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INSURANCE MATTERS
A Newsletter for Members of the CCAP Insurance Programs
Owned by Members, Governed by Members, Service to Members
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February 2009 |
Volume 13, Issue 2 |
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Specialty Lines |
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As our insurance pools mature, we continue to look at ways to assist members. Often the service firms we work with bring us ideas, or we see areas where members need assistance.
A good example is the new service being announced this week for counties in the CCAP UC Trust. Called TALX Work Number, it relieves county staff of the time consuming task of responding to requests for employment and income verification information for county employees. See Julia's article about the service in this issue of IM. This new service is available to all members of the UC Trust at no cost!
We also are starting a new program to assist PComp members with their workers' compensation insurance experience modifications (mods). We've identified members with high mods, and have developed a Risk Management Assistance Plan to help them start working to lower their mod. Letters to the boards of commissioners and executive directors of these PComp members went out last week, explaining the program and what assistance will be available. See the article below for more information and to see if your county or entity will be part of this new program.
PComp members can also save money a new way. For the 2009 renewal we have added a new 2% loss control credit if the member has a full time risk manager (and 1% if the risk manager is part time). We have seen increased attention to loss prevention and control in counties with risk managers, and have for some time been advocating for counties to hire risk managers. We believe trying to share the responsibilities of risk management with other duties is difficult, and felt it was time to "put our money where our mouth is" to encourage professional risk management. There is no debit for members who do not have risk managers.
Lastly, the UC Trust is also introducing a way for members to save money on the cost of their UC coverage - a Loss Control Incentive Program. The new program is being announced this month, and will apply contributions paid to the UC Trust in 2010. Members can save up to 5% on their contributions for accomplishing loss control activities such as the free online UC training offered by TALX, having up to date HR policies, and timely reporting of claims and payroll information. Members are not debited if they do not accomplish the loss control incentives. See Julia's article in this newsletter about the new incentive program.
Make sure you call us when you need help with something,
John Sallade | |
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HealthChoices
Retreat |
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COMCARE, the County Managed Care Resource, will continue the tradition of holding a bi-annual retreat for HealthChoices Administrators, Finance and Quality Assurance Directors. This year the retreats will be held Friday, March 6th and Friday, September 18th. Both will be held at the Penn Stater in State College.
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PCoRP Award Winners |
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By John Sallade, Managing Director, CCAP Insurance Programs
Congratulations to the following members and individuals who were given PCoRP awards at the 2008 PCoRP Delegates Dinner during the CCAP Fall Conference:
Mike Ozalas, Carbon County solicitor was honored with the Brady Koch PCoRP Award for outstanding contributions to the county's risk management program.
Sharon Roxbury, Clarion County chief clerk, was awarded the Sherm Doebler PCoRP Award for her invaluable contributions to risk management in Clarion County.
Dee Robinson, Union County chief clerk, won the Ron Shearer PCoRP Award recognizing her many years of service on the PCoRP Board of Directors.
Alice Flavelle, Northampton County executive secretary, was awarded the PCoRP Claims Reporting Award for outstanding claims reporting on behalf of the county.
Fayette County received the PCoRP Loss Control Award for their work on risk management projects related to the county operated ferry.
Clinton County received the PCoRP Loss Prevention Award for leading all PCoRP members in attendance at PCoRP sponsored loss control workshops.
Indiana County won the Willis Pooling PCoRP Loss Experience Award for the lowest loss experience in PCoRP for 2008.
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New Vision Insurance Program Through BEST Flex |
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By Julia Jackson, Employee Benefits Program Manager
The CCAP BEST Flex program is pleased to announce a new and improved vision insurance option for Pennsylvania counties. The new BEST Flex vision program, provided by NVA (National Vision Administrators, LLC), is structured to price all counties as if they have 10,000 employees! Voluntary, fully employer funded, and partially employer funded plans are available, all with the same group purchasing discounts. Voluntary plans require a minimum of ten participants. NVA offers competitive plan designs and several added features to help lower out-of-pocket costs for participants. The following are just a few examples:
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Side-by-Side Comparison: |
Carrier 1 |
NVA |
Savings |
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Fashion and gradient tint |
$15 |
$10 to $12 |
20% to 30% |
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Ultraviolet coating |
$15 |
$12 |
20% |
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Scratch resistant coating |
$20 |
$10 |
50% |
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Standard progressive lenses |
$65 |
$50 |
20% |
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Polycarbonate lenses-Adult |
$35 |
$25 to $30 |
15% to 30% |
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High-index lenses |
$60 |
$55 |
8% |
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Plastic photo sensitive |
$70 |
$65 to $70 |
0% to 7% |
In addition to significant savings for counties and participating employees, NVA does not impose a "frame bar" so participants have a variety of frame options to choose from, and vision providers can use their own labs or a lab provider which tends to expedite the prescription fulfillment process. On-line and mail order contact lens replacement is also available.
