Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act: NONE

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act: COMMON STOCK, $0.01 PER SHARE

Indicate by check mark whether the Registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the Registrant was required to file such reports) and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. Yes X No _

Indicate by check mark if disclosure of delinquent filers pursuant to Item 405 of Regulation S-K is not contained herein, and will not be contained, to the best of the Registrant's knowledge, in definitive proxy or information statements incorporated by reference in Part III of this Form 10-K or any amendment to this Form 10-K. [X]

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an accelerated filer (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Act.) Yes [ ] No [X].

The aggregate market value of the voting and non-voting common equity held by non-affiliates computed by reference to the price at which the common equity was last sold, as of June 30, 2003 was $54,394,892.

Indicate the number of shares outstanding of each of the issuer's classes of common stock, as of the latest practicable date.

Until April 2002, the Company (then known as SoftNet Systems, Inc.) was an internet service provider. Due to difficult and deteriorating conditions in that market, the Company wound down this business. In December 2000, the Company's board of directors approved a plan to discontinue the operations of its subsidiary, ISP Channel, Inc., which had provided cable-based Internet access and related services, and the operations of another subsidiary, Aerzone Corporation, which provided Internet and related services at airports. In April 2002, the Company ceased operations of its remaining operating subsidiary, Intelligent Communications, Inc., following the disposition of its key assets. In connection with the Company's exit from the Internet provider business, it undertook a process of consideration of strategic alternatives for the Company.

On July 30, 2002, the Company entered into an agreement to acquire First Standard Holdings Corp. ("FSHC") from SSH Corp. and Independence Holding Company ("IHC") for $31,920,000 in cash. As described below, FSHC was the holding company for an insurance company and two managing general underwriters ("MGUs"). Subsequently, at the Special Meeting of Stockholders on November 14, 2002, the Company's stockholders approved the stock purchase agreement between the Company, SSH Corp. and IHC (the "Purchase Agreement"), and approved the Company's name change to American Independence Corp. Also on November 14, 2002, the Company consummated the transactions contemplated by the Purchase Agreement and FSHC changed its name to Independence American Holdings Corp. ("IAHC"). Following this acquisition, the Company closed its offices in San Francisco, terminated all but two of its employees, and entered into a services agreement with IHC pursuant to which the Company's operations are primarily directed by IHC's management and employees.

In a separate transaction, on July 30, 2002, IHC acquired Pacific Century Cyberworks Limited's ("PCCW") entire interest in the Company consisting of 1,666,666 shares of common stock at $9.00 per share for a total value of $15,000,000. As a result of this transaction, PCCW's two appointees resigned from the Company's Board of Directors, and Edward Netter, Chairman of IHC, and Roy T.K. Thung, President and Chief Executive Officer of IHC, were appointed to the Company's Board of Directors. On April 22, 2003, a wholly-owned subsidiary of IHC completed its tender for one million shares of the common stock of the Company at $9.00 per share for a total value of $9,000.000. On December 22, 2003, IHC purchased 613,401 shares in the market and through private transactions. As a result of these transactions, IHC and its subsidiary own 39% of the Company.

On February 10, 2003, but effective as of January 1, 2003, the Company acquired 80% of the business of an employer medical stop-loss MGU and an affiliated entity (the "Acquired MGUs"). The acquisition was accomplished by the formation of Voorhees Risk Management LLC d.b.a. Marlton Risk Group ("Marlton") into which the Acquired MGUs contributed all of their assets, and the Company contributed $16,000,000 cash for an 80% ownership interest. The Company's cash contribution was then distributed to the Acquired MGUs together with the remaining 20% interest in Marlton, and Marlton assumed all of the liabilities of the Acquired MGUs.

Additional information regarding the background of the 2002 transactions can be found in the Company's proxy statement for the special meeting filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission under cover of a Schedule 14A on September 30, 2002.

The Company is a holding company engaged in the insurance and reinsurance business through its wholly-owned insurance company, Independence American Insurance Company ("Independence American"), formerly known as First Standard Security Insurance Company, and its managing general underwriter subsidiaries: IndependenceCare Holdings L.L.C. and its subsidiaries (collectively referred to as "(IndependenceCare"); Risk Assessment Strategies, Inc. ("RAS") and Marlton. IndependenceCare, RAS and Marlton are collectively referred to as the "MGU Subsidiaries."

Independence American, which is domiciled in Delaware, is licensed to write property and/or casualty insurance in 24 states, and has a B+ (Very Good) rating from A.M. Best Company, Inc. ("A.M. Best"). An A.M. Best rating is assigned after an extensive quantitative and qualitative evaluation of a company's financial condition and operating performance, and is also based upon factors relevant to policyholders, agents, and intermediaries, and is not directed towards protection of investors. A.M. Best ratings are not recommendations to buy, sell or hold securities of the Company.

Independence American reinsures employer medical stop-loss insurance for self-insured group medical plans. Self-insured plans permit employers flexibility in designing employee health coverages at a cost that may be lower than that available through other health care plans provided by an insurer or Health Maintenance Organization ("HMO"). Employer medical stop-loss insurance allows self-insured employers to manage the risk of excessive health insurance costs under self funded plans by limiting the employer's health care expenses to a predetermined amount. This stop-loss coverage is available on either a "specific" or a "specific and aggregate" basis. Specific stop-loss coverage reimburses employers for large claims incurred by an individual employee or dependent. When an employee or dependent's covered claims exceed the specific stop-loss deductible, covered amounts in excess of the deductible are reimbursable to the employer under the specific stop-loss policy. The specific stop-loss deductible is selected based on the number of covered employees, the employer's capacity to assume some of the risk, and the medical claim experience of the plan. Aggregate stop-loss coverage protects the employer against fluctuations due to claim frequency. The employer's overall claim liability is limited to a certain dollar amount, often referred to as the attachment point. An aggregate stop-loss policy usually provides reimbursement when coverage claims for the plan as a whole exceed the aggregate attachment point. Many of the stop-loss policies Independence American reinsures cover specific claims only. Employer medical stop-loss is a "short-tail" business which means that substantially all claims will have been paid within eighteen months after inception of a policy.

