AOC Aon Corp.

Alliance provides superior workers' compensation program to independent agents and brokers in Midwestern states CHICAGO, Aug. 30 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Agency Specialty Product Network (ASPN) today announced it has formed an alliance with Midwest Employers Casualty Company (MECC), based in Chesterfield, Missouri, to offer large deductible workers' compensation programs (single and multi-state, where such products are not prohibited or restricted by state law) and services to clients of independent agents and brokers in specific Midwestern states, including Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wisconsin. (Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20041215/CGW049LOGO) Patrick Rastiello, president and CEO of ASPN said, "Our alliance with Midwest Employers Casualty Company allows us to offer a unique large deductible workers' compensation product to independent agents and brokers in certain Midwestern states. MECC is a quality company that provides excellent service and superior technical capabilities. As part of the W.R. Berkley Group-one of the nation's premier insurance groups and a "Fortune 500" company-MECC offers financial stability and a solid "A" rating from A.M. Best. We expect this to be a successful relationship between our two companies." Midwest Employers Casualty Company's single-market focus on workers' compensation, coupled with its depth of industry knowledge and experience, has resulted in the creation of comprehensive services that help clients manage and monitor workers' compensation losses. These services include: -- A Management View Report (MVR) that provides clients with a strategy to create a "best practice" workers' compensation program, including improved financial results, a healthier workforce, greater productivity, enhanced employee morale and a sustainable competitive advantage. -- Claims consulting to assist clients and their TPAs with minimizing the cost of the client's most expensive, complex claims. Our claim analysts are the best in the business and act as a resource for clients to develop a "best practice" approach to claims management. -- Access to MECC's online safety management tools that help clients manage workers' absences and implement optimal safety programs. Donna Knowling, MECC senior vice president, said, "Workers' compensation is all we do, so we bring much experience and expertise to the table. Where we really stand out is our commitment to service and working with clients to improve their workers' compensation programs and reduce their total cost of risk." About Midwest Employers Casualty Company (MECC) For more than 20 years, MECC has provided workers' compensation excess insurance products-including self-insured excess, large deductible and reinsurance programs-to individual employers and groups across the country. MECC is committed to helping clients achieve best practice results in their workers' compensation programs. MECC has an A.M. Best rating of A+ (Superior) in the Financial Size Category: XV ($2 billion or more). For an overview of services offered by MECC, go to http://www.mwecc.com/ or call +1.877.975.2667. About ASPN Agency Specialty Product Network Insurance Services, Inc. (ASPN) is a unit of Aon Corporation (NYSE:AOC) and operates as a marketing arm for more than 30 provider companies, including insurance carriers, wholesalers, managing general underwriting (MGUs) and specialty operations. ASPN's goal is to help independent agents and brokers grow, prosper and more effectively meet their clients' needs. Through ASPN, agents can access a wide array of more than 450 superior insurance products, programs and services. To access this wide range of products and services, call ASPN at +1.877.ASK.ASPN (+1.877.275.2776) or visit the website at http://www.askaspn.com/. ASPN contact: Shellie Granzow, Marketing Specialist, 312.381.2918, . Art Slawson, Vice President and Regional Manager, 630.997.1750, . This press release contains certain statements related to future results, or states our intentions, beliefs and expectations or predictions for the future which are forward-looking statements as that term is defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from either historical or anticipated results depending on a variety of factors. Potential factors that could impact results include: general economic conditions in different countries in which we do business around the world, changes in global equity and fixed income markets that could affect the return on invested assets, fluctuations in exchange and interest rates that could influence revenue and expense, rating agency actions that could affect our ability to borrow funds, funding of our various pension plans, changes in the competitive environment, our ability to implement restructuring initiatives and other initiatives intended to yield cost savings, our ability to successfully execute strategic options for our Combined Insurance subsidiary, the impact of current, pending and future regulatory and legislative actions that affect our ability to market and sell, and be reimbursed at current levels for, our Sterling subsidiary's Medicare Advantage health plans, changes in commercial property and casualty markets and commercial premium rates that could impact revenues, changes in revenues and earnings due to the elimination of contingent commissions, other uncertainties surrounding a new compensation model, the impact of investigations brought by state attorneys general, state insurance regulators, federal prosecutors, and federal regulators, the impact of class actions and individual lawsuits including client class actions, securities class actions, derivative actions, ERISA class actions, the impact of the analysis of practices relating to stock options, the cost of resolution of other contingent liabilities and loss contingencies, and the difference in ultimate paid claims in our underwriting companies from actuarial estimates. Further information concerning the Company and its business, including factors that potentially could materially affect the Company's financial results, is contained in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20041215/CGW049LOGO http://photoarchive.ap.org/ DATASOURCE: Agency Specialty Product Network CONTACT: Shellie Granzow, Marketing Specialist, +1-312-381-2918, , or Art Slawson, Vice President and Regional Manager, +1-630-997-1750, , both of Agency Specialty Product Network Web site: http://www.askaspn.com/ http://www.aon.com/ http://www.mwecc.com/

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