The Bermuda insurance market will have its first official participation at the annual meeting of the American Society for Healthcare Risk Management (ASHRM) of the American Hospital Association starting on Tuesday in San Francisco.

ASHRM is the leading US organisation dedicated specifically to risk management professionals and their associates. It boasts some 3,000 members, predominantly from the US and Canada, but also includes some international members.

They look to ASHRM for direction in the healthcare risk management arena.

More than 1,500 healthcare risk management decision makers are expected to attend the event from October 1 to 4, including 13 from the Bermuda market.

The conference provides a forum for attendees to learn state-of-the-art health care risk management techniques, explore managed care concerns, and discuss recent legislative and regulatory issues.

Those participating will also be looking for innovative ideas, new strategies, and new products to help them manage health care risk.

The US healthcare industry is generating a lot of business for the Island, both in captive insurance and for commercial insurance carriers that include XL Insurance and Starr Excess.

Roger Scotton, from the Bermuda Insurance Institute (BII), said that Island representatives will work from the Bermuda Market booth.

He said, "We expect to see a lot of visitors to the booth, not only because of the Bermuda market's business attractions but also because we will be conducting a prize draw in which we will give away two round-trip tickets to Bermuda and four days at a hotel.

"All of this has been donated by USAir and the Elbow Beach Hotel.

"The draw will be made by Jennie Sedwick, the president of ASHRM and the draw ceremony will not be on the Bermuda booth but at the ASHRM conference's appreciation lunch, which is attended by about 1,000 people on October 3.'' The BII gathered all of the people attending the conference for a special meeting prior to the trip.

Jeremy Cox, the Inspector of Companies with the Registrar of Companies, is also attending. Industry participants include Bermuda Insurance Management Association president and head of Alexander Insurance Managers Alan Cossar, Rob Rosser of Skandia International, the president of Atlantic Security Colin James.

Also present will be manager of Argus International Management Mike Hardy, assistant vice president with Aon Risk Management Hugh O'Donnell, Starr Excess underwriter Geoff Smith and Jim Ansaldi and Grant Sousa of XL Insurance.

Brokers arriving in San Francisco for ASHRM include Cathryn Millican of Bowrings and Michael Perry of Johnson & Higgins.