Reinsurance is an arrangement in which an insurance company, (the "reinsurer"), agrees to indemnify another insurance company, (the "ceding company"), against all or a portion of the insurance risks underwritten by the ceding company under one or more insurance contracts. Reinsurance provides a ceding company with additional underwriting capacity by permitting it to accept larger risks and write more business than would be possible without an accompanying increase in capital and surplus. There are two basic types of reinsurance arrangements: treaty and facultative reinsurance. In treaty reinsurance, the ceding company is obligated to cede and the reinsurer is obligated to assume a specified portion of a type of category of risks insured by the ceding company. Treaty reinsurers do not separately evaluate each of the individual risks assumed under their treaties and, consequently, after a review of the ceding company's underwriting practices, are largely dependent on the original risk underwriting decisions made by the ceding company. In facultative reinsurance, the ceding company cedes and the reinsurer assumes all or part of the risk under a single insurance contract. Independence American currently only participates in treaty reinsurance. Both treaty and facultative reinsurance can be written on either a pro rata basis or an excess of loss basis. Under pro rata reinsurance, the ceding company and the reinsurer share the premiums as well as the losses and expenses in an agreed proportion. Under excess of loss reinsurance, the reinsurer indemnifies the ceding company against all or a specified portion of losses and expenses in excess of a specified dollar amount, known as the ceding company's retention or reinsurer's attachment point, generally subject to a negotiated reinsurance contract limit. Premiums paid by the ceding company to a reinsurer for excess of loss reinsurance are not directly proportional to the premiums that the ceding company receives because the reinsurer does not assume a proportionate risk. In pro rata reinsurance, the reinsurer generally pays the ceding company a ceding commission. The ceding commission generally is based on the ceding company's cost of acquiring the business being reinsured (commissions, premium taxes, assessments and miscellaneous administrative expenses). Independence American currently participates only in pro rata reinsurance.

Independence American has entered into pro rata reinsurance treaties with Standard Security Life Insurance Company of New York ("Standard Life") and Madison National Life Insurance Company, Inc. ("Madison Life") pursuant to which Standard Life and Madison Life, respectively, will cede, at treaty renewals, at least 15% of their medical stop-loss business to Independence American. Standard Life and Madison Life, which are wholly-owned subsidiaries of IHC, increased the amount ceded to Independence American under several programs in 2004. For 2004, Standard Life and Madison Life will cede an average of 18.5% of their medical stop-loss business to Independence American. The reinsurance treaties between Independence American and Standard Life, on the one hand, and Independence American and Madison Life, on the other hand, terminate December 31, 2014, unless terminated sooner by Independence American. Standard Life, which is domiciled in New York, has an A (Excellent) rating from A.M. Best, and is licensed as an insurance company in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. Madison Life, which is domiciled in Wisconsin, has an A- (Excellent) rating from A.M. Best, is licensed to sell insurance products in 46 states, the District of Columbia and the Virgin Islands, and is an accredited reinsurer in New York. Standard Life and Madison Life market employer medical stop-loss insurance nationally through a network of managing general underwriters ("MGUs"), which are non-salaried contractors that receive administrative fees. Standard Life currently markets this product through 11 MGUs, including IndependenceCare, RAS and Marlton. Madison Life currently markets through 3 MGUs. MGUs are responsible for establishing an employer's conditions for coverage in accordance with guidelines formulated and approved by Standard Life and Madison Life, billing and collecting premiums from the employers, paying commissions to third party administrators ("TPAs") and/or brokers, and adjudicating claims. Standard Life and Madison Life are responsible for selecting MGUs, establishing underwriting guidelines, maintaining approved policy forms and reviewing and medically managing employers' claims for reimbursement, as well as establishing appropriate accounting procedures and reserves. Independence American also reinsures risk on employer medical stop-loss business written by unaffiliated carriers on 8 other programs. For 2004, Independence American will receive, between 15% and 25% of the premium on these programs from these carriers. In addition, Independence American is currently licensed to write employer medical stop-loss in 15 states.

Independence American issues and reinsures managed care excess coverages, including provider excess loss insurance and HMO Reinsurance. Independence American issues and reinsures provider excess loss insurance on a specific loss basis only. This product is marketed to providers, managed care organizations, including provider hospital organizations, hospital groups, physician groups and individual practice associations (collectively "MCOs") that have assumed risk (through capitation by an HMO or otherwise) and desire to reduce their risk assumption and/or are required to purchase coverage by contract or regulation. Independence American is currently approved to write provider excess loss insurance in 13 states. The MGUs are responsible for marketing, underwriting, billing and collection of premiums, and medically managing, administering and adjudicating claims. Independence American also reinsures provider excess loss insurance written through IndependenceCare and this other MGU and issued by Standard Life on a specific loss basis only.

Independence American reinsures HMO Reinsurance coverage written by Standard Life and marketed through IndependenceCare. This coverage protects HMOs against excess losses incurred under an HMO health plan and is marketed to HMOs that desire to reduce their risk assumption and/or are required to purchase coverage by contract or regulation.

IndependenceCare and RAS are the two MGU Subsidiaries acquired as part of the November 2002 transaction with IHC. IndependenceCare markets and underwrites employer medical stop-loss, provider excess loss and HMO Reinsurance products for Standard Life, Independence American and another carrier. During the first quarter of 2001, IndependenceCare acquired certain assets and employees of two other managed care MGUs and, during the first quarter of 2002, it acquired the business and employees of a medical stop-loss MGU. IndependenceCare currently has three operating subsidiaries, IndependenceCare Underwriting Services - - Minneapolis L.L.C., IndependenceCare Underwriting Services - Tennessee L.L.C. and IndependenceCare Underwriting Services - - Southwest L.L.C. IndependenceCare's 30 employees are responsible for marketing, underwriting, billing and collecting premiums and medically managing, administering and adjudicating claims. RAS markets and underwrites employer medical stop-loss and group life for Standard Life and another carrier. RAS, which is based in South Windsor, Connecticut, has 11 marketing, underwriting and claims personnel.

The Company acquired on February 10, 2003, but effective as of January 1, 2003, 80% of the business of two affiliated employer medical stop-loss MGUs (the "Acquired MGUs"). The acquisition was accomplished by the formation of Marlton into which the Acquired MGUs contributed all of their assets, and the Company contributed $16,000,000 cash for an 80% ownership interest. The Company's cash contribution was then distributed to the Acquired MGUs together with the remaining 20% interest in Marlton, and Marlton assumed all of the liabilities of the Acquired MGUs. Marlton is an MGU for employer medical stop-loss and group life for Standard Life, Madison Life and two other carriers. Marlton, which is based in Voorhees, New Jersey, has 30 marketing, underwriting, medical management and claims employees.

