Insurance Journal West 2019-05-06 by Insurance Journal

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May 6, 2019 • Vol. 97 No. 9

Contents

News & Markets

Risk Managers Report Lowest Level of Risk Readiness in 12 Years: Aon

MyNewMarkets.com Upgrades With New Agent Features, Enhanced Search

Idea Exchange

Special Report

Closer Look: Laws Protecting Doctors Who Apologize Don’t Lessen Risk of Lawsuits

24 Special Report:

Telemedicine Takes Workers’ Comp Into the Future

34 Claims Journal:

Expanding Urgent Care Market Brings New Opportunities

Ask the Insurance Recruiter: Remote Employees

When Words Collide: Claim Advocacy

Ruling Highlights Need for Workplace Violence Standard

2019 Workers’ Compensation Directory

The Competitive Advantage: The Need for Agents (to Do Their Jobs)

Closing Quote: How Workplace Violence Impacts the Bottomline

Departments 6 Opening Note 4 | INSURANCE JOURNAL | MAY 6, 2019

14 Declarations

14 Figures

16 Business Moves

19 My New Markets

32 People

INSURANCEJOURNAL.COM

Today, tomorrow, whenever you need us. It’s AmTrust for Workers’ Comp.

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AmTrust has been your trusted partner for workers’ comp and small business risks over the past 20 years, and we’ll continue to be there with you in the future. Our commitment to small businesses has never wavered. Join hundreds of thousands of small businesses across the U.S. and get your clients #AmTrustInsured

www.amtrustfinancial.com/ijmay or call 877.702.9923 AmTrust is AmTrust Financial Services, Inc., located at 59 Maiden Lane, New York, NY 10038. Coverages are provided by its property and casualty insurance company affiliates. Consult the applicable policy for specific terms, conditions, limits and exclusions to coverage.

Opening Note Write the Editor: awells@insurancejournal.com

ADMINISTRATION / CIRCULATION

Phone Addicts

ast year, more than 6,000 pedestrians lost their lives in accidents caused by distracted drivers. And the problem is getting worse by the day thanks to cell phone addicts. According to the third annual Distracted Driving Study by Zendrive, on a national level, drivers are 10 percent more distracted this year than last year. “Phone Addicts” now replace drunk drivers as the ultimate threat on public roads, Zendrive claims. The study found that “Phone Addicts” spend 28% of their time driving actively ignoring the road. “Phone Addicts are glued to their phones, so they’re more distracted, more dangerous, and more likely to cause a crash,” the report said. “When comparing this year’s data to the 2018 report, we found that the number of ‘Phone Addicts’ doubled in the last year.” The findings revealed that phone addicts: • Spend three times more drive time actively using their phones. • Actively ignore the road 28% of the time they’re driving. • Are on the road 1.5 times more than the general population. • Are more of a public danger than drunk drivers. To better understand what drives this behavior, Zendrive asked drivers to talk. The survey found that while people know distracted driving is a problem, they aren’t concerned enough to change their behavior. According to the survey: • 85% of respondents acknowledged distracted driving is a problem; • 90% claimed to be safe drivers; but • 47% admitted to using phones 10% or more of the time while driving, classifying them as “Phone Addicts.”

‘Phone addicts are glued to their phones.’

“What we concluded from our survey data is that no one readily accepts they’re capable of putting others at serious risk. All of us want to believe we’re safe while on the road. But how safe are we really?” the report stated. Overall, the study found that distracted driving went up in every state year over year. In each of the 19 major cities that Zendrive studied, driver phone use per hour increased by 5% to 10% across the board. Across the 1.8 million people studied, Zendrive found that the general population averaged 1 minute, 48 seconds of phone use per hour of driving. However, “Phone Addicts” admitted that they use their phones for six minutes or more for every hour behind the wheel, the study said. That’s almost double last year’s amount of distraction, where the study found habitual phone users spent an average of just three minutes, 30 seconds on their phones each hour. To view the full study, visit zendrive.com.

Andrea Wells Editor-in-Chief 6 | INSURANCE JOURNAL | MAY 6, 2019

Publisher Mark Wells | mwells@wellsmedia.com Chief Executive Officer Joshua Carlson | jcarlson@insurancejournal.com Chief Financial Officer Mark Wooster | mwooster@wellsmedia.com Circulation Manager Elizabeth Duffy | eduffy@wellsmedia.com Staff Accountant Sarah Kersbergen | skersbergen@wellsmedia.com

EDITORIAL

Chief Content Officer Andrew Simpson | asimpson@insurancejournal.com Editor-in-Chief Andrea Wells | awells@insurancejournal.com East Editor Elizabeth Blosfield | eblosfield@insurancejournal.com Southeast Editor/MyNewMarkets Amy O’Connor | aoconnor@insurancejournal.com South Central Editor/Midwest Editor Stephanie K. Jones | sjones@insurancejournal.com West Editor Don Jergler | djergler@insurancejournal.com International Editor L.S. Howard | lhoward@insurancejournal.com Columnists & Contributors Contributors: Eric Paynter, Jim Sams, Gary Sheely Columnists: Chris Burand, Mary Newgard, Bill Wilson

SALES / MARKETING

Chief Marketing Officer Julie Tinney | jtinney@insurancejournal.com West Sales Dena Kaplan | dkaplan@insurancejournal.com Romeo Valdez rvaldez@insurancejournal.com South Central Sales Mindy Trammell | mtrammell@insurancejournal.com Southeast and East Sales (except for NY, PA, CT) Howard Simkin | hsimkin@insurancejournal.com Midwest Sales Lisa Whalen | (800) 897-9965 x180 East Sales (NY, PA and CT only) Dave Molchan | (800) 897-9965 x145 Sales & Marketing Coordinator Ashley Berg | aberg@insurancejournal.com Advertising Coordinator Erin Burns | eburns@insurancejournal.com Insurance Markets Manager Kristine Honey | khoney@insurancejournal.com Senior Strategist Pam Simpson | psimpson@insurancejournal.com Social Media Manager Ly Short | Lshort@insurancejournal.com Marketing Administrator Gayle Wells | gwells@insurancejournal.com Marketing Director Derence Walk | dwalk@insurancejournal.com

DESIGN / WEB / VIDEO

V.P. of Design Guy Boccia | gboccia@insurancejournal.com V.P. of Technology Chris Thompson | cthompson@insurancejournal.com Ad Ops Specialist Jeff Cardrant | jcardrant@insurancejournal.com Web Developer Terrance Woest | twoest@wellsmedia.com Web Developer Ryan Kleshinski | rkleshinski@wellsmedia.com New Media Producer Bobbie Dodge | bdodge@insurancejournal.com Videographer/Editor Ashley Waldrop | awaldrop@insurancejournal.com

ACADEMY OF INSURANCE

Director Patrick Wraight | pwraight@ijacademy.com Online Training Coordinator Nathan Granitz | ngranitz@ijacademy.com

SUBSCRIPTIONS:

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Insurance Journal, The National Property/Casualty Magazine (ISSN: 00204714) is published semi-monthly by Wells Media Group, Inc., 3570 Camino del Rio North, Suite 200, San Diego, CA 92108-1747. Periodicals Postage Paid at San Diego, CA and at additional mailing offices. SUBSCRIPTION RATES: $7.95 per copy, $12.95 per special issue copy, $195 per year in the U.S., $295 per year all other countries. DISCLAIMER: While the information in this publication is derived from sources believed reliable and is subject to reasonable care in preparation and editing, it is not intended to be legal, accounting, tax, technical or other professional advice. Readers are advised to consult competent professionals for application to their particular situation. Copyright 2019 Wells Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Content may not be photocopied, reproduced or redistributed without written permission. Insurance Journal is a publication of Wells Media Group, Inc. POSTMASTER: Send change of address form to Insurance Journal, Circulation Dept, PO Box 708, Northbrook, IL 60065-9967 ARTICLE REPRINTS: Contact (800) 897-9965 x125 or visit insurancejournal.com/reprints

News & Markets Risk Managers Report Lowest Level of Risk Readiness in 12 Years: Aon Survey Ranks Economic Slowdown, Reputation/Brand as Top Concerns

conomic and global trade concerns are challenging organizations’ ability to invest adequately in preparing for and protecting the continuity of their operations, according to findings from Aon’s 2019 Global Risk Management Survey, which aims to identify the challenges organizations face in assessing and responding to traditional and emerging risks. Survey respondents ranked economic slowdown as their No. 1 risk while damage to reputation/brand was cited as the No. 2 concern, which reflects the potential for significant consequences when corporate 8 | INSURANCE JOURNAL | MAY 6, 2019

mishaps occur amidst a 24/7 news cycle on social medial platforms, explained Aon. Accelerated rates of change in market factors stemming from an increase in protectionist international trade policies, which include rising regulatory activity and geopolitical tension, jumped from 38 in the previous survey to round out the top three concerns on the 2019 list.

Lowest Level of Risk Readiness

Risk managers are reporting their lowest level of risk readiness in 12 years, as many of the top risks, such as economic slowdown and increasing competition are

uninsurable, said the report. This means that risk managers need to embrace risk management as opposed to risk transfer in order to mitigate these threats and protect their organizations from potential volatility, Aon continued. Aon said obtained responses for its 2019 survey in the fall of 2018, “during a time of enormous uncertainty around the globe, fueled by stock market declines, trade policy disputes, aggressive regulatory actions, massive recalls, an active cycle of devastating natural disasters, far-reaching cyber attacks and corporate scandals.”

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FROM

American Global LLC

DATE

April 1st, 2019

SUBJECT

American Global Names David Marino Group President and Chief Operating Officer

American Global, a collaborative insurance and surety brokerage platform dedicated to the construction industry, announced that David Marino has joined the firm to lead its brokerage operation with the capacity and expertise to provide solutions to the most complex insurance and surety placement needs across the globe.

In this role, Mr. Marino will be responsible for ensuring that American Global delivers excellence in risk advisory services across the construction industry and expertly serves a growing client base of industry leading contractors and project owners.

Mr. Marino brings to American Global more than 25 years of insurance and construction industry experience. He joins American Global from Marsh, where he previously held the role of Managing Director and US Construction Industry Leader.

David Marino has advised construction segment buyers in all facets of the industry. He has personally been engaged in leading teams serving the largest and most complex construction projects in the market.

Michael Marino, CEO at American Global, shared the following. “David’s track record as a trusted and proven industry leader who has always put his clients first makes the future that much more exciting at American Global. The addition of David is equally exciting for our rapidly expanding customer base as David’s credibility and deep carrier relationships will further our commitment and ability to provide them with industry leading results. I am proud of the culture we have at American Global and it is personally gratifying to welcome my brother to a team of professionals committed to being the very best.”

David Marino added, “The Construction Industry is facing rapid and seismic shifts on a number of fronts. Risk advisors that understand and appreciate the change contractors face are best positioned to bring worldclass advice and anticipate steps required to deliver market leading solutions on behalf of the clients they serve. I believe American Global is uniquely situated to excel in this regard, and I am very excited to join the firm.”

www.americanglobal.com

Expect More From Your Broker. American Global is a full service insurance, surety and financial services agency focused 100% on the construction industry. Â We connect our clients with the best insurance and surety partners and the most strategic program structures to support their needs.

Innovation. Credibility. Partnership.

News & Markets continued from page 8 These broad macro-economic risks, combined with the speed of technological change, are contributing to the growing prominence of new threats, which can disrupt supply chains and overall business operations, Aon went on to say. As a result, one-third of the top 15 risks are new entrants to the top 15 list, including accelerated rates of change in market factors and disruptive technologies. “The complexity of the situation organizations face today is substantial. These challenges are likely to grow in intensity over the next few years as new risks become even more prominent, including the implications of an aging workforce, the impact of climate change, the growing prevalence of cyber-attacks and the emergence of ever more disruptive technologies,” said Greg Case, president and CEO of Aon, in a forward to the report.

