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robintek

Mar 03
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Health Insurance for the Self-Employed

By Life and Health

The self-employed tackle challenges that those employed by others rarely face: doing budgets, growing their business – and, of course, Health insurance.

The cost of individual Health coverage has skyrocketed during the past decade, with average monthly premiums growing more than 500%. What’s more, co-pays and deductibles keep going up, while covered services are shrinking.

However, there are options that can help the self-employed enjoy significant savings on Health insurance:

The Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA)

      COBRA is a federal law that guarantees workers who lose their jobs – and thus the Group Health benefits provided by their employers,- he opportunity to retain coverage on themselves and their families for up to 18 months, as long as they pay the policy premium (plus a surcharge of up to 2%). COBRA gives the self-employed a short-term ‘time cushion” during which they can make other health care choices.

Online Providers

      The Internet has given rise to a number of smaller, increasingly flexible, more price-conscious, and highly competitive companies that offer the self-employed a variety of options for affordable Health insurance.

The Affordable Care Act (ACA)

    Everything that we know about Health insurance for the self-employed (as well as employees in small and medium -sized businesses) is in a state of flux as more provisions of the ACA take effect over the next few months. The government, in partnership with Health insurance providers, will offer a variety of options – and require every adult to carry some type of coverage, or face a tax penalty.

For more information on how to get the best value on your Health insurance, at an affordable price, feel free to get in touch with our agency at any time.

Mar 02
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What is Cancer Insurance?

By Life and Health

Treatment for cancer can cost over $1 million. With most insurance plans, cancer patients max out their policy limits and face financial hardship as they get treatment. Cancer insurance reduces the financial burden and allows you to receive the treatment you need and want.

What Cancer Insurance Covers

With cancer insurance, you receive supplemental coverage that bridges the gap between the cost of your treatment and the amount your primary health insurance covers. It reduces your out-of-pocket expenses and allows you to receive the lifesaving treatment you need, and it can cover non-medical expenses. Consider this list of expenses cancer insurance can pay.

  • Co-pays and deductibles
  • Extended hospital stays
  • Medical tests
  • Procedures such as stem cell transplants
  • Other disease-specific treatments
  • Home health care
  • Wage replacement
  • Child care
  • Dietary restriction aids
  • Transportation to medical appointments
  • Family vacation

As with any insurance, read your specific policy carefully to find exactly what it covers.

Types of Cancer Insurance

Primary health insurance often covers cancer treatments, including diagnostic tests, doctor visits and medicine. However, cancer insurance serves as an important supplement. There are two main types.

    1. The most popular cancer insurance policies pay benefits in a lump sum when the policy holder is diagnosed with cancer. You have the freedom to use the money to pay whatever expenses you wish.
    1. Less common cancer insurance policies pay for cancer-related expenses not covered by the primary health insurance policy. Coverage with this type of policy varies and may exclude the same expenses traditional health insurance excludes, so you must read the policy carefully to be sure your needs is met.

Six Important Considerations

Before you purchase cancer insurance, understand six important considerations.

    1. No matter which type of policy you choose, you may not have a pre-existing cancerous condition, including cancer treatment, to qualify for coverage.
    1. There is a waiting period after you purchase the policy and before benefits are paid. If you are diagnosed with cancer during that time, you will not receive a payout.
    1. Compare your primary health insurance and cancer insurance policies to ensure benefits do not overlap.
    1. Non-melanoma skin cancer is not covered by cancer insurance.
    1. You may receive a reduced benefit if you have an early cancer rather than an invasive cancer.
    1. Be prepared to provide documentation of your cancer diagnosis from your health care provider before you will receive the policy benefits.

When you’re diagnosed with cancer, you need all your energy to fight the disease and take care of yourself, not worry about how to pay for treatment. Cancer insurance gives you p

Mar 01
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Safety Resources for Teen Employees

By Risk Management Bulletin

If you have teenagers, you’re well aware that they’re all too prone to take risks. Four in five U.S. teen (80%) have part-time jobs. Of these, more than half (52%) are in the retail sector, which includes restaurants and fast food establishments.

To help keep themselves safe on the job – and thus reduce their employers’ risk-management exposure – teenagers who work in restaurants and agriculture can use interactive web-based training tools provided by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).

According to OSHA, educating and training young people about safety in the workplace can help prevent injuries today and lead to a healthy workforce in the future. These resources provide practical information to protect young workers from hazards in industries where many of them are likely to work during high school and college.

The Teen Worker Safety in Restaurants eTool highlights the most common hazards in these workplaces and offers safety and health suggestions, safety posters, and electronic links to educate young workers about job safety. Areas of focus include serving, clean-up, drive-thru, cooking, food preparation, delivery, and worker rights and child labor laws.