Prior to becoming an insurance holding company, as a result of the acquisition of IAHC, on November 14, 2002, the Company was a holding company principally engaged in providing Internet services through the following discontinued operations, Intelligent Communications, Inc. ("Intellicom"), Aerzone Corporation ("Aerzone"), ISP Channel, Inc. ("ISP Channel"), Kansas Communications, Inc. ("KCI"), and Micrographic Technology Corporation ("MTC"). The operating results of these discontinued operations have been segregated from continuing operations and are reported as a loss from discontinued operations on the consolidated statements of operations. Although it is difficult to predict the final results, the loss on disposition from discontinued operations includes management's estimates of costs to wind down the business and costs to settle its outstanding liabilities. The actual results could differ from these estimates. The estimated loss on disposition reserve of all discontinued operations is reflected in net liabilities associated with discontinued operations in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets.

On March 29, 2002, the Company and its wholly-owned subsidiary, Intellicom, entered into an agreement to sell its operating business and certain assets to Loral Cyberstar, Inc. Following the sale of its operating business and certain assets to Loral Cyberstar, Inc., the Company's Board of Directors unanimously agreed to cease the operations of Intellicom on April 3, 2002. Principally due to the Company's guaranty of Intellicom's lease for its facility in Livermore, California, the Company has a remaining reserve for discontinued operations of Intellicom of $1,119,000 for this liability at December 31, 2003.

On January 24, 2000, the Company founded Aerzone (formerly SoftNet Zone, Inc.) to provide high-speed Internet access to global business travelers. As part of the Aerzone business, the Company acquired Laptop Lane, on April 21, 2000. On December 19, 2000, the Company decided to discontinue the Aerzone business in light of significant long-term capital needs and the difficulty of securing the necessary financing because of the current state of the financial markets. The Company has a remaining reserve for discontinued operations of Aerzone of $27,000 at December 31, 2003.

On December 7, 2000, the Company's Board of Directors approved a plan to discontinue providing cable-based Internet services through its ISP Channel subsidiary by December 31, 2000, because consolidation in the cable television industry made it difficult for ISP Channel to achieve the economies of scale necessary to provide such services profitably, and the Company was no longer able to bear the costs of maintaining the ISP Channel. The Company has a remaining reserve of $153,000 at December 31, 2003 relating to the discontinued operations of ISP Channel.

As a result of an arbitration decision related to the sale of MTC to Global Information Distribution GmbH ("GID"), the Company has a remaining reserve of $49,000 relating to the loss on disposition of MTC at December 31, 2003. The loss relates to the arbitration award plus related expenses. MTC was previously owned by the Company, and was sold to GID on December 31, 1999.

As a result of the February 12, 1999 sale of the assets of the telecommunications segment, KCI, to Convergent Communications Services, Inc. ("Convergent Communications"), the Company has a remaining reserve of $20,000 relating to the loss on disposition of KCI at December 31, 2003. The loss primarily relates to additional state taxes for periods prior to the sale of KCI to Convergent Communications.

Independence American's securities portfolio is managed by employees of IHC and its affiliates, and ultimate investment authority rests with Independence American's Board of Directors. As a result of the nature of its insurance liabilities, Independence American endeavors to maintain a significant percentage of its assets in investment grade securities, cash and cash equivalents. At December 31, 2003, approximately 97% of the fixed maturities were investment grade. The internal investment group provides a summary of the investment portfolio and the performance thereof at the meetings of the Company's board of directors.

Liabilities for insurance policy benefits on short-term medical coverages were computed using completion factors and expected loss ratios derived from actual historical premium and claim data. These methods are widely used in the health insurance industry to estimate the liabilities for insurance policy benefits. Inherent in these calculations are management and actuarial judgments and estimates (within industry standards) which could significantly impact the ending reserve liabilities and, consequently, operating results. Actual results may differ, and these estimates are subject to interpretation and change. Management believes that the Company's method of estimating the liabilities for insurance policy benefits provides an adequate level of reserves.

Under Delaware insurance law, there are restrictions relating to the percentage of an insurer's admitted assets that may be invested in a specific issuer or in the aggregate in a particular type of investment. In addition, there are qualitative investment restrictions.

Independence American competes with many larger insurance and reinsurance companies and managed care organizations. The MGU Subsidiaries compete with many other managing general underwriters, insurance companies, HMOs and other managed care organizations.

The Company is an insurance holding company; as such, it is subject to regulation and supervision by the insurance supervisory agencies of Delaware. Independence American is also subject to regulation and supervision in all jurisdictions in which it is licensed to transact business. These supervisory agencies have broad administrative powers with respect to the granting and revocation of licenses to transact business, the licensing of agents, the approval of policy forms, the approval of commission rates, the form and content of mandatory financial statements, reserve requirements and the types and maximum amounts of investments which may be made. Such regulation is primarily designed for the benefit of policyholders rather than the stockholders of an insurance company or holding company.

Certain transactions within the holding company system are also subject to regulation and supervision by such regulatory agencies. All such transactions must be fair and equitable. Notice to or prior approval by the insurance department is required with respect to transactions affecting the ownership or control of an insurer and of certain material transactions, including dividend declarations, between an insurer and any person in its holding company system. Under Delaware insurance laws, "control" is defined as the possession, directly or indirectly, of the power to direct or cause the direction of the management and policies of a person, and is presumed to exist if any person, directly or indirectly, owns, controls or holds with the power to vote ten percent or more of the voting securities of any other person. An agreement to acquire control of an insurer domiciled in Delaware must be approved by the Commissioner of Insurance of Delaware. In addition, periodic disclosure is required concerning the operations, management and financial condition of the insurer within the holding company system. An insurer is also required to file detailed annual statements with each supervisory agency, and its affairs and financial conditions are subject to periodic examination.

Risk-based capital requirements are imposed on property and casualty insurance companies. The risk-based capital ratio is determined by dividing an insurance company's total adjusted capital, as defined, by its authorized control level risk-based capital. Companies that do not meet certain minimum standards require specified corrective action. The risk-based capital ratio for Independence American exceeds such minimum ratios.

The Company has 74 employees.

The Company leases approximately 16,800 square feet of office space at 650 Townsend Street, San Francisco, California, which expires on July 31, 2005. Substantially all of this space has been sublet for the remaining term of the lease.