Key Additional Findings

The Aon report also provided a list of additional risk management concerns: • Aging workforce rises from a ranking of 37 in 2017 to 20 in 2019. It is predicted to rise to 13 by 2022. Overall, aging populations coupled with workforce shortages not only change the social and economic

12 | INSURANCE JOURNAL | MAY 6, 2019

MyNewMarkets.com Upgrades With New Agent Features, Enhanced Search

yNewMarkets.com unveiled a redesign with new features for both agents hunting for markets and providers offering solutions. The site, first launched in 2007, is now the leading search engine helping insurance agents find property/ casualty insurance markets. Its database includes 6,000 listings. trajectory of a country, but also create volatility within organizations. • Climate change moved from a ranking of 45 in 2017 to 31 in 2019, as the frequency and severity of natural catastrophes contribute to rising concerns about the impact on the global economy. • Cyber attacks/data breaches rank as the No. 6 risk and are expected to jump to the third-highest overall risk in 2022. Cyber continues to hold the No. 1 spot among those responding from North America. For the first time, cyber risk is predicted to be in the top-10 list for Latin America. It is also predicted to rise in Europe and in the Middle East and Africa. • Disruptive technologies are a growing

Registration for agents is free. The site also includes forums where agents post questions or market needs and the MyNewMarkets community responds with help. In the past year, users made 670,000 searches, and generated 1.7 million-page views. concern for survey respondents, rising from a ranking of 20 in 2017 to 14 in 2019 globally. This trend is cited as a top-10 risk for 50 percent of all industry sectors. “Companies of all sizes are struggling to prioritize their risk management efforts amid so much change and uncertainty,” said Rory Moloney, chief executive officer, Aon Global Risk Consulting. “What was once a tried-and-true strategy for risk mitigation – using the past to predict the future – is now a challenge and coupled with a more competitive global economy, it is causing an all-time low level of risk readiness,” he added. As a result, risk management plans need to take a different approach than they have in the past.” “The changes in this year’s survey results indicate that the risk management function must evolve to reach the enterprise level,” added Moloney. “This, combined with the use of data and predictive analytics that can generate actionable insights, will help businesses protect their bottom lines while adapting to accelerated change and economic fluctuations.” Aon plc surveys thousands of risk managers across 60 countries and 33 industries every two years to identify key risks and challenges their organizations are facing. Participant profiles in Aon’s 2019 Global Risk Management Survey encompassed small (below US$1 billion), medium ($1 billion to $15 billion) and large (above $15 billion) organizations, including respondents from privately-owned companies, public organizations, government and not-forprofit entities. INSURANCEJOURNAL.COM

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Figures

Million That’s the size of dividend the Nonprofits Insurance Alliance of California has declared for 2019. The group will issue the dividend to its qualifying member-insured 501(c)(3) nonprofits renewing their policies from June 1, 2019, to May 31, 2020.

The amount 23 current and former drivers for Connecticut Limousine received in a settlement following a lawsuit over allegations the New Haven, Conn.-based company illegally withheld wages by misclassifying the drivers as independent contractors instead of employees.

$750,000

Declarations Increased Limits

“While we wanted to increase the speed limit on our turnpikes and state highways, we also worked to ensure the safety of Oklahoma drivers. … We will use traffic and engineering studies that take into consideration things such as traffic density and infrastructure quality to determine where we could safely increase these speed limits.” — Oklahoma state Rep. Daniel Pae, R-Lawton, author of House Bill 1071, which has been signed by Gov. Kevin Stitt. The bill increases the speed limit on Oklahoma turnpikes from 75 to 80 miles per hour and on certain state highways from 70 to 75 miles per hour.

Misclassification Crackdown

“The majority of Michigan companies play by the rules. But those who don’t are cheating the system, raking in unfair profits and hurting Michigan in the process. … These fly-by-night operators are lying, cheating and stealing from all of us.” — Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel, who said her office will crackdown on businesses that cheat their employees of wages and workers’ compensation protection, and dodge taxes by misclassifying workers as independent contractors.

Uber Safety

“We’re also launching an awareness campaign on social media, and we’re placing ads in college newspapers and on billboards near entertainment districts across the country to educate students about these steps.” — Ridesharing company Uber Technologies, on its efforts to roll out new safety features to help riders avoid fake rideshare drivers. The company plans to add app features that help people identify the right car and a push notification to remind riders to “Check Your Ride” just before their car arrives. The moves came in response to the murder of a South Carolina college student after she got into a car she mistakenly thought was her Uber.

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Business Moves Belmont Jr., head of Gallagher’s Northeast Atlantic employee benefits consulting and brokerage operations. Arthur J. Gallagher & Co., a global insurance brokerage, risk management and consulting services firm, is headquartered in Rolling Meadows, Ill.

Hub International Limited, The Insurance Exchange

National

East

ProAg, AmTrust Agriculture

Marsh & McLennan Agency, Employee Benefits Group

Producers Ag Insurance Group Inc. has agreed to acquire Leawood, Kan.based managing general agent AmTrust Agriculture Insurance Services. The deal, which is subject to regulatory approvals, is expected to close by May 1. AmTrust Ag, a subsidiary of AmTrust Financial Services Inc., manages multi-peril crop, crop hail, livestock and named peril crop insurance. AmTrust Ag products are underwritten by Technology Insurance Co., an approved insurance provider under the federal crop insurance program. In 2018, the company managed gross premiums of $103 million, as reported by National Crop Insurance Services (NCIS). ProAg is a member of the Tokio Marine HCC group of companies. ProAg writes multi-peril crop, crop hail, named peril crop and livestock insurance. The company is headquartered in Amarillo, Texas, and employs approximately 400 people in 49 states. Since it completed its $2.95 billion privatization plan last November, AmTrust Financial Services has been selling off businesses that do not fit within its strategy of being a specialty commercial P/C insurer focused on local markets and niche products. Last month, Canopius AG signed an agreement to purchase AmTrust at Lloyd’s and Liberty Mutual Insurance agreed to acquire the global surety and credit reinsurance operations of AmTrust. 16 | INSURANCE JOURNAL | MAY 6, 2019

Marsh & McLennan Agency LLC, the middle market agency subsidiary of Marsh, has acquired Employee Benefits Group Inc., a Bethesda, Md.-based independent insurance agency specializing in employee benefits and retirement consulting. Founded in 1987, EBG provides employee health and welfare consulting and retirement consulting services to clients throughout the Mid-Atlantic. EBG has 12 employees, all of whom are joining MMA. MMA is a subsidiary of Marsh that serves the middle market.

Arthur J. Gallagher & Co., Merit Insurance

Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. has acquired Shelton, Conn.-based Merit Insurance Inc. Founded in 1950, Merit Insurance is a retail property and casualty broker and employee benefits consultant offering a range of coverages and services to clients across the Northeast from offices in Shelton and Bridgeport, Connecticut. Areas of focus include contractors, public entities, real estate developers, nonprofits and high-net-worth clients. Sean Carroll, James Benson and their associates will continue to operate from their current locations under the direction of Patrick Kennedy, head of Gallagher’s Northeast region retail property and casualty brokerage operations, and Tom

Hub International Limited has acquired The Insurance Exchange Inc. Based in Rockville, Md., The Insurance Exchange is an independent insurance agency that provides employee benefits consulting, commercial property and casualty, loss control, bonding, risk management, personal umbrella, home and auto insurance, retirement plan services, wealth management and international insurance. Following the acquisition, The Insurance Exchange’s President and CEO Joseph Brown will join Hub Mid-Atlantic and report to Hub’s U.S. East Regional President Charles Brophy. Headquartered in Chicago, Ill., Hub International Limited is a full-service global insurance broker.

Towne Insurance, Straus, Itzkowitz & LeCompte Insurance

Towne Insurance, a wholly-owned subsidiary of TowneBank, has acquired Straus, Itzkowitz & LeCompte Insurance, a full-service, independent agency located in Richmond, Va. Straus, Itzkowitz & LeCompte is led by agency president Fred Itzkowitz and executive vice president Pettus LeCompte. This will mark the 23rd acquisition for Virginia-based Towne Insurance.

Midwest Distinguished Programs, ProHost USA

Distinguished Programs, a national insurance program manager headquartered in New York, has acquired Minneapolis, Minnesota-based ProHost USA, a specialty insurance program for restaurants and related risks.

continued on page 18 INSURANCEJOURNAL.COM

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Business Moves continued from page 16

Distinguished currently offers umbrella coverage for the restaurant industry. Adding ProHost’s customized restaurant packages will enable it to offer a more complete restaurant insurance program, noted Brooks Chase, president of Distinguished Programs’ specialty division. ProHost is led by President Heidi Strommen, who has been with ProHost for 29 of the company’s 30 years of operations and president the last 10 years. Strommen will continue to oversee the ProHost operation as a senior vice president of Distinguished Programs. ProHost caters to fast casual, family and fine dining establishments, and to many wine bars, chef-driven and start-up restaurants and caterers across the United States.

Hub International, Corey Steinbach Insurance

Chicago-based global insurance broker, Hub International Limited, has acquired the assets of Corey Steinbach Insurance Agency LLC in Felton, Minnesota. Corey Steinbach Insurance is a full-service firm specializing in crop insurance. Its focus on the agribusiness industry supports Hub’s Specialty practices by complementing and strengthening Hub’s existing solutions. Owner Corey Steinbach will join Hub Mountain.

South Central The Hilb Group, Walker Brothers Insurance

The Hilb Group LLC has acquired Arkansas-based Walker Brothers Insurance Inc., effective April 1. Formed in 1932, WBI is a full-service retail agency primarily focused on commercial property/casualty insurance for small to medium sized businesses. WBI’s employees, including Agency Leader Mike Luttrell, are joining THG and will continue to operate out of their office located in Springdale, Arkansas. The Hilb Group is a middle market insurance agency headquartered in Richmond, Virginia. 18 | INSURANCE JOURNAL | MAY 6, 2019

Southeast Hub International, M.B.I. Group

Hub International Limited, a global insurance brokerage, has acquired the assets of M.B.I. Group, LLC. M.B.I. Group is an independent insurance firm based in Flowood, Mississippi, offering personal insurance products, including real estate, auto, umbrella and life insurance products. Michael Bishop, president and sole owner of M.B.I. Group, will join Hub Gulf South. Bishop will report to Shaun Norris, president of Hub Gulf South. Headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, Hub International Limited is a leading full-service global insurance broker providing property and casualty, life and health, employee benefits, investment and risk management products and services.

Baldwin Krystyn Sherman Partners, Lykes Insurance

Baldwin Krystyn Sherman Partners, an insurance brokerage and risk management firm headquartered in Tampa, Fla., has acquired Florida-based, independent firm, Lykes Insurance. The partnership finalized on March 13, 2019. Founded in 1925 by Lykes Bros. Inc., Lykes Insurance is an insurance brokerage focused on commercial risk insurance, surety bonds, employee benefits and private risk management. Lykes’ team has been providing risk management services to clients from their downtown Tampa, Ft. Myers and Orlando locations for 94 years. BKS-Partners currently operates in multiple locations throughout the Southeast with a team of over 300 colleagues. BKSPartners works with clients across the country and has recently been strategically expanding their footprint throughout the Southeast. The firm’s acquisition of Lykes Insurance comes in addition to multiple significant partnerships formed by BKSPartners in 2018 which introduced the firm into Northeast Florida, Alabama, Georgia and Texas. Lykes’ transition to the Baldwin Krystyn Sherman platform is in progress and clients should expect a seamless transition

in terms of service and accessibility. Lykes Insurance will inherit the BKS-Partners name over the next few months. BKS-Partners was recently recognized as a Best Place to Work by and a Best Insurance Agency to Work for by Insurance Journal.

AssuredPartners, Premier Insurance Corporation

AssuredPartners Inc. is has acquired Premier Insurance Corporation Inc. of Cape Coral, Fla. Premier specializes in property and casualty insurance, workers' compensation, employee benefits, and life insurance. Premier and their team of seven employees will continue to be managed and operated by founders Larry Wier and Jacque Wier, who started Premier in 1996. Headquartered in Lake Mary, Florida and led by Jim Henderson and Tom Riley, AssuredPartners, Inc. acquires and invests in insurance brokerage businesses (property and casualty, employee benefits, surety and MGU’s) across the United States and in London. From its founding in March of 2011, AssuredPartners has grown to over $1.2 billion in annualized revenue with over 225 offices in the U.S. in 30 states and London.