The Youth in Agriculture eTool presents case studies that describe common hazards and offers safety solutions for teenage workers in such areas as farm equipment operations, confined spaces, and prevention of c injuries g from falls, electrocutions, and chemical exposures.

The OSHA Teen Workers page offers educational resources such as fact sheets on workplace rights and responsibilities, hazards on the job, ways to prevent injuries, work hours, job restrictions, etc.

Letting teenage workers know about these resources can benefit them – and their employers. What’s not to like?

Mar 01
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Commercial Auto Insurance For Fire and Rescue Vehicles

By Risk Management Bulletin

Commercial auto insurance is essential for many businesses, including fire and rescue companies. Like passenger vehicles, your fire and rescue vehicles are subject to accidents, theft, vandalism and other circumstances. Protect your property with commercial auto insurance.

Why Purchase Commercial Auto Insurance

Because fire and rescue vehicles play an important role in protecting the community, they must be properly insured. Like individual auto insurance, commercial auto policies provide liability and other coverage for vehicles and their driver and passengers. However, these policies often include higher limits and must meet special laws and circumstances that apply to commercial vehicles.

Which Vehicles are Covered

Commercial auto insurance can cover a variety of fire and rescue vehicles before, during and after an emergency. It also covers employees and volunteers who drive, ride in or use the vehicles and equipment and other special circumstances, depending on the policy.

The vehicles covered include:
Fire trucks
Water tankers
Ambulances
Rescue squad vehicles
Non-emergency medical transportation trucks
Medical provider courtesy vehicles
Fire chief vehicles
Traffic coordinator vehicles

How Much Coverage do you Need

Every fire and rescue company will need different coverage. The number and type of vehicles, average number of calls each month, amount of equipment on each vehicle and number of employees are factors that affect the amount of coverage you purchase.

Additionally, consider state insurance requirements. The required limits may vary depending on where you live, but in most cases, you’ll need these coverage types:
Bodily injury – Pays medical expenses for victims when you cause the accident.

Property damage – Covers any property repairs your vehicle damaged.

Personal injury protection – Covers medical expenses, wage loss and other expenses incurred if the driver or passengers are injured.

Uninsured/Underinsured motorist – Pays expenses if the vehicle is involved in an accident where a driver does not have auto insurance or adequate insurance to cover damages.

Comprehensive – Covers vehicle repairs due to non-accidental circumstances such as fire, theft, vandalism, missile objects, animal collisions or natural disasters.

Collision – Pays to repair damages to your vehicle after an accident.

Roadside assistance – If the vehicle breaks down, blows a tire or otherwise is stranded, this coverage gets your vehicle back on the road.

Personal effects – With this coverage, employees’ personal belongings are covered if they’re stolen from the vehicle.

How to Purchase Commercial Auto Insurance

Purchase commercial auto insurance coverage from a licensed insurance agent. Contact several companies for a quote, and compare their policy price and coverage options, customer feedback and financial standing. Discuss optional coverage, too, to ensure all your needs are met.

Commercial auto insurance for fire and rescue companies is essential. Understand this coverage as you protect your equipment.

Mar 01
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Prepare for an Emergency – Emergency Notification Systems

By Risk Management Bulletin

The disastrous Japanese earthquake/tsunami of March 2011 drowned thousands of people – but the toll would have been far higher without the nation’s comprehensive warning system, which combined radio broadcasts, text messages, and sirens with firefighters’ door-to-door calls.

Every business needs an effective emergency communications notification system that has low-tech and high tech elements. Here’s an overview of the advantages and disadvantages that each type offers:

    • Low-tech systems can be effective, but have serious limitations. Although calling trees are valuable for mass communications, they’re slow, subject to errors, and breakdowns.

      Sirens and alarms provide immediate warning and can alert everyone who’s in a dangerous area; however, they can’t provide much information and have a limited range. Intercom systems are reasonably fast and can communicate detailed information, but usually operate in only one building.

    • High-tech systems provide automated mass notification of detailed warnings rapidly and accurately to a wide range of devices, including phones (land line and cell) and computers (e-mail and instant messaging) through multiple communication networks. High-tech systems can also target messages to individual groups, such as first responders.

      However, they don’t offer a panacea. For one thing, cell phones might be turned off. Although communication with cell phones is available by voice mail or text messaging, these systems are vulnerable to a general outage of communication networks. Their “call capacity” might be a serious limitation, especially for larger firms.

For most businesses, a warning system that blends low tech (alarms and sirens) with high tech (automated notification) can provide effective communication when an emergency strikes. When choosing a system, you should also weigh such factors as cost and ease of use.

Our risk management experts would be happy to offer you their advice.