IndependenceCare leases 6,500 square feet of office space in Minneapolis, Minnesota; 1,500 square feet in Franklin, Tennessee; and 3,100 square feet in Austin, Texas. RAS leases 4,200 square feet of office space in South Windsor, Connecticut. Marlton leases 6,000 square feet of office space in Voorhees, New Jersey.

There are various lawsuits pending against the Company in the normal course of its insurance business. The Company's management is of the opinion that the ultimate liabilities arising from such litigation, if any, would not have a material effect on the financial position of the Company.

None.

Since November 15, 2002, the Company's common stock has been listed and traded on the Nasdaq National Market ("Nasdaq") under the symbol "AMIC". From April 14, 1999 through November 14, 2002, the Company's common stock was traded and listed on Nasdaq under the symbol "SOFN". Prior to that date, the Company's common stock was traded and listed on the American Stock Exchange under the symbol "SOFT". The per share range of high and low sale prices for the Company's common stock, as reported on Nasdaq, for the following periods are as follows:

At March 26, 2004, there were 80 record holders of the Company's common stock. The closing price for the Company's common stock at March 26, 2004, was $15.26. At that date, an additional 454,933 shares were subject to options to purchase common stock (See Note 12 to the Consolidated Financial Statements).

On July 30, 2002, the Company's Board of Directors approved a shareholder rights plan (the "Plan"). Pursuant to the Plan's approval, the Company's Board of Directors declared a dividend distribution of one Preferred Share Purchase Right (the "Rights") on each outstanding common stock share. The dividend distribution of the Rights was payable to common stock stockholders of record on August 14, 2002. The rights distribution was not taxable to stockholders. Subject to limited exceptions, the Rights were exercisable if a person or group acquired or announced a tender offer for 4.99% or more of the Company's common stock. Under certain circumstances, each Right entitled shareholders to buy one one-hundredth of a share of newly created Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock of the Company at an exercise price of $9.00. The Company's Board of Directors was entitled to redeem the Rights at $0.01 per Right at any time before a person acquired 4.99% or more of the outstanding common stock. The Plan expired pursuant to its terms upon the Company's filing of its Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware on November 14, 2002. This Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation provided for limitations on the acquisition of the Company's common stock in excess of certain percentage amounts.

The Company does not have any legal restriction on paying dividends.

The Company's website is www.americanindependencecorp.com.

On March 22, 1999, the Company issued warrants to purchase 1,004 common stock shares to an institutional lender in connection with a $3,000,000 credit facility. The credit facility was used to fund certain capital equipment acquisitions. The warrants had an exercise price of $89.63 and expired without being exercised on March 22, 2003. These securities were issued in a nonpublic offering pursuant to transactions exempt under Section 4(2) of the Securities Act.

In conjunction with offering incentives to launch the Company's ISP Channel cable-based Internet services, the Company issued common stock to cable affiliates in return for the exclusive rights to provide Internet services to their customers. On November 4, 1999, the Company entered into various definitive agreements with Mediacom LLC ("Mediacom"). In exchange for signing an agreement to launch the ISP Channel services, the Company issued common stock shares to Mediacom. These common stock shares were issued in a nonpublic offering pursuant to transactions exempt under Section 4(2) of the Securities Act.

On December 13, 1999, the Company completed a private placement of 1,666,666 shares for net proceeds of $128,121,000 to Pacific Century Cyberworks Limited ("PCCWP"), and entitled PCCW to designate two persons for election to the Board of Directors. These common stock shares were issued in a nonpublic offering pursuant to transactions exempt under Section 4(2) of the Securities Act. On July 30, 2002, Independence Holding Company ("IHC") acquired PCCW's entire interest in the Company consisting of 1,666,666 common stock shares at $9.00 per share for a total value of $15,000,000. As a result of this transaction, PCCW's two appointees resigned from the Company's Board of Directors, and Edward Netter, Chairman of IHC, and Roy T. K. Thung, Chief Executive Officer of IHC, were appointed to the Company's Board of Directors.

The Company granted stock options to seven separate consultants to purchase an aggregate of 180,500 common stock shares. The stock options were granted as partial consideration for services rendered, and had exercise prices ranging from $7.375 to $23.8125. Of the 180,500 options issued, 116,194 were exercised, and at December 31, 2003, the remaining 62,306 consultant stock options had expired unexercised. These stock options for common stock shares were granted in a nonpublic offering pursuant to transactions exempt under Section 4(2) of the Securities Act.

The following is a summary of selected consolidated financial data of the Company for each of the last five years. The following selected consolidated financial data should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and related notes thereto and "Management's Discussions and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" included elsewhere in this annual report on Form 10-K.

(a) In the fourth quarter of 2002, the Company changed its fiscal year end from September 30 to December 31; accordingly, results have been separately disclosed for the three - - month transition period ended December 31, 2002.

(b) All per share data has been restated to show the effect of the Company's one for three reverse split (see Note 2).

The following is a summary of the results of operations for the Company (in thousands):

The Company is an insurance holding company that currently specializes in medical stop-loss and managed care through its managing general underwriter division (the "MGUs") and an insurance company, Independence American Insurance Company ("Independence American"). Since November 2002, AMIC has been affiliated with Independence Holding Company ("IHC"), which owns 39% of AMIC's stock, and IHC's senior management has provided direction to the Company through a service agreement between the Company and IHC. IHC has also entered into long-term reinsurance treaties to cede medical stop-loss business to Independence American.

While management considers a wide range of factors in its strategic planning, the overriding consideration is underwriting profitability. Management's assessment of trends in healthcare and in the medical stop-loss market play a significant role in determining whether to expand Independence American's reinsurance participation percentage or the number of programs it reinsures. Since Independence American reinsures a portion of all of the business produced by the MGUs, and since the MGUs are also eligible to earn profit sharing commissions based on the profitability of the business they write, the MGUs also emphasize underwriting profitability. In addition, management focuses on controlling operating costs. By sharing employees with IHC and sharing resources among the MGUs and Independence American, AMIC strives to maximize its earnings and utilize its federal net operating loss carryforwards of over $287 million.

The following are highlights in 2003 for Independence American and the MGU subsidiaries:

Independence American Insurance Company

• Statutory Capital and Surplus as determined under statutory accounting principles of over $27.2 million; this is an increase of $4.8 million or 21.3% from the previous year.

• Premiums increased to $37.8 million in the year ended December 31, 2003 from $6.9 million in the year ended 2002.

• $46.8 million of assets; 75% increase from December 31, 2002.