West Brown & Brown, ALMEA Insurance Brown & Brown of Oregon LLC has

acquired substantially all of the assets of ALMEA Insurance’s Vancouver, Wash. location. Following the deal, the ALMEA Insurance team will continue doing business from its existing Vancouver location as a branch location of Brown & Brown’s Portland, Ore., office and will operate under the leadership of Jessica Getman, president of Brown & Brown of Oregon. ALMEA Insurance offers a variety of personal and business insurance products and services to customers in Washington and Oregon. The firm has reported annual revenues of roughly $2 million. Brown & Brown of Oregon is part of Brown & Brown Inc., an insurance brokerage firm. INSURANCEJOURNAL.COM

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News & Markets

A Case for Updated Insurance Licensing Exemption Regulations

arken back to 2002 — a time when iPhones, Android phones, even Blackberries, had yet to be introduced. By Mark Robinson Facebook, Twitter and YouTube were years away from their debuts, and streaming content on Netflix was still a fantasy — though there were approximately 9,000 Blockbuster Video stores open for business. In 2002, just 9.1 percent of the world’s population used the internet (compare that to 56.1 percent today, according to United Nations data), and there were only 3 million websites. Somewhere in the neighborhood of 2 billion exist today. A lot has changed over the last 17 years, W2 | INSURANCE JOURNAL | WEST MAY 6, 2019

but not everything. Regulations promulgated by the California Department of Insurance — those issued in 2002 governing conduct that unlicensed employees at insurance agencies and brokerages can engage in — remain unchanged. This is despite all the technological advancements over the past decade-plus, and the new ways in which the business of insurance — particularly at the producer level — is done. These regulations have not kept pace with technology, and this has proven to be quite problematic.

Insurance Companies Step Up Their Tech Game

Carriers have made it their mission to reduce costs associated with the acquisition and servicing of policies and claims management. Toward that end, insurers

have spent millions of dollars on technology designed to improve website functionality. The results have been impressive. These days, agents and brokers can submit policy applications online, facilitate a variety of website-based endorsements and otherwise avail themselves of other paperless options that streamline and expedite the entire process and make insurance more economical. But this new technological capacity raises questions about what activity requires an insurance license. For instance, can a licensee get into trouble by directing an unlicensed customer service representative to make an endorsement to a policy on an insurance company website, even when the modi-

continued on page W4

INSURANCEJOURNAL.COM

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News & Markets continued from page W2 fication is as minor as adding or changing a lienholder on an auto policy, correcting an address, or fixing typos in a VIN number? A strict reading of the applicable statute and regulations as currently written indicates that the answer to that question is “Yes.” While these seemingly clerical tasks can easily be handled by a CSR, a licensed producer must carry them out because they are, in fact, policy endorsements. Yet this is unreasonable and results in an unnecessary barrier to the efficacies insurance companies have set in place by leveraging technology. Which only bolsters the case that the rules concerning what unlicensed CSRs can and cannot do on producers’ behalf or behest must evolve with the times and be changed.

filling out applications for insurance coverage without any customer contact (other than to get hold of factual information requested by a licensee); obtaining underwriting information from third parties; preparing binders, certificates, endorsements, identification cards, policies and similar evidence of insurance under the supervision of a licensee (without signing these documents either in their names or in the names of licensees); scheduling appointments; accepting insurance premiums for delivery to licensees; and answering telephone calls, receiving faxes and written mail and opening emails. Absent from the above representative list: effectuating policy endorsements that are clerical or administrative in nature — an absence that is out of step with “business as usual” as we now know it to be.

‘But this new technological capacity raises questions about what activity requires an insurance license.’

The Current State of Licensing Exemptions

Clearly, substantive policy modifications — such as increases in premiums or changes to coverage — should be made at the hands of licensed professionals. However, several day-to-day administrative policy adjustments that can be accomplished on carrier websites, while technically endorsements, should not require a licensed producer’s personal efforts. Unfortunately, the 17-year-old regulations suggest otherwise. In California, a person shall not solicit, negotiate or affect contracts of insurance unless he or she holds a valid insurance license. There are exceptions to this rule applicable to employees of agencies and brokerages who do not receive commissions. One of these, as set forth in the California Insurance Code, includes clerical or administrative duties. But what tasks fit within this category? When the CDI last addressed this query in pre-iPhone days, it contemplated relatively inconsequential responsibilities like distributing brochures, business cards or other advertising information; W4 | INSURANCE JOURNAL | WEST MAY 6, 2019

A Typical Day at the Office

Imagine XYZ Insurance Services, a fictional agency in California that employs licensed and endorsed insurance producers selling personal auto insurance both in person and over the phone. XYZ also has on its staff unlicensed hourly CSRs, who do not receive bonuses based on sales, and assist the company’s licensed professionals by servicing customer policies. On any given day, it is not uncommon for these CSRs to field calls from policyholders requesting a variety of policy changes. In fact, when one such customer reports that his name as it appears on his declarations page is spelled wrong, the CSR on the line corrects it directly on the insurance company website. Then, when the insured asks a follow-up question about premiums, the CSR transfers him to the licensed producer handling his account. This hypothetical scenario is not at all unusual, and at first blush does not seem to present any problems. Certainly, correcting a spelling error is routine and

not akin to a discussion about coverage, rates, policy limits or anything else that would require a licensee’s involvement. But the CSR’s conduct can nevertheless be characterized as transacting insurance without a license because a change has been made to a policy that rises to the level of an endorsement. Under the law in its current form, an unlicensed CSR cannot make such a modification on his or her own, thus subjecting XYZ to a complaint by the CDI and corresponding legal exposure.

Note to the CDI: Get With the Times

In today’s insurance marketplace, it isn’t possible for an agency or brokerage to efficiently operate and compete if required to have licensed producers make every minor change to customer policies, such as the typo correction presented in the XYZ example. And given the statutory nod to unlicensed CSRs handling certain administrative and clerical tasks, the time is now for the law to be updated so that it catches up to currently available and widely used technology. As otherwise stated, the CDI and other similarly situated state insurance departments should promulgate new regulations allowing CSRs to freely assist licensees on non-substantive matters (read: those that fall short of explaining or interpreting policy language, recommending insurance products to customers, binding coverage and the like). The net effect would be for producers, through their CSRs, to lawfully take advantage of the convenience and efficiencies that carriers have built into their websites. Going forward, unlicensed CSRs should not have to think twice about accessing customer accounts online to facilitate negligible policy revisions. They should be able to legally do so even on iPads or comparable tablets — you guessed it, more post-2002 creations. Robinson is founding partner of Michelman & Robinson LLP, a national law firm headquartered in Los Angeles. He is an insurance industry specialist who primarily represents retail brokers and agents. Phone: (310)299-5500 or mrobinson@mrllp.com. INSURANCEJOURNAL.COM

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Closer Look: Medical Liability

SORRY!

Laws Protecting Doctors Who Apologize Don’t Lessen Litigation

aws intended to reduce malpractice litigation by protecting doctors who want to apologize don’t work, according to a new Vanderbilt analysis of proprietary insurance data. It turns out people sue for money and an apology doesn’t change that reality. In fact, apologies may raise the risk of claims. “The idea is simply that if providers could just say they’re sorry, that’s what patients really want. They really don’t care about punishing the doctor in a financial context, they care about having them express remorse,” said Larry Van Horn, associate professor of management and executive director of health affairs at Vanderbilt’s Owen Graduate School of Management, one of the

authors of the study. “But what we find is that no, people sue for money. ‘Sorry’ is not enough.” The study, ‘Sorry’ is Never Enough, appears in the Stanford Law Review.

In addition to Van Horn the authors are W. Kip Viscusi, University Distinguished Professor of Law, Economics and Management and Benjamin McMichael, assistant professor of law at the University of Alabama. The authors say their study provides the most detailed look yet at the impact of apology legislation on such claims. Reducing malpractice litigation has become a target of policymakers seeking to address the rising cost of health care. Put together, malpractice and defensive medicine — the practice of making treatment decisions to reduce the likelihood of getting sued — costs the United States billions of dollars per year. One way that policymakers have tried to achieve this is by passing laws that encourage physicians to apolo-

gize to patients for treatment mistakes. These laws make apologies inadmissible in court so doctors don’t have to worry that their apologies may be used against them if a patient decides to sue anyway. Non-surgeons bear the brunt of apology laws, the researchers found. Using proprietary data from a major malpractice insurer, the researchers were able to analyze malpractice claims for about 90 percent of U.S. providers in a single specialty composed of surgeons and non-surgeons — about 9,000 providers. Overall, about 4 percent of these physicians experienced a malpractice claim over the course of eight years. About two-thirds of all claims went to court. For surgeons, they found, apology laws made no difference in either the number of claims or the share of those claims that ended up in court. For non-surgeons, however, apology laws had a dramatic effect. While the overall number of claims was unchanged in states with apology laws, those claims were 46 percent more likely to result in a lawsuit. The researchers say that’s probably because surgical errors are usually more obvious than non-surgical ones — for example, a patient will know that a sponge left inside the body is a surgical mistake, but will probably not have the expertise to know whether their worsening illness is due to bad luck or

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Closer Look: Medical Liability continued from page 20

an overlooked symptom. That is, unless the doctor apologizes for it. “The laws do protect providers from having their apology introduced in court as evidence that they were at fault, but apologies also alert the injured patients to the physicians’ errors and the possibility of making a successful claim,” Viscusi explained. Even more dramatic was the change in payouts from successful lawsuits. Again, surgeons didn’t see a great difference, but non-surgeons did. In states with apology laws, the payouts to patients of non-surgeons more than doubled compared to states without apology laws.

cal benefits to apologizing for both physician and patient, Van Horn said, but in order for those benefits to translate into reduced litigation, more work needs to be done.

Making Apologies Work

The researchers note that in some health systems that pro-

There are clear psychologi-

DIRECT

vide training to their providers on when and how to apologize, lawsuits and payouts are in fact lower. Additionally, the laws themselves could be improved — currently, most only protect physicians for expressions of sympathy, not an explanation of what went wrong. However, recent scholarship on apology best practices suggests that victims are more satisfied by apologies that do include that explanation. This suggests that while apology laws alone are not enough to reduce malpractice litigation, proper training and more comprehensive laws could potentially be more effective. As they stand now, however, apology laws raise, rather than reduce, malpractice claim risks.

For surgeons, the study found that apology laws made no difference in either the number of claims or the share of those claims that ended up in court. For non-surgeons, however, apology laws had a dramatic effect.

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MAY 6, 2019 INSURANCE JOURNAL | 23

Special Report: Workers' Compensation

By Stephanie K. Jones

24 | INSURANCE JOURNAL | MAY 6, 2019

he use of telemedicine may be in its nascent stages within the workers’ compensation system, but the starting line has definitely been crossed with employers and workers’ comp insurers embracing the ability to provide remote medical care to injured employees using the video technology embedded in smart phones, tablets and computers. “Telemedicine is experiencing amazing growth. It’s extremely popular in group

health now, as well as workers’ compensation. We know quantitively there’s enormous potential for future utilization,” said Dr. David Deitz of David Deitz and Associates. Deitz, a managed care consultant, made those comments as moderator of a forum on telemedicine during the Workers’ Compensation Research Institute’s (WCRI) 35th Annual Issues and Research Conference held earlier this year. INSURANCEJOURNAL.COM