NVA is headquartered in Clifton, New Jersey, and has offices in five states including one in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania. Its network includes private practice providers and regional and national optical retailers. There are 2600 participating providers in Pennsylvania alone.
For more information on BEST Flex and the new BEST Flex vision program, contact Julia Jackson, employee benefits program manager, at 800-895-9039.
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PComp Institutes New Risk Management Assistance Program |
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By John Sallade, Managing Director, CCAP Insurance Programs
The new RMAP plan is designed to help counties with high experience modifications. The plan was created at the request of the PComp Board of Directors, who sought a methodology for PComp to help members whose experience modifications are high. PComp staff does pay more attention to those members, but the Board wanted a more detailed process to help ensure these members are employing the appropriate methods and getting the help necessary from PComp to lower their experience mods.
PComp believes it is better to start assisting a member to control their mod sooner rather than later. We are concerned if we wait until the mod is really high, for example 1.50, we may be too late. As a result PComp has determined that members with mod of 1.10 or higher will be targeted for assistance. Keep in mind a mod of 1.00is average, and since the mod is a multiplier, a mod above 1.00 costs the member more in premium.
For 2009 the average mod for all PComp members increased from 1.048 to 1.061. PComp has 15 members (of 50) with mods at or above 1.10. There are 4 members with a mod at or above 1.50 and 1 with a mod above 2.00.
PComp members with a mod of 1.10 or higher will be required to develop a written Risk Management Plan. PComp's efforts to assist the member will start with a meeting between our loss control staff and the member's risk manager and safety committee where we will present our analysis of the member's claims and incident information and reach agreement with the risk manager and safety committee about measures for the member to take to prevent similar losses and reduce claims costs. After the meeting the PComp loss control staff will develop a draft Risk Management Plan, and present that to the risk manager and safety committee at their next meeting. Once the safety committee is satisfied with the Risk Management Plan, the Plan will be presented to the commissioners, preferably by the PComp loss control staff member, the risk manager, and representatives of the safety committee. The written plan must include the following elements:
Risk analysis of the member's claims trends over the past five years,
Recommended methods and approaches to prevention and mitigation of the types of injuries being experienced by the member's employees,
An analysis of the member's Return To Work program and recommendations for changes and improvements (if any),
An analysis of the member's claim reporting timeliness for the last two years,
A review of the last five years of the member's PComp Loss Control Incentive Program credits, showing what was achieved and what areas were not done by the member,
A review of the member's training on work comp for department heads and supervisors, including recommendations for changes if needed, and
A review of the member's training and documentation on work comp for employees, including recommendations for changes if needed.
The PComp Board of Directors has budgeted funds for use by PComp staff to provide assistance to members with high experience mods. These funds may be used for project work or resource items which are part of the member's Risk Management Plan, and must be recommended by the PComp loss control staff and approved by the PComp Managing Director.
Bruce Mitchell, Loss Control Manager, is overseeing the RMAP process, and a specific loss control specialist has been assigned to each PComp member with a mod of 1.10 or higher. The members and their loss control specialists are:
Member Mod Loss Control Specialist
Carbon Monroe Pike MH/MR 2.104 Gary Nicholson
Clearfield-Jefferson MH/MR 1.807 Bob Lauzonis
Venango County 1.595 Bob Lauzonis
Pike County 1.353 Gary Nicholson
Mercer County 1.267 Bob Lauzonis
Fulton County 1.257 Greg Cunningham
Mifflin-Juniata AAA 1.254 Greg Cunningham
Bedford/Somerset MH/MR 1.246 Gary Nicholson
Adams County 1.222 Gary Nicholson
Erie County 1.202 Bob Lauzonis
Monroe County 1.176 Gary Nicholson
Union County 1.168 Greg Cunningham
Fayette County 1.161 Bob Lauzonis
Somerset AAA 1.138 Bob Lauzonis
Bedford County 1.122 Gary Nicholson
For more information about the RMAP program contact Bruce Mitchell at CCAP.