• Beginning in 2004, average percentage of medical stop-loss business ceded from IHC to Independence American has increased to 18.5%.

• 90.2% of invested assets in bonds and short-term investments, 97% of the bonds have the highest NAIC rating designation (NAIC ratings of 1 and 2 designation).

• Employer Medical Stop-Loss policy approved in 15 states and Provider Excess Loss policy approved in 13 states.

• Acquired 80% interest in Marlton Risk Group, the largest medical stop-loss MGU doing business with Standard Life.

• In 2003, our MGUs wrote an aggregate of $135 million of annualized gross premium, and generated pre-tax income of $6.8 million.

Until April 2002, the Company (then known as SoftNet Systems, Inc.) was an Internet service provider. Due to difficult and deteriorating conditions in that market, the Company discontinue this business. In December 2000, the Company's board of directors approved a plan to discontinue the operations of its subsidiary, ISP Channel, Inc., which had provided cable-based Internet access and related services, and the operations of another subsidiary, Aerzone Corporation, which provided Internet and related services at airports. In April 2002, the Company ceased operations of its remaining operating subsidiary, Intelligent Communications, Inc., following the disposition of its key assets. In connection with the Company's exit from the Internet provider business, it undertook a process of consideration of strategic alternatives for the Company. The results of operations for the year ended September 30, 2001, have been reclassified for the effects of discontinued operations of Intellicom.

On July 30, 2002, the Company entered into an agreement to acquire First Standard Holdings Corp. ("FSHC") from SSH Corp. and Independence Holding Company ("IHC") for $31,920,000 in cash. As described below, FSHC was the holding company for an insurance company and two managing general underwriters ("MGUs"). Subsequently at the Special Meeting of Stockholders on November 14, 2002, the Company's stockholders approved the stock purchase agreement between the Company, SSH Corp. and IHC (the "Purchase Agreement"), and approved the Company's name change to American Independence Corp. Also on November 14, 2002, the Company consummated the transactions contemplated by the Purchase Agreement and FSHC changed its name to Independence American Holdings Corp. ("IAHC"). Following this acquisition, the Company closed its offices in San Francisco, terminated all but two of its employees, and entered into a services agreement with IHC pursuant to which the Company's operations are directed by IHC's management and employees.

In a separate transaction on July 30, 2002, IHC acquired Pacific Century Cyberworks Limited's ("PCCW") entire interest in the Company consisting of 1,666,666 shares of common stock at $9.00 per share for a total value of $15,000,000. As a result of this transaction, PCCW's two appointees resigned from the Company's Board of Directors, and Edward Netter, Chairman of IHC, and Roy T.K. Thung, President and Chief Executive Officer of IHC, were appointed to the Company's Board of Directors. On April 22, 2003, a wholly-owned subsidiary of IHC completed its tender for one million shares of the common stock of the Company at $9.00 per share for a total value of $9,000.000. On December 22, 2003, IHC purchased an aggregate of 613,401 shares in the market and private transactions. As a result of these transactions, IHC and its subsidiary own 39% of the Company.

On February 10, 2003, but effective as of January 1, 2003, the Company acquired 80% of the business of an employer medical stop-loss MGU and an affiliated entity (the "Acquired MGUs"). The acquisition was accomplished by the formation of Voorhees Risk Management LLC d.b.a. Marlton Risk Group ("Marlton") into which the Acquired MGUs contributed all of their assets, and the Company contributed $16,000,000 cash for an 80% ownership interest. The Company's cash contribution was then distributed to the Acquired MGUs together with the remaining 20% interest in Marlton, and Marlton assumed all of the liabilities of the Acquired MGUs.

As of December 31, 2003, the Company had substantially completed the wind down of its Internet services related subsidiaries, ISP Channel, Intellicom, and Aerzone, including Laptop Lane Limited ("Laptop Lane"), as a result of the following:

On December 7, 2000, the Company's Board of Directors approved a plan to discontinue its ISP Channel operations because of (1) the consolidation in the cable industry made it difficult for ISP Channel to achieve the economies of scale necessary to provide such services profitably, and (2) the Company was no longer able to bear the costs of maintaining the ISP Channel. On March 29, 2002, the Company and its wholly-owned subsidiary, Intellicom, entered into an agreement to sell its operating business and certain assets to Loral Cyberstar, Inc. Following the sale of its operating business and certain assets to Loral Cyberstar, Inc., the Company's Board of Directors unanimously agreed to cease the operations of Intellicom on April 3, 2002.

The Company accounts for discontinued operations in accordance to Accounting Principles Board Opinion No. 30 ("APB 30"), Reporting the Results of Operations - Reporting the Effects of Disposal of a Segment of Business, and Extraordinary, Unusual and Infrequently Occurring Events and Transactions. Under APB 30, the Company accrued estimates of expected liabilities related to discontinued operations through its eventual discharge. The estimated remaining liabilities related to discontinued operations include contract terminations, litigation and loss from operations subsequent to September 30, 2002. The Company reviews the estimated closure costs liability on a quarterly basis to determine changes in the costs of the discontinued operations activities.

The Company has net operating loss carryforwards for federal income tax purposes available to reduce future income subject to income taxes. The net operating loss carryforwards expire between 2009 and 2023.

U.S. federal and California tax laws impose substantial restrictions on the utilization of net operating loss and credit carryforwards in the event of an "ownership change" for tax purposes, as defined in Section 382 of the Internal Revenue Code. For tax purposes, an ownership change occurred during 1999 and, as a result, utilization of the net operating losses arising prior to 1999 will be subject to an annual limitation in future years.

In accordance with Statement of Financial Accounting Standards No. 142, Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets, goodwill and intangible assets with indefinite lives resulting from business combinations will not be amortized but instead will be tested for impairment at least annually (more frequently if certain indicators are present). In the event that the management of the Company determines that the value of goodwill or intangible assets with indefinite lives has become impaired, the Company will incur an accounting charge for the amount of impairment during the fiscal quarter in which the determination is made.

Premiums from short-duration contracts will be recognized as revenue over the period of the contracts in proportion to the amount of insurance protection provided. The Company records MGU fee income as policy premium payments are earned. MGUs are compensated in two ways. They earn fee income based on the volume of business produced, and collect profit-sharing commissions if such business exceeds certain profitability benchmarks. Profit-sharing commissions are accounted for beginning in the period in which the Company believes they are reasonably estimable. While profit-sharing commissions are a function of an MGU attaining certain profitability thresholds and could greatly vary from quarter to quarter, AMIC's MGUs price their business to an anticipated profit margin in excess of such thresholds.