Deitz said there’s currently a minimal amount of data regarding the use of telemedicine in workers’ comp, but it appears that usage is not as commonplace in workers’ compensation as it is in the group health setting. There is, however, a “paradigm shift” occurring in workers’ comp when it comes to telemedicine, according to Dr. Stephen Dawkins, medical director at Cadaceus USA, an Atlanta, Georgia-based provider of medical management services in occupational health, and a member of the WCRI telemedicine panel. That paradigm shift is a “huge thing that we’re all going through whether you are the patient, the employer, whatever the case may be.” The use of telemedicine in workers’ comp has multiple advantages, according to both Dietz and Dawkins. It breaks down geographical barriers — it can be used in both rural and urban settings, and the injured employee receives treatment at the workplace, allowing for near-immediate return to work if appropriate. AF Group, the parent organization of a group of workers’ comp carriers that together provide coverage in all 50 U.S. states, took the plunge several years ago and began offering telemedicine services to its policyholders. The program has been well received, according to Dr. Dan Hunt, medical director for AF Group, who told Insurance Journal he expects the use of telemedicine will become “very standard within the workers’ compensation industry” in the coming years. Similarly, Dr. Dinesh Govindarao, medical director at State Compensation Insurance Fund (SCIF) in California, which also offers policyholders a telemedicine option, said it’s likely the industry will see a surge within the next three to five years. “There’s so much opportunity with it. What we’ve been finding is when people actually go … this route, they actually are very pleasantly surprised and want to continue [using it] when it’s appropriate for the care that they need,” Govindarao said. In late 2016 when AF Group’s Hunt and his colleagues began exploring how to provide telemedicine services to policyholders, there really were not a lot of options available. In fact, he said, he got the sense INSURANCEJOURNAL.COM

talking to other people in the industry that telemedicine might not be right for workers’ comp. What AF Group found were vendors that offered nurse triage services, with nurses on call that could consult with the injured worker to determine whether the injury was severe enough to necessitate a visit to a brick and mortar clinical setting such as an urgent care center or an emergency room. If not, the nurse counseled the worker on self-care for the injury. Other vendors offered a similar service, only the call went directly to a physician who then helped the employee determine the extent of the injury and if it should be treated in a clinical setting. AF Group was interested in giving the injured worker and his or her employer a broader choice and began working with vendors that were able to fulfill the organization’s needs. “The program that we’re involved in starts with a phone call that goes to a nurse,” Hunt said. That nurse “is trained in acute injury, more like an emergency room nurse than a workers’ compensation nurse.” The nurse talks to the injured employee to determine what the injury is and whether it is “something that the nurse can work with the individual and manage the care.” If that’s not the case, the nurse will decide, using national guidelines, whether

the injury needs to be seen by a physician. Then, “the option that the nurse helps the injured person work through is — is this something that can done as a virtual visit, with the iPad or the iPhone?” It’s up to the employee whether to go the televisit route or to a traditional brick and mortar facility, “which might be either a doctor at a clinic or even the emergency room depending on the level of severity of the injury,” Hunt said. Obviously, not all injuries — such as severe or life-threatening ones — would be referred for treatment via telemedicine, Hunt says. But care for strains and sprains, cuts and minor scrapes, which make up the bulk of claims among injured workers, can be appropriately managed within the telemedicine program. In fact, he says, the spectrum of injuries that have done well within the program has been broader than anticipated. “It’s always an option for the injured worker, but we offer them the opportunity to do a televisit with a physician who’s trained in occupational injury if that’s appropriate for their level of injury. If they choose to do it, we help facilitate that,” Hunt said. If the injured worker prefers an in-person visit, “then we help facilitate them seeing someone … in a brick and mortar clinic, a typical way you might receive care.”

continued on page 27

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Special Report: Workers' Compensation continued from page 25 At first, SCIF’s telemedicine program was primarily available to employers in rural areas of California, where access to brick and mortar care facilities is limited. The carrier has now expanded availability to include all areas of the state, whether rural or urban. And it recently partnered with telehealth services provider, Kura MD, to allow injured workers access to care 24 hours a day, seven days a week. “When we went on this mission to introduce telehealth services, we were looking at trying to fill some of these gap areas. What I mean by gap areas — it’s where there’s not really good access to medical providers. We thought that this would be another resource, another avenue for folks to have access to care in a way that they could do it on their own phone, tablet computer, laptop, rather than travel 100 miles to go see a doctor,” Govindarao said. The company has since come to understand that the program can offer so much more to injured workers than originally thought. While it is useful for the injured workers’ initial treatment, televisits can also be used for follow-up appointments and even in some cases for post-op visits, Govindarao said. He said SCIF looks at the advantages of telemedicine not only in terms of access to care — and it sees that aspect as being hugely beneficial — but also in terms of efficiency. “From an efficiency perspective, even if there’s a clinic down the street, the thing is that individual or that patient will drive over there, check in, wait for the doctor to see the patient and get checked out. That whole process can also be reduced from a time perspective,” Govindarao said.

Cost Savings

There’s also a potential cost savings for employers, Cadaceus USA’s Dawson said. “On the cost side, and there needs to be more emerging data on this, but it’s clear that my clients are saving 50 percent on their workers’ comp costs. A huge, huge, huge cost savings.” Take the case of an employee who might have suffered what is thought to be INSURANCEJOURNAL.COM

a back injury, Dawson said. When he sees that patient in his office, “we’re probably going to do a lumbar x-ray,” Dawson said. In telemedicine, that’s not immediately available but the quality of care can be just the same as a patient would receive in his office. “I can’t do an x-ray, yet, on the phone, but that’s probably coming too,” he said. If it’s determined at the initial telemedicine visit that an x-ray or MRI is needed, they can be ordered. But by simply not using radiology as a matter of course in the initial telemedicine visit, “the cost savings are dramatic. That’s just with radiology,” Dawson said. “As a carrier, we’re not really interested in finding the least expensive provider or the least expensive physical therapist, we would like to find the ones who do a really good job, that are really good at treating work related injuries,” Hunt said. With telemedicine, the worker has immediate access to care and therefore the healing process can begin more quickly than if the treatment is extended due to wait times or distance concerns. “The worker gets better so much quicker and that ultimately drives down the cost of their medical care,” Hunt said. According to Nicole Sikora, manager of Telemedicine Programs for AF Group, the savings comes with reduction in lag times and the ability to more quickly get the injured worker “to the appropriate physician as opposed to going to the ER and they run a bunch of scans. It really starts with the nurse triage and recommending the appropriate level of care for the injured worker.” The physicians in the telemedicine program are “specifically trained in work related injuries so they understand them. They know how to treat the injured worker versus waiting two, three or longer weeks before somebody can figure out how to help them,” she said.

The Cheesecake Factory

Kurt Leisure, vice president of Risk Services for California-based The Cheesecake Factory, said his company

began experimenting with telemedicine for addressing workplace injuries in February 2018. Speaking as a member of the WCRI panel on telemedicine, Leisure explained that his company, which has more than 40,000 staff members and 214 full-service restaurants in 41 states and Puerto Rico, as well as 18 restaurants licensed internationally, is still in the process of determining the effectiveness of its telemedicine program. However, benefits for both the staff and the company are apparent, he said. For the injured employee, “there’s no waiting room, there’s no four-hour emergency waiting room; they have the option. They can either go to the emergency room or they [can take advantage] of the telemedicine program. They are the ones that decide. “For the company, the 24-hour/seven day a week model works nicely for us as well. We really have people in our restaurant 24 hours a day. They’re cooking, they’re prepping, they’re cleaning. So, 24-hour a day accessibility is huge for us.” At The Cheesecake Factory, it works this way: If an employee gets injured in the workplace, it’s first determined wheth-

continued on page 28 MAY 6, 2019 INSURANCE JOURNAL | 27

Special Report: Workers' Compensation continued from page 27 er emergency care is needed. If so, the employee is taken to an urgent care center. If it’s a non-urgent injury, the company facilitates a call into nurse triage. If the nurse triage is unsuccessful in sufficiently treating the injury, the employee is given the option of a physician visit via telemedicine, using the employee’s own mobile device. Leisure said not all injured employees for whom telemedicine is applicable readily accept its use. Some of the most hazardous jobs in the company are those involving kitchen staff and those employees often do not speak English as their primary language. As a group, they have been more reluctant to embrace the program than, say, the front of the house servers for whom English is their primary language. “They’re all on Facebook and social media … they’re all for it. They love the telemedicine option,” he said.

He feels like it will just be a matter of time before more staff members become comfortable with the program, even the reluctant dishwasher whose English is not so good. One of the upsides for non-English-speaking staff is that with telemedicine, “we can find a bilingual doctor, speaking their language, [who] understands their culture. You don’t always get that in the emergency room for sure,” Leisure said. Other advantages the company has found include no cost for transporting an individual to a brick and mortar setting, staff can use their own mobile devices, and delay in return-to-work is minimal. Privacy is an issue, so the company must ensure that private spaces are available to employees in which to conduct their televisit. Also, Leisure said, it’s really important that the handoff between the nurse triage and the consulting physician goes smoothly.

In 2018, Leisure said, 3,336 calls were made to the company’s nurse triage account. Of those, just over 1,000 were successfully treated by the nurse. Of the remaining injured employees, 470 were offered telemedicine and 326 accepted. The outcomes of 188 of those were successful and no further treatment was necessary. As a result of the telemedicine use, the company saw a hard dollar cost savings of $153,000 in 2018, he said.

Challenges and Concerns

The use of telemedicine in the workplace does have challenges, according to Dietz. They include language and cultural barriers; age and societal attitudes; privacy and employee trust issues; and regulatory and reimbursement issues to work out. Physicians involved in providing telemedicine services have to be licensed in the states from which the televisit originates. For instance, a worker might

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Telehealth, Telemedicine

hile the terms are sometimes used interchangeably, telemedicine is not exactly the same as telehealth, according to the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP). Telemedicine is a subset of telehealth, which incorporates a “broader scope of remote health care services than telemedicine,” the AAFP says. While telehealth can include remote non-clinical services, the term “telemedicine” generally refers only to remote clinical services.

get injured in California and call into the telemedicine provider from his workplace there, while the treating physician might reside in Nevada. That physician, however, must be licensed in California in order to provide care to the injured California employee. That not only helps resolve jurisdictional issues, should a dispute over care arise, it’s also a requirement that most, if not all, states impose upon telemedicine providers. Kim Haugaard, senior vice president of Policyholder Services at workers’ comp carrier, Texas Mutual Insurance Co., said some of his company’s concerns with telemedicine center on the practicality of how it is being “delivered to injured workers, such as: does the provider have the technical capabilities to effectively offer telemedicine? At what stage of an injury is telemedicine no longer appropriate and conventional evaluation and treatment being appropriate?” Cost issues are also of concern to the carrier, which only operates in Texas. The state “has a telehealth parity law (payers have to reimburse for telemedicine in the same way as in-person services); however, workers’ compensation network arrangements allow for negotiated contract pricing. The question becomes one of should services delivered via telemedicine cost the same as those services which are delivered in a conventional setting, which is what we are seeing early stages INSURANCEJOURNAL.COM

of telemedicine adoption, or should there be a lower fee structure for telemedicine services?” Haugaard wrote in an email to Insurance Journal. With telemedicine, the potential for fraud, over-billing and over-treatment is actually diminished in the view of both SCIF’s Govindarao and AF Group’s Hunt. That’s largely because the treating physicians who work for telemedicine vendor providers are known entities, and televisits are monitored and audited to make sure the injured worker received care appropriate to the injury. While the treating physicians can write prescriptions and make arrangements for services like physical therapy, they cannot prescribe opioid medications, thus reducing the risk of prescription drug abuse. “I would think there’s probably less fraud. Because it’s something easier to track than if the injured employee goes to the doctor’s office,” Govindarao said. For Hunt, the reality is that “this system is safer from fraud issues than with an injured worker who doesn’t really know where to go [and] ends up visiting a physician maybe they saw on a billboard or one their friend went to, or something like that.”

Future Vision

Currently, adoption is “quite low” among Texas Mutual’s policyholders, Haugaard said. However, “we believe

telemedicine will gain significant traction in the workers’ comp space and become a more prominent medical care delivery mechanism for low severity claims.” An expansion in the use of telemedicine will particularly help injured workers in rural areas, as they will benefit from “greater access to quality medical care via telemedicine, which may increase customer satisfaction for injured workers and policyholders,” he said. Hunt said he thinks within a couple of years telemedicine will be “standard within the workers’ compensation industry,” due to the opportunity to eliminate geography as a factor in delivering care to an injured worker and the ability to provide faster access to care. “I think it’s going to become more sophisticated, more acceptable, more available across the country. The other thing I think you can start to see [is] physical therapy done through virtual formats if you will. … I think we’re going to continue to see this expansion of utilization of the telemedicine platform for delivering [care for] a whole host of injuries,” Hunt said. Govindarao likened it to the technological evolution between the clunky dial-up modems that once provided access to the World Wide Web to the ubiquitous wifi internet access that is widely enjoyed today. “I look at telemedicine evolving,” he said. “As people get used to using their smartphones and their tablets and all that, having that kind of access, they’re going to see the value of this.” MAY 6, 2019 INSURANCE JOURNAL | 29

Idea Exchange: Healthcare

Expanding Medical Urgent Care Market

Offers Opportunities for Agents

ver the past decade, urgent care facilities have emerged as popular, convenient and cost-effective By Eric Paynter alternatives to primary care physicians and hospital emergency rooms. The number of urgent care facilities in the United States has grown exponentially and now represents an $18 billion segment of the healthcare industry, with additional growth expected, according to the Urgent Care Association. With more patients visiting urgent care

30 | INSURANCE JOURNAL | MAY 6, 2019

facilities than ever before, these facilities continue to expand the services they offer, and consequently, take on more risk. This growing market offers independent agents the opportunity to help clinic owners identify professional liability exposures and mitigate the corresponding risks.