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New Benefit For CCAP UC Trust Members |
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By Julia Jackson, Employee Benefits Program Manager
The CCAP UC Trust and TALX Corporation have partnered once again to offer an additional, no-cost benefit for CCAP UC Trust members. This TALX Corporation service, called The Work Number, will help to alleviate the time counties spend on completing employment and salary verifications.
About The Work Number
The Work Number is a TALX Corporation service that allows organizations to outsource their employment and income verification process. Users are authorized by either the employer or the employee to access current employment data to verify employment and income for mortgage and personal credit approval, pre-employment screening, tenant screening, insurance claims, and social services eligibility. Information is accurate, up-to-date, and available instantly.
Direct transmittal of payroll data each pay period ensures that The Work Number communicates the exact information clients provide. Easy to set up and simple to maintain, The Work Number eliminates your manual internal process. Incoming paper verifications and forms are eliminated completely. Liability associated with subjective comments is also eliminated as The Work Number only tells verifiers what your employment data says about the employee and no more.
Release of income information through The Work Number is managed by employees who need to have their information verified. TALX uses the best technology available to ensure employee data is truly secure and maintains the tightest of controls including independent certifications, firewalls, data center controls, back-up systems, shredding, encryption, security scans, comprehensive hiring practices, and physical security.
Best of all, The Work Number requires minimal involvement from your staff. You simply provide employment and payroll data, and TALX will take care of the rest.
Also new for 2009, the CCAP UC Trust is finalizing a Loss Control Incentive Program that can save members as much as 5% on their quarterly contributions to the Trust. Watch for more information coming soon!
For more information on the TALX Work Number or membership in the CCAP UC Trust email Julia Jackson, employee benefits program manger, or call 800-895-9039. UC Trust members will be contacted directly to discuss the Work Number program in more detail.
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PComp Board of Directors Election Results |
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By John Sallade, Managing Director, CCAP Insurance Programs
The 2009 PComp election has been completed. Nominations were solicited from the members by mail, and balloting concluded at the end of 2008. Congratulations to the following county officials who were reelected to the PComp Board:
Teresa Jones, Bradford County human resources director, 6th Class Representative
Dee Robinson, Union County chief clerk, 7th & 8th Class Representative
Steve Howsare, Bedford County commissioner, At Large Representative
Donna Hartle, Clarion County commissioner, At Large Representative
We would also like to thank these candidates who were also willing to serve on the PComp Board, but who were not elected:
Richard Bickhart, Snyder County commissioner
Vince Pavic, Somerset County human resources director
PComp is CCAP's workers' compensation insurance program. For more information contact John Sallade at CCAP.
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PCoRP Board Elects Officers |
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By John Sallade, Managing Director, CCAP Insurance Programs
The PCoRP Board of Directors met on January 16 and elected officers for 2009. Congratulations to the following officers:
Chairman: Frank Staudenmeier, Schuylkill County commissioner
Vice Chairwoman: Gail Kipp, Columbia County chief clerk
Secretary/Treasurer: Bill Gaylord, Wyoming County chief clerk
PCoRP is CCAP's property, auto and liability insurance pool. For more information contact John Sallade at CCAP.
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Spring Workshops Update! |
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By Linda Rosito, Insurance Training Director
March will be the beginning of the spring workshop season. The Glimpse will be out in early February and online registration will be up and running as well.
In March we will have our workshop on Controlling Workers' Compensation Costs. This workshop, formally the PComp Loss Control workshop, is free to members of PComp but open to everyone. The afternoon session called CSI Accident Investigation will have several accidents staged. It will lead you through the how, what, why, when and where of each situation. We encourage everyone to attend this workshop. Plus it sounds like a lot of fun!
Also in March is the Maintenance Workshop. This workshop will introduce subjects like what is "green", ways of "Going Green" and other topics to improve the county's utility management.
In early April, before the next edition of Insurance Matters, we will have opportunities to attend workshops entitled Respect in the Workplace, Defensive Driving as well as the PCoRP Loss Control Workshop. There is a lot more to offer this season. Stay tuned!
For additional information on these and any workshops this spring, please go to Glimpse Online. We look forward to seeing you this spring!
If you do not already receive a copy of the Glimpse and would like to, please contact us. As always if you have any questions, please feel free to contact a member of the Insurance Training Staff.
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Pool Membership Changes |
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By John Sallade, Managing Director, CCAP Insurance Programs
With the new year sometimes comes change! And like most things in life, good news is often tinged with sadness.