The Company accounts for its investments in debt and equity securities under Statement of Financial Accounting Standards No. 115 ("SFAS 115"), Accounting for Certain Investments in Debt and Equity Securities. The Company has classified all of its investments as available-for-sale securities. These investments are carried at fair value based on quoted market prices with unrealized gains and losses reported in accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets. Net realized gains and losses on investments are computed using the specific identification method and are reported in net realized gains, in the accompanying consolidated statements of operations. Declines in value judged to be other-than-temporary are determined based on the specific identification method and are reported in the accompanying consolidated statements of operations as net realized gains.

Liabilities for insurance policy benefits on short-term medical coverages were computed using completion factors and expected loss ratios derived from actual historical premium and claim data. These methods are widely used in the health insurance industry to estimate the liabilities for insurance policy benefits. Inherent in these calculations are management and actuarial judgments and estimates (within industry standards) which could significantly impact the ending reserve liabilities and, consequently, operating results. Actual results may differ, and these estimates are subject to interpretation and change. Management believes that the Company's method of estimating the liabilities for insurance policy benefits provides an adequate level of reserves at December 31, 2003.

Due to the acquisition of the insurance operations of IAHC, certain line items only appear in the fiscal 2003 and in the quarter ended December 31, 2002 Consolidated Statement of Operations.

Premiums Earned. The Company earned $37,817,000 of premiums on insurance business of Independence American for fiscal 2003.

Net Investment Income. Net investment income increased $237,000 to $1,967,000 for fiscal 2003, compared to $1,730,000 for fiscal 2002, mainly due to a higher yield from investments in fixed maturities in 2003. Investment income in 2002, although based on greater assets, was at a lower yield due to the shorter duration of the investments.

Net Realized Gains. The Company realized net gains of $330,000 from sales of its investments for fiscal 2003. Decisions to sell securities are based on cash flow needs, investment opportunities, and economic and market conditions, thus creating fluctuations in gains or losses from period to period.

MGU Fee Income. The Company earned $15,427,000 of fee income from its MGUs for fiscal 2003. Of this amount $2,619,000 relates to MGU profit sharing revenues.

Selling, General and Administrative. Selling, general, and administrative expenses increased $12,406,000 to $19,724,000 for fiscal 2003, compared to $7,318,000 for fiscal 2002. The increase is primarily due to commission expense recorded by Independence American and operating expenses from the MGUs. Selling, general, and administrative expenses for the 3 MGUs were $7,882,000 and commission expense for Independence American was $10,660,000 for fiscal 2003.

Insurance Benefits, Claims and Reserves. Insurance benefits, claims and reserves amounted to $23,312,000 related to the premiums earned by Independence American for fiscal 2003.

Amortization and Depreciation. Amortization and depreciation expense increased $1,822,000 to $2,011,000 for fiscal 2003, compared to $189,000 for fiscal 2002. The expense for fiscal 2003 mainly relates to the amortization of the intangible assets for the value of broker/TPA relationships of the MGUs. These intangible assets were acquired as part of the acquisitions of IAHC and Marlton.

Non-Cash Compensation Expense Related to Stock Options. The Company recognized non-cash compensation expense related to stock options of $141,000 for fiscal 2003. This expense relates to the fair value of options issued in 2003 accounted for under SFAS No. 123. The expense for fiscal 2002 of $1,466,000 relates to options accounted for under APB 25.

Income Taxes. The Company had a benefit of income taxes of $2,993,000 for fiscal 2003. This includes a benefit of $4,466,000 due to a reduction of the valuation allowance. In 2003, the Company further reduced the valuation allowance relating to the deferred tax asset, which caused a corresponding increase in such deferred tax asset. The valuation allowance relates to the possibility that AMIC might not be able to fully utilize its prior tax year federal net operating loss carryforwards ("NOLs"). AMIC periodically reviews the valuation allowance to determine the reasonableness of the amount, and previously reduced it in connection with the Company's acquisitions in 2002 and 2003. Based upon AMIC's profitability in 2003 and projected continuing profitable results, it was management's view that it was appropriate to further reduce the valuation allowance in the fourth quarter of 2003, which resulted in an increase in net income and income from continuing operations.

The Company's tax year end is September 30, and, for the first nine months of 2003, AMIC had a recovery for federal income taxes arising from losses in the fourth quarter of 2002. These losses were fully applied, and the Company began to utilize its NOLs, in the fourth quarter of 2003. As long as AMIC utilizes these NOLs, it will not pay any income taxes, except for federal alternative minimum taxes and state income taxes. In the first nine months of 2003, AMIC did not have any provision for federal income taxes on its income statement due to losses arising in the fourth quarter of 2002. Starting in the fourth quarter of 2003, the Company had a provision for federal income taxes of $920,000 on its income statement, and the utilization of its NOLs reduced the deferred tax asset on its balance sheet. The Company also had a provision for state income taxes of $504,000 for fiscal 2003.

Provision for Impaired Assets. The Company recognized a charge of $352,000 for the year ended September 30, 2002, as a result of writing off its accounting software. In light of its reduced operations, the Company changed to an off-the-shelf accounting software.

Restructuring Expense. The Company recognized a restructuring charge for the year ended September 30, 2001, related to the downsizing of its corporate headquarters' staff. The charge in the amount of $3,900,000 was recognized as restructuring expense and primarily consisted of termination payments for affected employees. The Company increased the restructuring reserve by $152,000 for fiscal 2003 and $502,000 for the year ended September 30, 2002, respectively, as a result of additional estimated lease termination costs associated with Company's headquarters. At December 31, 2003 and September 30, 2002, a restructuring accrual of $866,000 and $1,446,000, respectively, remained outstanding.

Loss on Equity Investments. The Company recognized a loss on disposition of equity investments of $733,000 for fiscal 2002, consisting of $253,000 related to 1,000,000 SkyNet Global Limited common stock shares and $480,000 related to the 400,000 SkyNet Global Limited preference stock shares.