Understanding Key Risks

In spite of their efforts to provide the best possible care, urgent care facilities, as well as the professionals employed, often face potentially damaging malpractice lawsuits. While these facilities face a myriad of professional liability risks, there are three risks that leave the facilities and

their professional teams exposed: patient misconceptions of clinic care; expanded provider teams; and an increased reliance on telemedicine. Fortunately, these evolving risks can be reduced through the implementation of specialized insurance programs. With this in mind, agents are advising their clients to partner with experienced carriers that offer broad coverage and comprehensive risk management and prevention solutions to ensure the continued good health of their businesses.

Patient Misconceptions

Given urgent care clinics are often the most accessible form of treatment, patients quickly turn to these centers for care. However, these clinics are primarily devoted to outpatient care for non-emergencies and are not equipped to treat more serious or life-threatening situations. Services can include those similar to a physicianâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s office or can be broader, including on-site radiology and lab services, and treatments for non-life-threatening issues, such as minor fractures, lacerations, bites and sprains. These clinics

INSURANCEJOURNAL.COM

Announcing the

are not equipped to treat more serious or life-threatening situations, such as chest pain, coughing blood or excessive bleeding — a common misconception among patients. Confusion among patients about where to seek care can have catastrophic consequences. When patients visit urgent care clinics for serious, life-threatening situations, often the most appropriate evaluation and treatment is delayed and clinics must request an ambulance to transport the patient to the hospital. Since every minute counts in these situations, delays in care can be potentially devastating and can result in patients or their families making allegations of negligence or professional errors. Clinics that focus on educating their patients on their treatment capabilities and have strict policies and procedures in place to handle escalations are better positioned to help mitigate this significant issue of where to seek care.

Expanded Provider Teams

While most clinics are physician-led, many rely primarily on nurse practitioners and physician assistants to administer patient care, giving them authority to act independently. Many also employ third-party contractors for their delivery of care. These practices enable clinics to appropriately manage their expenses, but also create additional exposure for the facilities. While it is important contractors are insured through their own organizations, the use of third-party contractors can also mean clinics need an added level of coverage for these individuals. Independent agents can recommend coverage that is expansive enough to cover the range of healthcare professionals providing services, including any nurse practitioners, physician assistants, third-party contractors and primary care physicians.

Increased Reliance on Telemedicine

Urgent care clinics are increasingly embracing telemedicine as a cost- and time-effective way to interact with specialists. Using technology, remote health care INSURANCEJOURNAL.COM

providers can provide patient evaluations and diagnoses and suggest treatments. Teleradiology is one area that has been at the forefront of the telemedicine movement, enabling remote radiologists to read x-rays or scan results and offer diagnoses. While telemedicine offers many benefits, this form of care can also present an increased risk for misdiagnosis. For example, teleradiologists rely on the scans or x-rays taken by the on-site technicians when they make a diagnosis. The teleradiologist may see something on the film but misread the severity of the situation due to incomplete or inaccurate images. Issues may also arise as a result of the quality of the teleradiologist or telemedicine professional.

As urgent care facilities continue to increase in popularity, independent agents can help facility owners understand and identify evolving risks and partner with experienced carriers to deliver comprehensive and customizable coverage. To avoid this risk, clinics must ensure contracted telemedicine professionals are properly trained and up-to-date on the latest technology. Checking backgrounds and credentials thoroughly, and practicing sound contractual risk management, are critical to protecting clinics and their patients.

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A Strategic Partner

As urgent care facilities continue to increase in popularity, independent agents can help facility owners understand and identify evolving risks, and partner with experienced carriers to deliver comprehensive and customizable coverage. By playing the role of a strategic partner, agents can guide their clients to solutions that help protect their bottom lines while reinforcing the agencies’ value. Paynter is vice president of Hanover Healthcare, a division of The Hanover Insurance Group Inc.

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People National

Robert Bauer has joined insurance broker Marsh to lead its U.S. Sharing Economy & Mobility Practice. Bauer will focus on developing Robert Bauer and delivering products and services to companies operating in the new economy while working with others across Marsh, including Marsh’s Digital, Data & Analytics team. Bauer joins Marsh from AIG, where he most recently served as general insurance head of Innovation and its Sharing Economy Group. He is based in San Francisco and reports to Jeffrey Alpaugh, Growth & Industry leader for Marsh’s U.S. and Canada division.

East

SterlingRisk Insurance, a Woodbury, N.Y.-based independently owned insurance brokerage, has hired Steven Guthart as president and chief marketing officer. Guthart previously served as president of Brooklyn Steven Guthart operations at HUB International Northeast Limited, where he was most recently responsible for general commercial business as well as the senior care practice. Prior to joining HUB Northeast in 2005, Guthart served as vice president and partner of a regional brokerage based on Long Island, N.Y., where he was responsible for the commercial lines operations. He has held various management positions with American International Group, Tokio Marine and Aetna Casualty & Surety, as well as Corak & Guthart Financial Services. Custom House

Risk Advisors (CHRA) has hired Jack Schwartz as a

senior risk management consultant and

Jack Schwartz

32 | INSURANCE JOURNAL | MAY 6, 2019

Lee Procter as a risk management associate. CHRA, based in Westwood, Mass., specializes in risk management and insurance issues Lee Procter within the real estate and development industry. In their new roles, Schwartz and Procter will work on a variety of large real estate portfolios to address the coverage, claims and risk management needs of property owners, developers, managers and commercial lenders. Schwartz has worked in the risk management industry for more than 12 years, holding positions such as vice president of risk management at AmeriFlood LLC and senior insurance advisor and coverage counsel at Lamb Insurance Services in New York. Ames & Gough, an insurance broker and risk management consultant specializing in serving design professionals, law firms, associations and nonprofits, and other professional service organizations, has appointed

Marguerite Parent

as an equity partner. Parent has more Marguerite Parent than two decades of experience in insurance brokerage and risk management consulting. She joined Ames & Gough in 2006 after serving with William Gallagher Associates in Boston, Mass. Before that, she was an account manager with the Thomas E. Sears Insurance Agency.

South Central

California-based EPIC Insurance Brokers and Consultants hired JoBeth Wells in Dallas as a principal in its property/casualty operations. EPIC also added Stephanie Pitzer in the Dallas property/ casualty group as client executive. Wells will be responsible for new business development and the design, placement and management of property/casualty insurance programs, providing risk management strategies for mid-market and

large clients. Wells joins EPIC from Willis Towers Watson, where she served as an executive vice president for more than 30 years through predecessor companies. Wells specializes in the construction, real estate and public entity industries. Pitzer will be responsible for new business development and the design, placement and management of property/casualty insurance programs, providing risk management strategies for mid-market and large clients. Pitzer joins EPIC from Willis Towers Watson, where she served as an account executive. Prior to that, she also spent time with Higginbotham as a senior commercial account executive. Boston-based Corvus Insurance, an artificial intelligence (AI)-driven insurtech company offering Smart Commercial Insurance policies, hired Greg Wagner as vice president of Cyber Underwriting, based in its newly opened Dallas office. Wagner joins Corvus with 12 years of experience in insurance, having focused on cyber and technology errors and omissions (E&O) for the previous nine years. He most recently worked for Beazley and previously held roles at Travelers Insurance and The Hartford. At Corvus, Wagner will focus on underwriting Smart Cyber Insurance for clients across Texas and the midwestern U.S. The Dallas office is the company’s first in the southern U.S.

Midwest

Wichita, Kansas-based insurance brokerage, IMA Financial Group Inc., promoted Luke Proctor to president of IMA Companies, a newly created position to oversee all IMA Luke Proctor Financial Group subsidiaries. Proctor will report to IMA Financial Group Chairman and CEO Robert Cohen. IMA Wichita President Kyle Orndorff will continue to lead his local team. The companies under Proctor’s management include IMA Inc., a retail insurance broker; IMA Select, a small-business and personal insurance broker; Towerstone Inc.; Eydent Insurance INSURANCEJOURNAL.COM

But wait, we have Another announcement! Services, a managing general underwriter; CORnerstone Risk Solutions; and IMA Wealth. IMA Chief Financial Officer Mike Benson has been hired to fill Proctor’s former position. Benson is based in Denver and previously held positions with KSE Sports & Entertainment in Denver. He was most recently chief operating officer and chief financial officer for GROUP360 in St. Louis, Missouri. H.W. Kaufman Group, a global network of companies headquartered in Farmington Hills, Michigan, added Kori M. Johanson to its executive team as corporate vice president and chief compliance officer. She will be based at the company headquarters. In this newly created position, Johanson will oversee the company’s compliance team and be responsible for corporate and regulatory compliance, government affairs and state insurance taxation for Kaufman and its subsidiaries. Johanson joins Kaufman from PURE, a high-net-worth personal insurance carrier, where she was responsible for legal, compliance and regulatory relations. At PURE, she served as vice president, associate general counsel and led the compliance and regulatory function.

Southeast

United Heartland, a national workers’ compensation insurance company, has promoted Dana Pierce to regional director in Charlotte, N.C. Pierce began his United Heartland career Dana Pierce in Underwriting in 2007. Most recently, he was regional manager of Business Development. According to Justin Bealhen, vice president of Field Operations at United Heartland, Pierce was a key player in the company’s Charlotte expansion efforts. He will continue guiding the company’s business development efforts in the region. Longwood, Fla.-headquartered

Insurance Office of America (IOA) has added new staff. Michelle Newton joined INSURANCEJOURNAL.COM

the company’s office in Tampa. With nearly 20 years’ experience, Newton specializes in working with condominium associations and has knowledge of flood insurance and risk management. Also joining IOA’s team as a commercial risk management specialist in Tampa is Cabell Vildibill. With more than 20 years of experience, Vildibill has a background in insurance and risk management that includes the construction, food and beverage, automotive, and manufacturing and distribution industries. IOA also hired Nick DiBattisto to its office in West Palm Beach. DiBattisto is a risk management specialist with experience in risk management strategy for mid-to-large market capacity clientele.

West

Bolder Insurance has named Patrick Mckeon a business and personal insurance advisor. Mckeon previously worked as an intern Patrick Mckeon at Philadelphia Insurance and The Maguire Foundation. Bolder Insurance is an independent insurance advisor with offices in Boulder and Louisville, Colorado. Island Insurance Company Ltd. in Hawaii has named Michael Tanoue vice president and general counsel. In this role, Tanoue is responsible for strategic Michael Tanoue initiatives, policy management, legal strategy, compliance and regulatory filings. He has nearly 35 years of legal experience, most recently at The Pacific Law Group. He also served as a judicial law clerk for the Honorable Edward H. Nakamura of the Hawaii State Supreme Court. Tanoue is a former adjunct professor of law at the William S. Richardson School of Law and a former law instructor at the Japan-American Institute of Management Science.