We are pleased to announce Butler County has joined PCoRP, the Pennsylvania Counties Risk Pool, effective January 1, 2009! The county's local producer is Bob Zedrick and Beth Cassata of the Gleason Agency. The county went through a selection process to choose a local producer, and after picking the Gleason Agency had them solicit insurance proposals for the county. Butler County is PCoRP's 47th member (and 42nd county member).
We are sorry to see Carbon County end its membership in PComp, the Pennsylvania Counties Workers' Compensation Trust, also effective January 1, 2009. The county was a member for four years.
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NACo 'Deferred Comp' Program Rated Stable, Strong |
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Article reprinted with permission from the National Association of Counties (NACo).
Source: County News, Vol. 40, No. 24, December 22, 2008.
Recent headlines and the current economic climate highlight the importance of making sure personal and retirement investments are with a financially strong company. As part of the oversight of its Deferred Compensation Program, the National Association of Counties (NACo) hires an independent consultant to evaluate several different program aspects. These include the credit worthiness of Nationwide Financial, the parent company of Nationwide Retirement Solutions, the program's administrator, and assurance that the fixed annuity investment option offers a competitive return to program participants.
In their analysis of the credit worthiness of Nationwide, the consultants concluded that it is a strong, stable insurer that continues to strengthen its foundation. This analysis provides assurance that participants' funds are being managed by a financially sound organization.
The NACo deferred compensation program, also known as a 457 program, is a voluntary program that gives county employees the opportunity to save regularly for their retirement on a pre-tax basis. One of the investment options available to participants is a fixed annuity that offers county employees the opportunity to earn an investment return at a fixed rate that is established quarterly by Nationwide. In addition, on an annual basis, Nationwide sets an investment rate minimum (or floor) for the year.
NACo's Deferred Compensation Program continues in its number one slot on the return it provides to county employees who are invested in the program's fixed annuity option. According to the study, the 2007 return on this investment option placed highest among its competitors. The report was released at the Nov. 14, 2008 meeting of NACo's Deferred Compensation Advisory Committee, held in Riverside County, California. This study has been conducted every year since 1989, and the NACo program has always come out on top.
"Our 28-year partnership with NRS continues to deliver a quality program that helps county employees save for a more comfortable retirement - this is more important than ever in today's economy," said Larry E. Naake, NACo executive director.
The competitive interest rate test concluded that Nationwide met its contractual requirement to equal or exceed the top one-third of its competitors. This study reviewed the fixed annuity option offered by Nationwide and its nine largest competitors.
The consultants' analyses are only one feature of NACo's deferred compensation program that distinguishes it from others. As a result of NACo's Deferred Compensation Advisory Committee, the NACo program is the only one in the country that receives oversight and is advised by county participants. It also benefits from the oversight and endorsement of 41 state associations of counties, including the County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania.
For more information on NACo's Deferred Compensation program e-mail Julia Jackson, employee benefits program manager, or call 800-895-9039. Additional information is also available online at www.nrsforu.com.
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Quote Of The Month |
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"A truly happy person is one who can
enjoy the scenery on a detour."
- Anonymous
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CCAP Insurance Programs
PO Box 60769, Harrisburg, PA 17106-0769
Phone (800) 895-9039 - FAX (717) 526-1020
Claims Fax (888) 692-2368
Click here to go the Insurance Section of the CCAP Website.
email:jsallade@pacounties.org
Insurance Matters is published monthly by CCAP Insurance Programs for the use of members of CCAP's UC Trust, PCoRP, PComp, PIMCC, COMCARE, COMCARE PRO, BEST Flex, PELICAN and other insurance programs, and insurance producers of these members.
Advice contained in this publication is not legal advice and members are encouraged to seek the opinion of their solicitor.
The information provided in this publication is not intended to take the place of professional advice. Readers are encouraged to consult with competent legal, financial, or other appropriate professionals. Statements of facts and opinions expressed in this publication, by authors other than Association staff and officers, are the sole responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent an opinion or philosophy of the officers, members and staff of the County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania (CCAP). No endorsement of advertised products or services is implied by CCAP unless those products or services are expressly endorsed, or are owned or managed by the Association programs, or our affiliates. This publication may not be reproduced, modified, distributed, or displayed in part or in whole, by any means, without advance written permission of CCAP. Please direct your requests to John Sallade, Managing Director, CCAP Insurance Programs, jsallade@pacounties.org.
Note: As part of its copyright agreement the CCAP grants the author the right to place the final version of his/her manuscript on the author's homepage, subject to CCAP's standards, or in a public digital repository, provided there is a link to the CCAP website.
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