Gain (Loss) Attributed to Discontinued Operations. The Company recognized a $110,000 gain on discontinued operations for fiscal 2003, compared to a $5,926,000 loss attributed to discontinued operations for fiscal 2002. For the year ended September 30, 2002, the loss attributed to discontinued operations consisted of a $3,120,000 loss on disposition of Interlace, a $1,829,000 loss from operations of Intellicom, a $1,127,000 loss on disposition of Micrographic Technology Corporation ("MTC"), as a result of a preliminary arbitration decision related to a dispute with Applications Informatiques Multimedia and a dispute related to the sale of MTC to Global Information Distribution GmbH, a $900,000 gain on disposition of ISP Channel, resulting from the lower than anticipated costs of closing ISP Channel, and a $750,000 loss on disposition of Aerzone, resulting from a court decision related to a breach of contract and other legal matters. The gain of $110,000 in 2003 is primarily attributable to lower than expected interest and expenses with regard to an arbitration award, substantially offset by additional reserves on Intellicom related to the lease obligations of the Livermore facility due to difficulty in subletting the facility as compared to original expectations.

Net Income/Loss. The Company had net income of $12,671,000, or $1.50 per share, diluted, for fiscal 2003, compared to a net loss of $14,756,000, or a net loss per share of $1.76, diluted, for the year ended September 30, 2002.

Net Investment Income. Net investment income decreased $4,584,000 to $1,730,000 for fiscal 2002, compared to $6,314,000 for fiscal 2001, as a result of lower interest rates, a decrease in cash and cash equivalent, and short-term investments.

Selling, General and Administrative. Selling, general and administrative expenses decreased $2,698,000 to $7,318,000 for the year ended September 30, 2002, compared to $10,016,000 for the year ended September 30, 2001, primarily due to staff reductions associated with the December 28, 2000 corporate restructuring plan.

Amortization and Deprecation. Amortization and depreciation decreased $161,000 to $189,000 for the year ended September 30, 2002, compared to $350,000 for the year ended September 30, 2001, primarily due to sales and disposal of property.

Non-Cash Compensation Expense (Benefit) Related to Stock Options. The Company recognized a non-cash compensation expense related to stock options of $1,466,000 for the year ended September 30, 2002, compared to non-cash compensation benefit related to stock options of $807,000 for the year ended September 30, 2001. For the year ended September 30, 2002 and 2001, non-cash compensation expense/benefit related to stock options issued to employees primarily relates to the amortization of deferred stock compensation resulting from below market value stock options granted between October 1998 and March 1999, accounted for under APB 25.

Provision for Impaired Assets. The Company recognized a charge of $352,000 for the year ended September 30, 2002, as a result of writing off its accounting software. In light of its reduced operations, the Company changed to an off-the-shelf accounting software.

Restructuring Expense. The Company recognized a restructuring charge for the year ended September 30, 2001, related to a plan to downsize its corporate headquarter staff. The charge in the amount of $3,900,000 was recognized as restructuring expense and primarily consisted of termination payments for affected employees. The Company increased the restructuring reserve by $502,000 for the year ended September 30, 2002, as a result of additional estimated lease termination costs associated with the Company's headquarters. At September 30, 2002, a restructuring accrual of $1,446,000 remained outstanding.

Loss on Equity Investment. The Company recognized a loss on disposition of equity investments of $733,000 for the year ended September 30, 2002, consisting of $253,000 related to the 1,000,000 SkyNet Global Limited common stock shares and $480,000 related to the 400,000 SkyNet Global Limited preference stock shares. For the year ended September 30, 2001, the Company recognized a charge of $17,195,000, consisting of a $768,000 write down of a note receivable and related interest associated with the sale of Big Sky Network Canada, Limited common shares to China Broadband Corporation, and $16,427,000 of write-downs and realized losses related to various short-term and long-term equity investments.

Equity in Net Losses of Investee Companies. The Company recognized equity in net losses of investee companies of $394,000 for the year ended September 30, 2001. The Company did not incur any equity in net losses of investee companies for the year ended September 30, 2002, as a result of the sale and write offs of investee companies accounted for under the equity method for the year ended September 30, 2001.

Income Taxes. The Company made no provision for income taxes for the year ended September 30, 2002 and 2001, as a result of the Company's continuing losses.

Loss Attributed to Discontinued Operations. The Company recognized a $5,926,000 loss attributed to discontinued operations for the year ended September 30, 2002, compared to a loss of $34,455,000 for the year ended September 30, 2001. For the year ended September 30, 2002, the loss attributed to discontinued operations consisted of a $4,949,000 loss from operations of Intellicom, a $1,127,000 loss on disposition of Micrographic Technology Corporation ("MTC"), as a result of a preliminary arbitration decision related to a dispute with Applications Informatiques Multimedia and a dispute related to the sale of MTC to Global Information Distribution GmbH 9"GID"), a $900,000 gain on disposition of ISP Channel, resulting from the lower than anticipated costs of closing ISP Channel, and a $750,000 loss on disposition of Aerzone, resulting from a superior court decision related to a breach of contract and other legal matters. For the year ended September 30, 2001, the loss attributed to discontinued operations consisted of a $29,557,000 net loss from the operations of Intellicom, a $10,008,000 gain due to the revision of the loss on disposition of ISP Channel, resulting from lower than anticipated costs of closing ISP Channel, and a $14,906,000 loss on disposition of Aerzone, resulting primarily from the reduction of the estimated sales proceeds of Laptop Lane.

Extraordinary Item-Gain on Settlement of Obligation. The Company recognized a gain of $1,326,000 for the year ended September 30, 2001, resulting from the cash payment made in lieu of the Company's obligation to pay off the 8.5% promissory note and interest, and to settle business acquisition liabilities to former Intellicom stockholders with common stock.

Net Loss. The Company had a net loss of $14,756,000, or a net loss per share of $1.76, for the year ended September 30, 2002, compared to a net loss of $57,647,000, or a net loss per share of $7.35, for the year ended September 30, 2001.

Premiums Earned. The Company earned $1,636,000 of premiums on insurance business of Independence American for the six weeks ended December 31, 2002.

Net Investment Income. Interest income decreased $324,000 to $292,000 for the quarter ended December 31, 2002, compared to $616,000 for the three months ended December 31, 2001, as a result of lower interest rates, and a decrease in cash, cash equivalents, and investments, available-for-sale due to the funding of losses from the Internet operations and the purchase of IAHC.

MGU Fee Income. The Company earned $713,000 of fee income from its MGUs for the six weeks ended December 31, 2002 of this amount, $6,000 was from MGU profit sharing revenues.

Selling, General and Administrative. Selling, general and administrative expenses increased $3,451,000, to $4,865,000 for the quarter ended December 31, 2002, compared to $1,414,000 for the quarter ended December 31, 2001. The increase is primarily due to estimated final expenses resulting from staff reductions associated with the December 28, 2000 corporate restructuring plan, the closing of the corporate headquarters in San Francisco and expenses related to corporate legal settlements and arbitration awards.