Announcing the

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Claims Journal Recent Commission Ruling Highlights Need for National Workplace Violence Prevention Standard

By Jim Sams

federal commission decision that an employer had a duty to protect a social services worker who was stabbed to death by a client, even though the company did not violate any specific safety standard, reinvigorated advocates who are calling for adoption of a national workplace violence prevention standard. Arent Fox, a national employment practices law firm, said in a blog post that the March 4 decision by the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission is “groundbreaking” and puts employers in the health care industry on notice that they must address the risk of physical assault by patients. “Employers can also expect that OSHA will begin to cite employers in other 34 | INSURANCE JOURNAL | MAY 6, 2019

industries for incidents of workplace violence where it is reasonably foreseeable that their employees may be subjected to violence in the course of performing their work — for example, companies that provide guards in a correctional facility,” said the blog written by Arent Fox partner Mark S. Dreux and associate Alexandra M. Romero. The commission upheld two serious citations issued to Integra Health Management under the general duty clause of the Occupational Safety and Health Act, rejecting the employer’s argument that it could not put safeguards in place because criminal acts of violence are inherently unpredictable. In the past, an administrative law judge had specifically rejected citations issued for injuries caused by workplace violence under the

general duty clause, Dreux said during a telephone interview. Integra had hired a 25-year-old woman who was fresh out of college as a service coordinator in Florida for a program that seeks to provide health care to individuals, such as persons suffering mental illnesses, who tend to avoid doctor visits. In September 2012, the employee was assigned to a patient who suffered from schizophrenia and had a long history of violence. The patient attacked the employee with a knife during a visit to his home, stabbing her nine times while chasing her across his front yard. OSHA cited Integra for exposing employees “to the hazard of being physically assaulted by members with a history of violent behavior.” Integra appealed, but the commission affirmed the citations INSURANCEJOURNAL.COM

Know what else you should check out? because Integra had not taken prudent steps to protect its employees with measures such as performing background checks on patients, initiating red flags to notify employees that a patient has a criminal history or instituting a written workplace violence prevention program. “Here there is a direct nexus between the work being performed by Integra’s employees and the alleged risk of workplace violence,” the commission said in its decision. “Integra requires its service coordinators to meet face-to-face with members, many of whom have been diagnosed with mental illness and have criminal backgrounds as well as a history of violence and volatility.” Attorney Kevin McCormick of the Whitford, Taylor, Preston law firm in Baltimore, who defended Integra in the case, said in his view the commission stretched the law to find a safety violation when no standard was violated. He said he was especially disappointed because two of the three commissioners who ruled against the employer were appointed by President Donald Trump. “Even with Republicans on the OSHA Commission, there doesn’t seem to be an interest in coming up with a standard so everybody knows what you are supposed to do,” McCormick said. “They had an opportunity to make it clear that there needs to be a workplace violence standard and they punted.” Labor advocates are hoping that the commission’s decision will help bring about a national workplace violence prevention standard. As of now, the only standard that exists is in California, which enforces federal workplace safety rules through a state-run program. Carmen Comsti, an attorney for the California Nurses Association, said “no matter what the hospitals say, workplace violence is predictable” and nurses are often the victims. She said certain medications are known to cause violent reactions in some patients. Patients with a history of violence can be flagged so that nurses attending to them can bring another employee with them when they provide care. Comsti said the Bureau of Labor INSURANCEJOURNAL.COM

Statistics data shows that health care workers are four times more likely to be injured by workplace violence than the general workforce.

‘Employers can also expect that OSHA will begin to cite employers in other industries for incidents of workplace violence where it is reasonably foreseeable that their employees may be subjected to violence in the course of performing their work — for example, companies that provide guards in a correctional facility.’ Comsti said that the California Nurses Association and National Nurses United supports legislation that has been introduced in Congress that would create a national standard for workplace violence prevention. The House Workforce Protections Committee heard testimony on House Resolution 1309 on Feb. 27. A similar measure has been introduced in the Senate. A survey by National Nurses United found that 5% of 286 registered nurses who responded had filed workers’ compensation claims and 9% had changed or left their job because of workplace violence in the prior year, according to testimony submitted to the House of Representatives’ Education and Labor Committee. More than half reported anxiety, fear or increased vigilance. Nevertheless, the group says that efforts to persuade OSHA to adopt a standard appear to have stalled. “Countless acts of assault, battery, and aggression that routinely take place in health care settings demonstrate a frightening trend of increasing violence faced by healthcare workers throughout the country,” the organization said. “In addition to innumerable anecdotal and media accounts, several national surveys document the prevalence of violence committed against healthcare workers.”

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Idea Exchange: Ask the Insurance Recruiter

Remote Employees:

Q&A

Your Biggest Game Changer to Fill Openings Now

I’m the Talent Acquisition Director for a national brokerage and have been recruiting within insurance for 10 years. I’ve seen all the highs and lows when sourcing experienced talent however 2019 seems to be particularly difficult. My hiring managers don’t understand the shortage. I think our problem is we’re always going after the same local talent pool. Does remote really work?

Dear X, please tell me you’re a Seinfeld fan because then this reference will make a ton of sense. Remember the birthday party with George and the clown? The clown said You’re living in the past, man! I bet you want to say the same thing to your agency’s executives. This isn’t 2009. There isn’t an abundance of candidates out there. Remote is absolutely the way to go. It is the biggest gamechanger in the recruiting process. Here’s information to strengthen your case.

Change Zip Code, Change Speed to Fill

The three core components of a recruiting project are: 1. Experience (years of experience, insurance expertise) 2. Source (direct competitor, related insurance organization) 3. Location (local, relocation or remote) Two of the three are typically non-negotiable, fixed features of a search. For example, you require a Commercial Lines Account Manager to have five years of experience in construction at another retail brokerage. Currently, it takes agencies 90-120 days to fill this opening. Four months is an

eternity to make a $65,000 to $85,000 hire. Expanding the role to any qualified candidate, regardless of location, cuts the fill timeline in half. Relocation is rarely an option and nearly impossible to recruit. Meet experienced professionals where they are and expand your talent pool over and over again.

Who Is A Remote Employee?

Global Workplace Analytics’ most recent report (January 2018) defines “remote” employees as: • Anyone who works more than 50% of the time in a non-compete office. • 3.2% of the U.S. workforce now work from home at least half the time.

36 | INSURANCE JOURNAL | MAY 6, 2019

•

The typical telecommuter is college-educated, 45 years old-plus, earns a salary of $58,000 and works for a company with more than 100 employees.

The common perception is that only national insurance organizations have infrastructure and technology to handle work-at-home employees. The data above shows that couldn’t be farther from the truth.

Want Vs. Need

Terminology is interchangeable – virtual, telecommute, work-at-home and remote. You absolutely need these employees to fill critical roles that require insurance experience. Identification is just one benefit to the hiring process. Here are three more: 1. Be an Employer of Choice: Offer the flexibility and benefits people want. 2. Remain Competitive: Two to three days/week at home is considered remote status. Your competition has defined programs in place. 3. Retain Top Talent: Next to compensation, work/life balance is the biggest reason people change jobs. It’s hard to leave an employer that allows you to work from home, in your sweatpants and greet your kids at the bus stop. This is the reality of successful work-at-home benefits.

How to Get Started

Identify people within your organization or hire new employees that excel at man-

By Mary Newgard aging off-site staff. Not every manager has this capability. You need appropriate leadership for policies to be fair, consistent and long-lasting. Managerial traits for a virtual workforce include: • Communication skills geared towards digital services rather than exclusively via email. • Reliability where the manager’s word is gospel and builds trust. • Motivation and rewards based philosophy so employees don’t feel over looked or marginalized.

Food For Thought:

The right vernacular may set you on a course for remote integration. Employment is increasingly being described as Concentrative Work (at home) and Collaborative Work (at the office) to denote different working arrangements. – Global Workplace Analytics study, January 2018.

Newgard is partner and senior search consultant for Capstone Search Group, a national recruiting firm dedicated to the insurance industry. For questions and comments, email: asktherecruiter@ csgrecruiting.com. INSURANCEJOURNAL.COM

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Idea Exchange: When Words Collide Resolving Insurance Coverage and Claims Disputes:

Advocacy I

n the past two columns, we’ve examined the importance and value of avoiding or preventing claim By Bill Wilson denials so we don’t have to deal with resolving them, especially with the specter of litigation hovering over us. As Dalton, the protagonist in the cinematic classic Road House, once said, “Nobody ever wins a fight.” It is far better to resolve disputes amicably and fairly than to engage in conflict in a courtroom.

Why Avoid Litigation?

The desire to avoid litigation appeals to both insurer and insured. In the event the insurer loses a court battle, a precedent for coverage will govern future claims until governing policy language is revised. At best, that can wreak havoc with the adequacy of rates if coverage was not contemplated under the insurance contract. At worst, the insurer might be compelled to revisit past claims for which denials were based on the language in question. In the event the insured loses a court battle, financial ruin may follow. In addition, we have a precedent that can adversely impact coverage for many

thousands of policyholders. An example is in legal jurisdictions where the courts have ruled faulty workmanship is not an “occurrence.” As a result, the ISO CGL exclusion L. exception for claims involving subcontractor work is never accessed since coverage under the insuring agreement is not triggered. That same is true in states where the courts have ruled the discontinuation of residency in a home results in an immediate loss of coverage for damage to the dwelling.

Moving from Prevention to Resolution

Unfortunately, prevention doesn’t always work. As Charles Dickens put it in David Copperfield, “Accidents will happen in the best regulated families.” Even the best agencies and most competent agents, despite their best efforts, will experience customer claim denials. But, here’s the good news: A claim denial, especially an unjustified denial, is a golden opportunity for an agent to demonstrate his/her value to the customer. It’s said a lawyer who represents himself/herself in litigation has a fool for a client. In the case of insurance, a consumer who buys insurance without the aid of an insurance professional has a fool for an agent. This is true at the point of sale and is even more relevant at claim time.

I’ve worked directly with independent insurance agents for over 30 years. As often as possible, I drive home the point that the insured is their customer, not the insurer’s. The agent ‘owns’ the business. This potentially gives the independent agent both an incentive and an advantage over a captive agent and especially over an online or direct sales channel. That said, the agent must walk the talk. So, if a claim has been denied that the agent feels should be covered, what is the best way to proceed without resorting to litigation? That’s what this article and those remaining in the series will address. In the book that is the subject of this column, I provide a proven, four-step process for resolving disputed coverage claims. To summarize….

Step 1: Read the Policy (Again)

Presumably, if you’re selling or servicing insurance, you’ve read and understand the policy forms you sell or service. In Step 1, you reread the policy within the facts and circumstances of each claim, seeking the answers to several questions. For example, does the insuring agreement apply? Is the person an insured? Do any exclusionary provisions apply? The answers to questions like this form the basis for your interpretation of the meaning of those pol-

icy provisions in the context of the subject claim.

Step 2: Interpret the Policy

The Q&A process continues in Step 2. For example, does a policy provision cited in the denial seem ambiguous? Later in this series, I’ll provide examples of policy provisions like definitions, exclusion and conditions that are often contested or litigated. What is the apparent intent of the language and is such intent clearly expressed? If exclusions are cited, are they clear and conspicuous and relevant to the claim? What are the insured’s reasonable expectations of coverage? What often happens is the resolution process ends right here if it is clear the adjuster’s denial is correct. If there is doubt, we continue the process.

Step 3: Research and Document Your Interpretation

Aside from the relevant policy language, are there other coverage considerations? Is there extrinsic evidence that may conflict with policy language? Are there interpretive doctrines (discussed later in this series) that might govern? As can happen in Step 2, any doubt about the validity of the claim denial may vanish if your research confirms the adjuster’s opinion. On the other hand, your research may convince you an alternative interpretation has merit. If so, you need to assemble the documentation gathered during your research. Is there any authoritative support for your interpretation? Are there any precedent-setting court cases that may govern? Are there any superseding statutes? The importance and value of this step is expressed in this court decision: “An insurer bears a duty to defend its insured whenever it ascertains facts which give rise to the potential of liability under the policy irrespective of the source of the information.” – Smith v. Travelers Indem. Co., 32 Cal. App. 3d 1010, 1017, 108 Cal. Rptr. 643 (Ct. App. 5th Dist. 1973)

Step 4: Plead your Case

In Step 4, you are essentially trying the case without the trappings, complexities,

and cost of litigation. Imagine the proverbial scales of justice. Your goal is to tilt the scales in your direction based on a preponderance of evidence, reason and authoritative support. Legendary insurance educator Bob Smith would say, tongue in cheek, “If you can’t argue the form, argue logic; if you can’t argue logic, argue the form.” However, when you can argue form language AND logic, supported by authoritative documentation, your argument becomes too compelling to disregard. My anecdotal experience is, if you can make a reasonably strong case for coverage, the claim denial will be reversed over 90% of the time. To their credit, most adjusters are willing to consider an alternative interpretation of a policy provision and astute insurers will pay such claims then, if warranted, revise the policy language to reflect the alleged intent. In making your case to the adjuster, we can again learn something from that cinematic classic Road House by following the third of Dalton’s 3 Rules. Rule #1, ‘Expect the unexpected,’ might have some value, but certainly not Rule #2, ‘Take it outside,’ meaning in our case, litigation. Rule #3 is the important one when dealing with an adjuster: ‘Be nice.’ I recall a cartoon of a patient prone on a couch, asking his psychologist, “If you weren’t so stupid, you could tell me why people automatically dislike me.” Not a good approach for resolving insurance claim disputes. My personal experience has been that the majority of claims professionals seek to do the right thing. That’s reflected in this 1983 excerpt from an insurance company claims manual: “[There is a] requirement to meet the duty of good faith to the insured. The most positive way to do that is to look for coverage in our policies, and not to look for ways to deny coverage.” Sometimes doing the right thing is difficult, given the burdensome workload of most adjusters and the limited time they have to research case law and coverage authorities. Following this simple, but proven, four-step process allows you to do much of the work the adjuster would otherwise have to do. And you will get a reputation among the claims folks you deal with as a competent, fair-minded

professional whose coverage opinions should not be disregarded. On occasion, it may be necessary to appeal the claim to a more experienced local supervisor or manager. On a less frequent basis, a home office appeal may be necessary. At the end of this series of articles, we’ll discuss dispute resolution alternatives if appealing to the carrier doesn’t work with some examples that are quite interesting.