Mar 01
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The Benefits and Importance of Boat Rental Liability Insurance

By Risk Management Bulletin

If you love boating and live near an exotic vacation spot, ocean, local marina or lake, you may operate a boat rental business. It allows you to share your passion with others as you make a living doing what you love. Whether you rent boats to the local residents or vacationers by the hour, day or week or own a marina and rent boats to guests, know as much as possible about boat rental liability insurance as you protect your business and personal assets.

Why Do You Need Boat Rental Liability Insurance?

If someone who rents a boat from you causes an accident, injures someone or is injured while operating or riding in the watercraft, you are liable for the repair or medical payments. These expenses add up quickly, and you could lose your business and personal assets.

With boat rental liability insurance, you decrease your risk and protect your assets since it covers any damages or injuries caused by your watercraft. It also can cover repairs to your watercraft after an accident a renter causes. Boat rental insurance can also improve your business because customers are more likely to rent a boat from a company with liability coverage that protects their personal assets.

What Does Boat Rental Liability Insurance Cover?

Typically, boat rental liability insurance covers a variety of watercraft, including:

  • Sailboats under 26′
  • Powerboats
  • Houseboats up to 65′
  • Canoes
  • Kayaks
  • Pedal boats
  • Water bikes
  • Mini jet boats
  • Personal watercraft

All liability coverage is customizable based on your needs. Your coverage may include:

  • Watercraft Liability with varying levels of coverage
  • Premises Liability that covers events that occur on your boat rental business premises
  • Hull Coverage that pays for physical damage to your watercraft’s hull and possibly the engine and equipment

How Much Boat Rental Liability Insurance do you Need?

Every boat rental business is different, and your unique circumstances affect how much liability insurance you need. As your risk increases, your costs increase. For example, the size of your fleet, cost of your boats and amount of business you do affects your premiums.

Where do you Buy Boat Rental Liability Insurance?

Specialized insurance agencies provide boat rental liability insurance. When you contact them, provide details about your business, including a copy of the watercraft rental agreement and checkout procedure. You’ll complete an insurance application, which is evaluated by a commercial marine expert, and will receive coverage details after your application is approved.

Protect your boat rental business and personal assets with boat rental liability insurance. Contact your insurance agent for more information and a customized quote today.

Mar 01
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What is an Experience Modification Rate (EMR)?

By Workplace Safety

Insurance companies use an Experience Modification Rate (EMR) formula to calculate your workers comp premium, based on the cost of past claims and the probability of future accidents. The higher your EMR, the higher your premium– and the converse.

Here’s how the formula works:

    1. To set a base premium, the company divides your payroll in each job classification by 100, and then by a “class rate” set by the National Council on Compensation Insurance that reflects the risk in this classification. For example, because structural ironworkers have a much greater risk of injury than receptionists, their class rate is significantly higher.
    1. The company compares your claims history during the past policy period to those of similar firms in your industry. The formula factors in the ratio between expected losses in your industry and those you actually incurred, together the frequency and severity of losses. The formula “penalizes” businesses that suffer a single large loss less severely than firms that have many smaller (statistically more likely) losses.
    1. The result is the EMR, which the company multiplies against the manual premium rate to set your workers comp premium for the next policy period.

If your business has an EMR of 1.0, your premium would remain unchanged. A rating of 1.2 would mean that might pay as much 20% more than a competitor with an EMR of 1.0 – a difference that you would have to swallow by cutting costs and/or raising prices. Conversely, if your EMR came to .8, you would enjoy a competitive advantage over competitors with higher ratings.

The good news: a comprehensive safety program can lower your EMR by reducing workplace hazards and injuries. We’d be happy to help you design and implement a plan tailored to your needs.

Mar 01
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Federal Government and Workers Comp: What to Know in 2017

By Workplace Safety

Policy changes in workers’ compensation can be fast and sudden or slow and painful. Every time the goalposts are moved, people have to learn to adapt. With the president’s agenda making headlines everywhere, it’s worth taking the time out to learn more about where this issue might head this year.

Minimum Standards and Health Care 

The Department of Labor called for minimum standards set for each state in terms of workers’ compensation before the inaugeration, yet Trump seems like he won’t be an advocate for this measure. When it comes to the Affordable Care Act (A.K.A. Obamacare), there’s a lot of work ahead to develop a sustainable and worthwhile solution to handling workplace injuries no matter what happens.

Interestingly enough, it may be mental health that’s at the top of the docket for 2017. It’s one of the top reasons employees take short-term disability assistance, and this has prompted more companies to place value on and promote programs that support work-life balance and self-care. Some states don’t allow for mental health as a reason to take disability, however that may change in the future as well.