Insurance Benefits, Claims and Reserves. Insurance benefits, claims and reserves amounted to $989,000 related to the premium earned by Independence American for the six weeks ended December 31, 2002.

Loss on Equity Investments. The Company recognized a loss on equity investment of $1,000,000 for the three months ended December 31, 2002 as a result of the write-off of a preferred stock investment. The Company did not incur a net loss on its equity investments in investee companies for the quarter ended December 31, 2001.

Amortization and Depreciation. Amortization and depreciation expense increased $175,000 to $240,000 for the quarter ended December 31, 2002, compared to $65,000 for the quarter ended December 31, 2001. The expense for December 31, 2002 relates to the amortization of the intangible asset for the value of third party administrators of the MGUs. This asset was part of the purchase accounting adjustments for the acquisition of IAHC.

Non-Cash Compensation Expense (Benefit) Related to Stock Options. The Company recognized a non-cash compensation expense related to stock options of $632,000 for the quarter ended December 31, 2002. This expense is broken up into two components: an expense of $570,000 relating to the fair value of options issued for the three months ended December 31, 2002 accounted for under SFAS No. 123. (SFAS No. 123 was adopted as of October 1, 2002); and an expense of $62,000 for options issued prior to October 1, 2002 accounted for under the intrinsic value method of Accounting Principles Board #25 ("APB 25"). The expense for the three months ended December 31, 2001 of $405,000 relates to options accounted for under APB 25.

Restructuring Expense. The Company recognized a restructuring expense of $538,000 for the quarter ended December 31, 2002, related to the plan to close its corporate headquarters in San Francisco, California.

Income Taxes. The Company made no provision for federal income taxes for the quarter ended December 31, 2002 and 2001, as a result of the Company's continuing losses. For the quarter ended December 31, 2003, the Company recorded a $1,000 provision for state and local taxes attributed to IAHC.

Loss from Discontinued Operations. As a result of the decision by the Board of Directors to discontinue the operations of Intellicom on March 29, 2002, the loss on operations for the quarter ended December 31, 2001 of $928,000 has been reclassified as loss from discontinued operations.

Loss on Disposition. Loss on disposition increased $885,000 to $1,475,000 for the quarter ended December 31, 2002, compared to $590,000 for the quarter ended December 31, 2001. The loss is primarily attributable to an arbitration award on MTC, a settlement on Aerzone, and additional reserves on Intellicom related to the lease obligations of the Livermore facility.

Net Loss. The Company had a net loss of $7,052,000, or a net loss per share of $0.84, for the quarter ended December 31, 2002, compared to a net loss of $2,780,000, or a net loss per share of $0.33, for the three months ended December 31, 2001. There was no gain or loss from discontinued operations for the quarter ended December 31, 2001.

Net cash provided by operating activities of continuing operations for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2003 was $14,713,000. This results from net income of $12,671,000, a gain of $110,000 from discontinued operations and a net decrease in the remaining assets and liabilities of $2,152,000 which includes several non-cash items including stock compensation expense of $141,000, realized gains of $330,000 and amortization and depreciation expense of $2,011,000. Net cash used in operating activities of discontinued operations was $2,960,000.

Net cash used by investing activities of continuing operations for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2003 was $17,106,000. This use of cash results from the acquisition of Marlton for $16,102,000, and net cash used of $1,002,000 from purchases of all other investments, net of purchases.

Net cash provided by financing activities for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2003 was $132,000, resulting from the exercise of common stock options.

The Company believes it has sufficient cash to meet its presently anticipated business requirements over the next twelve months including the funding of discontinued operations, working capital requirements, and capital investments.

LIQUIDITY

The Company normally generates cash flow from (i) operations; (ii) the receipt of scheduled principal payments on its portfolio of fixed income securities; and (iii) earnings on investments. Such cash flow is partially used to finance liabilities for insurance policy benefits. These liabilities represent long-term and short-term obligations that are calculated using certain assumed interest rates.

Asset Quality

The nature and quality of insurance company investments must comply with all applicable statutes and regulations which have been promulgated primarily for the protection of policyholders. Of the aggregate carrying value of the Company's investment assets, approximately 99% was invested in investment grade fixed income securities, resale agreements, policy loans and cash and cash equivalents at December 31, 2003. Also at such date, approximately 97% of the Company's fixed maturities were investment grade. These investments carry less default risk and, therefore, lower interest rates than other types of fixed maturity investments. At December 31, 2003, approximately 3% of the carrying value of fixed maturities was invested in diversified non-investment grade fixed income securities. Investments in such securities have different risks than investment grade securities, including greater risk of loss upon default, and thinner trading markets. The Company does not have any non-performing fixed maturities.

The Company reviews its investments regularly and monitors its investments continually for impairments. The Company's gross unrealized losses on fixed maturities totaled $401,000 at December 31, 2003. Substantially all of these securities were investment grade. The remaining unrealized losses have been evaluated in accordance with the Company's policy and were determined to be temporary in nature at December 31, 2003. The Company holds all securities as available-for-sale and accordingly marks all of its securities to market through accumulated other comprehensive income (loss).

The Company manages interest rate risk by seeking to maintain a portfolio with a duration and average life that falls within the band of the duration and average life of the applicable liabilities. Options may be utilized to modify the duration and average life of such assets.

The following summarizes the estimated pre-tax change in fair value (based upon hypothetical parallel shifts in the U.S. Treasury yield curve) of the fixed income portfolio assuming immediate changes in interest rates at specified levels at December 31, 2003:

The Company monitors its investment portfolio on a continuous basis and believes that the liquidity of the Company will not be adversely affected by its current investments.

In the Company's analysis of the asset-liability model, a 100 to 200 basis point change in interest rates on the Company's liabilities would not be expected to have a material adverse effect on the Company. With respect to its investments, the Company employs (from time to time as warranted) investment strategies to mitigate interest rate and other market exposures.

Total investments decreased $2,652,000 to $38,258,000 at December 31, 2003 from $40,910,000 at September 30, 2002, largely due to the use of cash to acquire Marlton, particularly offset by the growth in business 2003. The $17,858,000 increase in insurance policy benefits reflects growth in the business. The $6,463,000 increase in total stockholders' equity is mainly due to net income generated in the three mont