Step 0

I call this a four-step process, but there is actually a quasi-Step 0. Before determining if a denied claim is valid, one should insist that the denial be carried out in a proper manner, following all relevant claim settlement practices related laws and governing case law. As the South Caroline Supreme Court put it in 2017, in Harleysville Group Insurance v. Heritage Communities, 803 S.E.2d 288, “It is axiomatic that an insured must be provided sufficient information to understand the reasons the insurer believes the policy may not provide coverage…generic denials of coverage coupled with furnishing the insured with a copy of all or most of the policy provisions (through a cut-andpaste method) is not sufficient.” In next month’s column, we’ll explore claim denial and reservation of rights letters, and unfair claim settlement practices and bad faith laws. Until then, I encourage you to become a member of Insurance Journal’s Academy of Insurance, where you can get complete access to the entire companion webinar series where we dig much deeper into all of these topics.

Postscript In the last column, I had indicated

that this month, I would discuss how to distinguish between ISO and non-ISO policy forms. Because of print limitations, instead I discuss that in the April companion webinar to this article series at www. ijacademy.com. Wilson, CPCU, ARM, AIM is the founder and CEO of InsuranceCommentary.com and the author of the book “When Words Collide: Resolving Insurance Coverage and Claims Disputes.”

Idea Exchange: The Competitive Advantage The Need for Agents

(to Do Their Jobs) I

received a nice notice from my commercial GL carrier advising the coverages at renewal would materially change. Admitted By Chris Burand carriers have to provide such notices (E&O point: exceptions to this rule do exist, even for admitted carriers and always remember surplus lines companies do not have to provide notice of material change because their agents have this responsibility). The notice I received is designed to comply with regulations. It is not designed to convey usable information. That is the problem. Compliance with regulations like these does not benefit the consumer. The regulations look good on paper but are actually useless. I make my living in this industry, and yet, to know what coverages are being changed, I would have to go through

my latest policy line by line, especially because the notice did not provide the reference points (such as section 2, part A is changing). The notice even says they are transitioning their liquor liability to ISO’s liquor liability - modified by their proprietary liquor liability endorsement. My thought, “Awesome! I guess? I suppose? I honestly do not have a clue.” Furthermore, if I was not in the industry, I would wonder who is ISO? If their form is so good, should I buy my insurance from ISO? Did my insurance get sold to ISO? Honestly, this notice tells me absolutely nothing, but it sows confusion. If I was a regular consumer, I would be thinking, “I don’t sell liquor and my business has nothing to do with liquor, so why should I even care? Do they have me mixed up with some bar?” Dear Professional Agent: This is your opportunity to shine. This is your opportunity to earn your commission. Can you send a note to your clients who are

receiving this notice explaining what the changes mean? At least advise them you will cover these material changes at the renewal meeting? You see, you are the middleman. You earn your keep, if you are earning your keep, by being fluent in consumer language and insurance language. You are the translator between two people speaking different languages. People need you to translate. Even if they ignore these notices, most clients are annoyed by them, and for many, their trust in you is eroded a bit more. This is your opportunity to build their trust in you: their agent. If you leave them on their own to figure out what this notice means – or not – you are still communicating. Silence is a message, and in this case, silence says you do not care. Silence is what small commercial and personal lines clients hear from their agents over and over. I know many consultants advise against spending time with these customers. I know many agents have decided they cannot spend time on these clients and still be profitable. If you cannot find a way to do your job, then you probably should not have these people as customers. I have said this to many agency owners and many have reacted, “you are right.” Others have reacted, “But that is how I make my money!” Think about the future

of a business model dependent on making money by not doing one’s job. There is a reason almost all insurance carriers are after small commercial and many insurtechs are after both personal lines and small commercial accounts. They see opportunity in agents not doing their jobs. So traditional brick and mortar agents have the choice of figuring out how to make money doing their jobs or losing these customers and the profit center they provide. I vote for figuring how to make money, and the solution is simple. My clients that do this win. The solution? Use a coverage checklist. The reason small commercial and small personal lines accounts exist is because someone did not use a checklist. When a checklist is used well, people buy more insurance and the account ceases to be small. Small accounts typically exist for no reason other than the agent failed to sell the insured coverages the insured truly needs. The insured has a coverage gap, the agent has a material E&O problem, the agent has lost revenue and profit, and the agency is vulnerable to the insurtechs. The solution is easy, but execution is tough. Using a checklist effectively is hard work. The usual reasons I hear for not using coverage checklists are symptoms and not the disease. The symptoms are it takes too long, the client is not inter-

ested, etc. The real reason for not using checklists is simpler. Most producers and account managers do not know their coverages well enough to use a checklist effectively. Furthermore, they do not know how to use the checklist to develop a conversation.

There is a reason almost all insurance carriers are after small commercial and many insurtechs are after both personal lines and small commercial accounts. They see opportunity in agents not doing their jobs. Step one is to decide whether you want to be a professional agent. I get many agents and producers complaining about their agencies’ E&O standard of care, and they get frustrated if they are held to providing clients coverage advice. They want to pick which clients they advise. Many, egged on by certain E&O carriers and associations, want to rely on the insured having to read their policies and understand them. In today’s world where a plethora of DIY insurance purchasing options exist, often

at lower prices, no one needs an agent who does not want to meet a professional standard of care. Soon, many insurance carriers will not need these agencies either. Deciding to be a true professional is a big step, just as the commitment to be a true professional in any vocation requires. A true professional has a bright future. Step two for a professional agent is to know one’s coverages. To learn one’s coverages, most CE classes are just window dressing. You have to commit to the higher quality education programs regardless of whether CE credit is attached. Step three is learning how to discuss coverages and how to use a coverage checklist. My firm is having a great time teaching coverages and how to effectively use checklists to people who are willing to work hard to become true professionals. Their energy to build, rather than hearing the whining complaints of amateur agents, is a breath of fresh air. They are learning how to bring energy to their client meetings, build better and stronger relationships and increase sales in the process. What you do going forward is up to you, obviously. What will your choice be? Burand is the founder and owner of Burand & Associates LLC based in Pueblo, Colo. Phone: 719-4853868. E-mail: chris@burand-associates.com.

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Searching for a workers’ compensation market? Look no further than Insurance Journal’s 2019 Workers’ Comp Directory, a comprehensive listing of intermediaries and carriers offering workers’ compensation coverage throughout the country. The information listed in this directory serves as a resource guide for independent agents and brokers looking for workers’ compensation markets. Intermediaries and carriers writing workers’ compensation coverage and profiled in this directory submit updated information directly to Insurance Journal.

AAU, A division of USG Insurance Services Contact: Jennifer Kessel Phone: 724-754-9052 ; Fax: 724-265-5751 Email: jkessel@usgins.com Website: www.aauins.com ■ Markets Offered: Standard, Hazardous & Excess Workers’ Comp, USL&H, Staffing Workers’ Comp ■ Phone Inquiries: Accepted ■ Minimum Premium: $500 ■ Limits: Varies ■ Brokered Business: Accepted ■ States Entered in: All States ■ Admitted Status: Admitted & Non-admitted ■ Carriers Represented: 20+ carriers Advisor Insurance Brokers, LLC Contact: Hanadi Hussein Phone: 713-688-1660 ; Fax: 713-688-1662 Email: Hanadi@advisorus.com Website: www.advisorbrokers.com ■ Markets Offered: Workers’ Comp ■ Phone Inquiries: Accepted ■ Minimum Premium: $500 ■ Limits: $1,000,000 ■ Brokered Business: Accepted ■ States Entered in: Most States ■ Admitted Status: Admitted ■ Carriers Represented: AIG, CNA, Employers, Guard, Hartford, Travelers, AmTrust

INSURANCEJOURNAL.COM

We make every attempt to ensure the accuracy of all information listed in this directory. You may also view Insurance Journal’s Workers’ Comp Directory online at: www.insurancejournal.com/directories. Also visit that link to submit a listing for future workers’ compensation directories, or e-mail Kristine Honey at: khoney@insurancejournal.com. We hope you find the 2019 Workers’ Comp Directory to be a useful tool when searching for markets. To comment on this directory, or any other Insurance Journal resource, please e-mail: editorial@insurancejournal.com.

AllComp Solutions Contact: Jim Gara Phone: 610-808-9586; Fax: 610-941-9889 Email: workerscomp@nsminc.com Website: www.allcompsolutions.com ■ Markets Offered: Workers’ Comp ■ Phone Inquiries: Accepted ■ Minimum Premium: $500 ■ Limits: Statutory ■ Brokered Business: Accepted ■ States Entered in: All States ■ Admitted Status: Admitted ■ Carriers Represented: 10 National Carriers

Agency Resources Contact: MaryEllen Mazzo Phone: 973-315-0716 ; Fax: 770-836-8563 Email: maryellen.mazzo@agencyresources.com Website: www.agencyresources.com ■ Markets Offered: Workers’ Comp ■ Phone Inquiries: Accepted ■ Minimum Premium: $1,000 ■ Limits: $1M / $1M / $1M ■ Brokered Business: Accepted ■ States Entered in: All States except Monopolistic ■ Admitted Status: Admitted Align General Insurance Agency, LLC Contact: Mike Tudman Phone: 619-333-2500 Email: info@aligngeneral.com Website: www.aligngeneral.com ■ Markets Offered: Workers’ Comp - MODS above 1.10 ■ Phone Inquiries: Not Accepted ■ Minimum Premium: $60,000 ■ Limits: Statutory ■ Brokered Business: Accepted ■ States Entered in: CA ■ Admitted Status: Admitted ■ Carriers Represented: Call For Details

All Risks, Ltd. Contact: Hollie Degutis Phone: 866-234-0955 ; Fax: 410-828-8179 Email: allrisksij@allrisks.com Website: www.allrisks.com ■ Markets Offered: Workers’ Comp, USL&H, DBA & MEL ■ Phone Inquiries: Accepted ■ Minimum Premium: Varies by class ■ Limits: Statutory ■ Brokered Business: Accepted ■ States Entered in: All States excluding Monopolistic states (ND, OH, WA, WY) ■ Admitted Status: Admitted ■ Carriers Represented: Over 18 carriers represented

MAY 6, 2019 INSURANCE JOURNAL | NATIONAL | 43

2019 Workers’ Compensation Directory American Team Managers Contact: Jennifer Truong Phone: 714-414-1238 ; Fax: 714-414-1299 Email: jennifer@atminsurance.com Website: www.atminsurance.com ■ Markets Offered: Workers’ Comp ■ Phone Inquiries: Not Accepted ■ Minimum Premium: $500 ■ Limits: $1,000,000/$2,000,000 ■ Brokered Business: Accepted ■ States Entered in: AL AR AZ CA CO GA IA IL KS KY LA MD MI MS NC NE NM NY OK PA SC TN TX VA ■ Admitted Status: Admitted ■ Carriers Represented: AmTrust, Republic Indemnity, Travelers, AIG, Employers, Markel, Cornerstone, Applied, BBSI AMERISAFE Contact: Customer Service Phone: 800-897-9719 Email: aiic-mktg@amerisafe.com Website: www.amerisafe.com ■ Markets Offered: Hazardous Workers’ Comp ■ Phone Inquiries: Accepted ■ Minimum Premium: $10,000 ■ Limits: Statutory ■ Brokered Business: Not Accepted ■ States Entered in: Most States AmeriTrust Group Contact: Phillip J. Gajewski, CPCU, ARM Phone: 800-482-2726 Email: underwriting@ameritrustgroup.com Website: www.ameritrustgroup.com ■ Markets Offered: Workers’ Compensation, Excess Workers’ Compensation, Specialty/Niche Programs ■ Phone Inquiries: Accepted ■ Minimum Premium: N/A ■ Limits: Varies by Program ■ Brokered Business: Yes; Varies by Program ■ States Entered in: All States ■ Admitted Status: Admitted ■ Carriers: Star Ins. Co, Williamsburg National Ins. Co, Ameritrust Ins. Corp, ProCentury Ins. Co. AMIS/Alliance Marketing & Insurance Svcs, LLC Contact: Sean Nowell Phone: 800-843-8550 ; Fax: 800-573-8550 Email: snowell@amiscorp.com Website: www.amisinsurance.com ■ Markets Offered: Workers’ Comp for Private Investigators Ins. Adjusters, Security Guards & Alarm Co’s ■ Phone Inquiries: Accepted ■ Minimum Premium: $297 ■ Brokered Business: Accepted ■ States Entered in: Most States ■ Admitted Status: Admitted ■ Carriers Represented: Employers

