 68551 NR-5 B++ pd States Maryland Kaiser Foundation Health Plan Inc 64585 NR-5 A- pd California Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of 68516 NR-5 B+ pd CO Colorado Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of 68528 NR-5 B+ pd Georgia Georgia Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of 68585 NR-5 B++ pd NW Oregon Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of 68577 NR-5 B pd Ohio Ohio Kern Health Systems 64084 NR-5 B pd California Kern Health Systems Group Health 64851 NR-5 B pd Plan California Keystone Health Plan East Inc 68924 NR-5 B pd Pennsylvania Lovelace Health System Inc 68562 NR-5 C++ pd New Mexico Managed Health Inc 64346 NR-5 C++ pd New York McLaren Health Plan Inc 64616 NR-5 B pd Michigan MDwise Inc 64386 NR-5 C+ pd Indiana Medica Health Plans 68559 NR-5 B pd Minnesota Medical Associates Health Plan 68542 NR-5 B- pd Inc Iowa Medical Health Insuring Corp of 64217 NR-5 B++ pd Ohio Ohio Midwest Health Plan Inc 64518 NR-5 B pd Michigan MMM Healthcare Inc 64707 NR-5 C- pd Puerto Rico Molina Healthcare of California 64150 NR-5 C++ pd Inc California Molina Healthcare of Michigan Inc 64685 NR-5 C++ pd Michigan Molina Healthcare of New Mexico 64260 NR-5 B- pd New Mexico Molina Healthcare of Utah Inc 64341 NR-5 C+ pd Utah Molina Healthcare of Washington 68949 NR-5 B pd Inc Washington Mount Carmel Health Plan Inc 64112 NR-5 B++ pd Ohio M-Plan Inc 60142 NR-5 B pd Indiana Neighborhood Health Plan Inc 68744 NR-5 B pd Massachusetts Neighborhood Health Plan of RI 64293 NR-5 B- pd Inc Rhode Island New West Health Services 64398 NR-5 C+ pd Montana OPTIMA Health Plan 68821 NR-5 B+ pd Virginia Paramount Advantage 64833 NR-5 C++ pd Ohio Paramount Care Inc 68579 NR-5 B- pd Ohio Paramount Care of Michigan 64294 NR-5 B- pd Michigan PARTNERS National Health Plans of 68822 NR-5 B++ pd NC North Carolina Physicians Health Plan of 68943 NR-5 B- pd Mid-Michigan Michigan Physicians Health Pln Mid-MI 64740 NR-5 C++ pd FamilyCare Michigan Physicians Plus Insurance 68683 NR-5 B pd Corporation Wisconsin Preferred Health 64053 NR-5 C pd Puerto Rico Preferred Plus of Kansas Inc 68937 NR-5 B- pd Kansas PreferredOne Community Health 64054 NR-5 B- pd Plan Minnesota Premier Health Inc 64072 NR-5 A Kansas Presbyterian Health Plan Inc 68930 NR-5 B- pd New Mexico PrimeCare Medical Network Inc 64659 NR-5 C+ pd California PSO Health Services LLC 64777 NR-5 C pd Texas Rochester Area Health Maintenance 64296 NR-5 B+ Org New York Sanford Health Plan 64393 NR-5 C+ pd South Dakota Santa Clara County 64152 NR-5 C- pd California SCAN Health Plan 60187 NR-5 B++ pd California Scripps Clinic Health Plan 64661 NR-5 C- pd Services Inc California Security Health Plan of Wisconsin 64207 NR-5 B- pd Inc Wisconsin SelectHealth Inc 64078 NR-5 B+ pd Utah Seton Health Plan Inc 64252 NR-5 B+ pd Texas Sharp Health Plan 64064 NR-5 C++ pd California Superior Dental Care Inc 65724 NR-5 B- pd Ohio Tenet Choices Inc 64430 NR-5 C pd Louisiana Texas Children's Health Plan Inc 64244 NR-5 C++ pd Texas Texas HealthSpring LLC 64828 NR-5 C++ pd Texas Total Health Care Inc 64297 NR-5 C++ pd Michigan Tufts Associated Health Maint Org 68684 NR-5 B pd Inc Massachusetts UCare Minnesota 68935 NR-5 B pd Minnesota Union Health Service Inc 64091 NR-5 C++ pd Illinois Upper Peninsula Health Plan Inc 64619 NR-5 B- pd Michigan Vantage Health Plan Inc 64282 NR-5 B- pd Louisiana Virginia Premier Health Plan 64251 NR-5 B- pd Virginia Vista Health Plan Inc 64191 NR-5 C++ pd Pennsylvania VIVA Health Inc 64257 NR-5 C++ pd Alabama WellCare of Connecticut Inc 60116 NR-5 C+ pd Connecticut WellCare of Florida Inc 64118 NR-5 C++ pd Florida WINhealth Partners 64021 NR-5 B pd Wyoming WPS Health Plan Inc 64830 NR-5 B- pd WisconsinU.S. Property/Casualty- AgSecurity Insurance Company 4099 B+ u B++ OklahomaNew Americas Insurance Company 4030 B NR-3 Louisiana Attorneys' Title Insurance Fund 12395 NR-4 C- Inc * Florida+ Carolina Casualty Insurance 236 A+ A Company IowaNew Censtat Casualty Company 12550 B++ NR-5 Nebraska- Farmers' Mutual Insurance Company 10185 B- B (MI) Michigan First Commercial Insurance 12005 F NR-1 Company Florida First Commercial Trans and Prop 11104 F NR-1 Ins FloridaNew MedPro RRG Risk Retention Group 14013 A++ District Of Columbia- Middle Georgia Group 18654 B++ A- Georgia- Middle Georgia Mutual Insurance 4314 B++ A- Co Georgia- Oklahoma Farm Bureau Group 4100 B+ u B++ Oklahoma- Oklahoma Farm Bureau Mutual Ins 732 B+ u B++ Co Oklahoma Omega Insurance Company ** 2727 NR-4 D Florida Tower Hill Preferred Insurance 10600 NR-4 D Company ** Florida Tower Hill Prime Insurance 12359 NR-4 D Company ** Florida+ Westminster American Insurance Co 4198 B++ B+ Maryland White Mountain Insurance Company 76146 NR-4 A- VermontNon-U.S. Life and Non-Life Aggregate Re AG in Liquidation 74103 NR-5 F Switzerland All Counties Insurance Company 87862 NR-5 F Limited United Kingdom Aviation & General Insurance Co 86479 NR-3 E Ltd United Kingdom BAI (Run-off) Limited 87226 NR-3 E United Kingdom Bryanston Insurance Company 85564 NR-5 E Limited United Kingdom Care Europe Limited 72395 NR-5 F Ireland Chester Street Employers Assoc 87408 NR-3 E Ltd United Kingdom- Colonial Life Ins Co (Trinidad) 84414 C u B u Ltd Trinidad And Tobago Consumer Electronics Insurance Co 87296 NR-5 F Ltd United Kingdom Drake Insurance plc 87322 NR-3 E United Kingdom El Paso Insurance Company Limited 85083 NR-3 E United Kingdom English & American Insurance Co 85511 NR-3 E Ltd United Kingdom ERC Frankona Reins (III) Ltd 86463 NR-5 F United Kingdom Fidelity Life Assurance Ltd 87346 NR-5 F United KingdomNew IGI Insurance Company Ltd 87400 A- NR-5 United Kingdom Insurco Ltd 72299 NR-4 B+ Isle Of Man Inter-Industry Insurance Co 56362 NR-4 B+ Ltd--Cons Isle Of Man Inter-Industry Insurance Company 32120 NR-4 B+ Ltd Isle Of Man Kingscroft Insurance Company 85353 NR-3 E Limited United Kingdom Lime Street Insurance Company 85357 NR-3 E Limited United Kingdom London and Edinburgh Life Assr 85644 NR-5 F United Kingdom Municipal General Insurance 87467 NR-3 E Limited United Kingdom Mutualidad Cuerpo Corredores 83582 NR-5 F Comercio Spain MUTUAPESCA 84364 NR-5 E Spain Numico Re SA en Liquidation 75412 NR-5 F Switzerland OIC Run-Off Limited 85514 NR-3 E United Kingdom Onderling Medisch Steunfonds U.A. 89830 NR-5 F Netherlands SCG Rueckversicherung AG 76504 NR-5 F Liquidation Switzerland SPRE Limited 85545 NR-5 F United Kingdom Swiss Re Frankona Reinsurance 88526 NR-5 F United Kingdom Swiss Reins Co UK Ltd 87621 NR-5 F United Kingdom Trinity Insurance Company Limited 86490 NR-5 E United Kingdom Undershaft (no 6) Limited 87591 NR-5 F United Kingdom United Standard Ins Co Ltd 87656 NR-5 F United Kingdom Walbrook Insurance Company 85355 NR-3 E Limited United Kingdom* Rating was downgraded to 'C-' from 'C' on Aug. 20, 2009. Currentrating effective Aug. 20, 2009.** Rating was downgraded to 'D' from 'B' on Aug. 26, 2009. Currentrating effective Aug. 26, 2009.Rating Action: (+) or (-) Rating upgraded or downgraded; (New)Assigned initial rating; (u) Rating under reviewGUIDE TO BEST'S FINANCIAL STRENGTH RATINGSA Best's Financial Strength Rating is an independent opinion of aninsurer's financial strength and ability to meet its ongoing insurancepolicy and contract obligations. The rating is based on a comprehensivequantitative and qualitative evaluation of a company's balancesheet strength, operating performance and business profile.Financial Strength Ratings Rating DescriptorSecure A++, A+ Superior A, A- Excellent B++, B+ GoodVulnerable B, B- Fair C++, C+ Marginal C, C- Weak D Poor E Under Regulatory Supervision F In Liquidation S SuspendedRating Modifiers'u' Under Review'pd' Public Data's' SyndicateNot Rated CategoriesAssigned to companies reported on by A.M. Best, but not assigneda Best's Rating.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 DisclosureThe Financial Strength Rating opinion addresses the relativeability of an insurer to meet its ongoing insurance obligations.The ratings are not assigned to specific insurance policies orcontracts and do not address any other risk, including, but notlimited to, an insurer's claims-payment policies or procedures; theability of the insurer to dispute or deny claims payment on groundsof misrepresentation or fraud; or any specific liabilitycontractually borne by the policy or contract holder. A FinancialStrength Rating is not a recommendation to purchase, hold orterminate any insurance policy, contract or any other financialobligation issued by an insurer, nor does it address thesuitability of any particular policy or contract for a specificpurpose or purchaser. In arriving at a rating decision, A.M. Bestrelies on third-party audited financial data and/or otherinformation provided to it. While this information is believed tobe reliable, A.M. Best does not independently verify the accuracyor reliability of the information. For additional details, see A.M.Best's Terms of Use at www.ambest.com/terms.html.Financial Strength Ratings are distributed via press release and/orthe A.M. Best Web site at www.ambest.com and are published in theRating Actions section of BestWeek[R]. Financial Strength Ratingsare proprietary and may not be reproduced without permission.Copyright [c] 2009 by A.M. Best Company, Inc. Version 070208For more information about A.M. Best Ratings visitwww.ambest.com/ratings/about.asp