The Enforcers 

ADA, FMLA and OSHA have all seen more enforcement over the past few years, as rules solidify and expectations are set. Last year saw a rise of ADA suits, including issues related to service animals, allergies and the amount of noise in a workplace. The concept of how much time new parents should be able to take off from work will continue to be widely debated this year too. These types of issues tend to snowball until everyone is forced to confront them. Those who own their own business may want to start addressing these issues now before they’re forced to change them later.

Future Outlook

Prices continue to go up when it comes to medical care. This fact, along with changing rules about what does and does not constitute a claim, makes experts think that this year will only see an increase in rates. California, New York, Illinois and Florida all have workers’ comp on their minds when it comes to legislation. Most are considering pricing reforms as old laws are evaluated under a microscope. There may also be changes when it comes to how marijuana is handled (in light of its growing legality) and how opioids are used (in light of its growing addiction base.) Some experts think this is driving us towards an advocacy-based model, where attorneys are used less and employees typically get back to work faster.

One thing is for certain: the more transparency on both sides of the equation, the more likely it will inspire positive and production interactions and resolutions.

Mar 01
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Tecnology Affects Class Codes and Descriptions

By Workplace Safety

Technology associated with construction has dramatically changed operations. Carefully check the class codes and their descriptions to assure proper premiums.

Years ago, 5606 – contractor supervisors – served to describe on site personnel who actively performed construction activities while managing the site. The rate was equivalent to site carpenters. That code has evolved into the computer carrying, service providing construction managers and executives who document the construction process. The rate is closer to outside sales representatives now.

Even excavation and site work is being dramatically changed by GPS technology. Now computers design a cut and fill pattern with efficiency. Labor is more involved in checking the geotechnical and environmental properties of the soils rather than the actual movement of them.

As production technology improves, new sub-codes develop to reflect the decrease in risk. Painting, carpentry, electrician and other trades now use a selection of eight or ten separate codes to describe exact activities. More components are built in shops and brought to the site. This process can change the class code of the installers and the builders.

The trend is towards more computer driven operations. Less labor, more specialists. As this trend continues, class codes will be added, deleted and the descriptions changed. There are currently over seven hundred class codes. Some are antiquated with new meanings – like a ship chandler is now a hardware store.

It pays to become familiar with the classifications. If your business has been active for many years, the “governing code” may be incorrect. The governing code is the catch-all for your business which best describes the overall operation, more obvious in manufacturing. Corrugated box manufacturing has been reorganized into several class codes. Technology has separated the manufacture of cardboard and corrugated cardboard into laminating processes, cutting and folding processes, and fully integrated operations.

Read your relevant class codes and think about which one reflects your operations. Or ask your agent to do it for

Mar 01
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How Workers’ Safety Practices Works to Keep Hotels Profitable

By Workplace Safety

Most people don’t think of hotel workers when they think of hazardous jobs. After all, they’re not working with dangerous equipment for many hours a day, nor are they exposed to toxins. But dangers sometimes lurk where you least expect it, and this may explain why there seems to be an influx in claims related to the industry.

Time and Prevention

Hospitality tends to yield injuries to staff that are otherwise preventable with better training or hiring practices. Some of these protocols are skipped in light of more pressing matters of the day. When tourists cut back, hotels often have no choice but to cut back on their staff as well. When employees aren’t properly supervised or they feel overwhelmed to complete tasks before their shift is over, they’re liable to make a mistake. While most hotel managers and owners understand the preventative measures they’re supposed to take, the evidence suggests that these precautions are being ignored in light of what’s convenient or cheaper.

The Hazards of Hotels

Employees in hospitality are constantly being asked to lift or carry a variety of objects. From the steward unloading supplies or baggage to the waiter picking up huge trays of food to the room attendant turning over a mattress, there’s a lot of ways that an employee may take a shortcut or simply take on more than they’re ready to handle. They’re also often working in precarious situations that demand awkward body positions. Over time, the odds of an injury occurring will increase to the point of certainty if there’s no intervention. One hotel hired a worker who had two knee replacements, who then injured her leg — costing the hotel tens of thousands. Room attendants who work with chemicals all day may develop irritation to them over time, and those who clean floors may find that their backs start to ache after a few weeks.

Tips to Decrease Liability 

The best way to decrease your liability in the hotel industry is to give your staff only what they can handle. This means seeing past the immediate needs to save money, and instead focusing on training and supervision to ensure that everyone understands what safety really means. It may also mean investing in equipment that is ergonomic. For example, a new power scrubber may allow maximum control with minimum body effort on the part of the cleaner. These tips only strengthen the hotel to increase its profits rather than eat into your bottom line. Skipping steps generally results in insurance rates rising or having to pay out of pocket for the cost of an accident.

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