AmTrust North America

Contact: Customer Service Phone: 877-528-7878 ; Fax: 800-487-9654 Email: marketing@amtrustgroup.com Website: www.amtrustnorthamerica.com ■ Markets Offered: Workers’ Comp ■ Phone Inquiries: Accepted ■ Minimum Premium: $500 (autopay option requires a $600 minimum premium) ■ Limits: Statutory ■ Brokered Business: Accepted ■ States Entered in: Most States ■ Admitted Status: Admitted ■ Alliances With: Multiple regional alliances For more info, see our ad on page 21 (National). 44 | INSURANCE JOURNAL | NATIONAL MAY 6, 2019

AmWINS Group, Inc. - 118+ Offices Nationwide See Website for Locations, HQ - Charlotte, NC Contact: Maureen Caviston Phone: 203-388-2610 Email: maureen.caviston@amwins.com Website: www.amwins.com ■ Markets Offered: Workers’ Comp, Excess Workers’ Comp, Non-Subscriber Programs for Texas Employers, DBA & MEL ■ Phone Inquiries: Accepted ■ Minimum Premium: $100,000 ■ Limits: Various ■ Brokered Business: Accepted ■ States Entered in: All States ■ Admitted Status: Admitted & Non-admitted ■ Carriers Represented: We have strategic partnerships with many carriers. Inquire for details. AmWINS Program Underwriters Contact: Matt McCue or Dan Curran Phone: 717-214-7622 (Matt) ; 603-334-3027 (Dan) Email: matt.mccue@amwins.com Email: daniel.curran@amwins.com Website: www.amwins.com/apu ■ Markets Offered: Workers’ Comp ■ Phone Inquiries: Accepted ■ Minimum Premium: Varies by state ■ Limits: Statutory ■ Brokered Business: Accepted ■ States Entered in: Most States ■ Admitted Status: Admitted ■ Carriers Represented: Various AM Best A- Rated or Higher AmWINS Specialty Casualty Solutions Contact: Terrence Butler Phone: 312-601-9295 Email: terrence.butler@amwins.com Website: www.amwins.com ■ Markets Offered: Workers’ Comp, Excess WC, Buffer Workers’ Comp, Healthcare, PEO/ Alternative Staffing Workers’ Comp, Guaranteed Cost, Loss Sensitive, Rating Plans, Multiple Classes ■ Phone Inquiries: Accepted ■ Minimum Premium: Various ■ Limits: Various ■ Brokered Business: Accepted ■ States Entered in: All States ■ Admitted Status: Admitted & Non-admitted ■ Carriers Represented: Various AM Best A- Rated or Higher Appalachian Underwriters, Inc. Contact: Marketing Phone: 888-376-9633 ; Fax: 888-871-7644 Email: marketing@appund.com Website: www.appund.com ■ Markets Offered: Exclusive WC Programs for Construction, Healthcare, Temp Staffing, Trucking, USL&H, and Aviation Risks. New Ventures/No Prior Eligible. ■ Phone Inquiries: Accepted ■ On-line portal accessible ■ Minimum Premium: $1,000 ■ Limits: $1M / $1M / $1M ■ Brokered Business: Accepted ■ States Entered in: All States except Monopolistic ■ Admitted Status: Admitted ■ Carriers Represented: Multiple A.M. Best ‘A’ Rated Carriers.

Applied Underwriters, Inc. Applied Underwriters

Cover Tip Phone: 877-234-4450Insurance ; Fax:Journal 877-234-4452 Live 7.875” x 7.5” Email: sales@auw.comTrim 8.125” x 7.75” Bleed 8.375”x 8” Website: www.auw.com ■ Markets Offered: Workers’ Comp, EPLI, E&O, D&O, Payroll ■ Phone Inquiries: Accepted ■ Minimum Premium: $5,000 annual ■ Limits: none ■ Brokered Business: Accepted ■ States Entered in: All States ■ Admitted Status: Admitted For more info, check out our ad on pages 2 & 3 (National) & on the Back Cover. Applied Underwriters

AU Golf IJ Cover Tip

Contact: Sheila Gallagher

P: 707-395-0645

Email: sgallagher@auw.com

Arrowhead General Insurance Agency, Inc.

Contact: Marketing Dept. Phone: 800-669-1889 ; Fax: 619-881-8695 Email: MarketingInfo@ArrowheadGrp.com Website: www.ArrowheadGrp.com ■ Markets Offered: Workers’ Comp ■ Phone Inquiries: Accepted ■ Minimum Premium: Varies by Carrier ■ Brokered Business: Accepted ■ States Entered in: AZ CA NV ■ Admitted Status: Admitted ■ Carriers Represented: Multiple “A” rated carriers Artex Risk Solutions, Inc. Contact: Christine Mikel Phone: 630-438-1560 Email: Christine_Mikel@artexrisk.com Website: www.artexrisk.com ■ Markets Offered: Excess WC, Workers’ Comp, Guaranteed Cost & Alternative Risk (Captives) ■ Phone Inquiries: Accepted ■ Minimum Premium: $100,000 ■ Limits: Statutory ■ Brokered Business: Accepted ■ States Entered in: All States ■ Admitted Status: Admitted ■ Carriers Represented: Several All “A” rated or higher

Atlantic Risk Specialists, Inc. Contact: Kim Weisse Phone: 201-661-2302 ; Fax: 201-661-7822 Email: kweisse@arspecialists.com Website: www.arspecialists.com ■ Markets Offered: USL&H, Workers’ Comp and supporting lines. ■ Phone Inquiries: Accepted ■ Minimum Premium: $2,500 ■ Limits: Unlimited ■ Brokered Business: Accepted ■ States Entered in: All States except AK, HI, monopolistic states ■ Admitted Status: Admitted ■ Carriers Represented: Our team of WC experts have strong relationships with various carriers to assist you with simple or difficult, small or large, guaranteed cost or loss sensitive accounts.

INSURANCEJOURNAL.COM

2019 Workers’ Compensation Directory Atlas General Insurance Services Contact: Chuck Holdren Phone: 858-529-6700 Email: chuck@atlas.us.com Website: atlas.us.com ■ Markets Offered: Workers’ Comp with broad underwriting appetite including healthcare, construction, transportation & agriculture (new ventures not eligible for these classes). ■ Phone Inquiries: Accepted ■ Minimum Premium: $25,000 in PA ■ Brokered Business: Accepted ■ States Entered in: AZ CA GA NC NV PA SC TN VA ■ Admitted Status: Admitted ■ Carriers Represented: Multiple exclusive and wholesale “A” rated carriers

Breckenridge Insurance Services Email: partner@breckis.com Website: www.breckis.com ■ Markets: Guaranteed cost, excess for self-insureds, large deductible, alternative markets and more. ■ Phone Inquiries: Accepted ■ Minimum Premium: $5,000 ■ Limits: Statutory ■ Brokered Business: Accepted ■ States Entered in: All States ■ Admitted Status: Admitted & Non-admitted ■ Carriers Represented: AIG, Amerisafe, AmTrust, BerkleyNet, Berkshire Hathaway, First Comp, Guard, Hartford, ICW, RTW, Safety National, Sentry, StarStone National, V3 Insurance Partners and more.

Beacon Aviation Insurance Services Contact: Bret Duval Phone: 941-953-5390 ; Fax: 941-343-8740 Email: bret.duval@beaconais.com Website: www.beaconais.com ■ Markets Offered: Workers’ Comp for the general Aviation industry. ■ Phone Inquiries: Accepted ■ Minimum Premium: $5,000 ■ Brokered Business: Accepted ■ States Entered in: All States except AK ■ Admitted Status: Admitted

Brownyard Group Contact: Jennifer Brownyard Phone: 800-645-5820 ; Fax: 631-666-5723 Email: info@brownyard.com Website: www.brownyard.com ■ Markets Offered: Workers’ Comp ■ Phone Inquiries: Accepted ■ Minimum Premium: $10,000 ■ Limits: EL up to $1M ■ Brokered Business: Accepted ■ States Entered in: Most States ■ Admitted Status: Admitted ■ Carriers: Arch Insurance Company, Employers

Berkshire Hathaway GUARD Insurance Companies Phone: 570- 825-9900 ; Fax: 570- 823-5930 Email: csr@guard.com Website: www.guard.com ■ Markets Offered: Workers’ Comp & related P&C lines. ■ Phone Inquiries: Accepted ■ Minimum Premium: No Standard Minimum ■ Limits: Statutory ■ Brokered Business: Not Accepted ■ States Entered in: Nationwide ■ Alliances With: An internal affiliate and some other vendors that vary by state. Berkshire Hathaway Homestate Companies Contact: Customer Service Phone: 888-495-8949 ; Fax: 415-675-5482 Email: marketing-wc@bhhc.com Website: www.bhhc.com ■ Markets Offered: Workers’ Comp ■ Phone Inquiries: Accepted ■ Minimum Premium: $1,000 ■ Brokered Business: Accepted ■ States Entered in: All States ■ Admitted Status: Admitted BreckComp & Contractors Workers’ Comp Programs of Blue River Underwriters BreckComp: Vicky Williams - Phone: 559-326-5775 Email: vwilliams@blueriveruw.com Contractors WC: Cricket Thomas - Ph: 702-208-9247 Email: cthomas@blueriveruw.com Website: www.blueriveruw.com ■ Markets Offered: Monoline Workers’ Comp - close to 400 eligible class codes for BreckComp and nearly 80 eligible contractor class codes ■ Phone Inquiries & Brokered Business: Accepted ■ Limits: Statutory ■ States: All States except Monopolistic & DE ■ Admitted Status: Admitted ■ Carriers Represented: AM Best A Rated Carriers INSURANCEJOURNAL.COM

Builders & Tradesmen’s Ins. Services, Inc. Contact: Jeremiah Azevedo Phone: 916-772-9200 ; Fax: 916-772-9292 Email: jazevedo@btisinc.com Website: www.btisinc.com ■ Markets Offered: Victory® Workers’ Comp ■ Phone Inquiries: Accepted ■ Minimum Premium: $500 ■ Limits: $1M ■ Brokered Business: Not Accepted ■ States Entered in: All States except AK, ND, OH, WA, WY ■ Admitted Status: Admitted ■ Carriers Represented: AmTrust, ICW, CNA, Travelers, Zenith Care Providers Insurance Services, LLC Contact: Chris Hale Phone: 972-427-4547 ; Fax: 800-224-7145 Email: cps-submissions@nsminc.com Website: www.ins-cps.com ■ Markets Offered: Workers’ Comp ■ Phone Inquiries: Not Accepted ■ Minimum Premium: None ■ Limits: EL $1M ■ Brokered Business: Not Accepted ■ States Entered in: All States ■ Admitted Status: Admitted ■ Carriers Represented: Texas - Open Safety Group accessed through Texas Mutual Charity First Insurance Services, Inc. Contact: Frank Tarantino Phone: 800-352-2761 ; Fax: 415-536-4033 Email: frank_tarantino@charityfirst.com Website: www.charityfirst.com ■ Markets Offered: Workers’ Comp, Nonprofits and Social Services ■ Phone Inquiries: Accepted ■ Minimum Premium: Varies ■ Brokered Business: Not Accepted ■ States Entered in: All States ■ Admitted Status: Admitted in most states ■ Carriers Represented: Nova, Berkshire Hathaway, ICW (California Only), Atlas, Applied Underwriters

CID Insurance Programs, Inc. Contact: Caesar Serrano Phone: 800-922-7283 ; Fax: 619-593-2008 Email: caesar@cidinsurance.com Website: www.cidinsurance.com ■ Markets Offered: Workers’ Comp ■ Phone Inquiries: Accepted ■ Minimum Premium: $350 ■ Limits: $1M ■ Brokered Business: Accepted ■ States Entered in: AZ CA CO ID MD NE NM NV OR PA TN TX UT ■ Admitted Status: Admitted ■ Carriers Represented: Over 25 insurance companies

Commercial Sector Insurance Brokers

Contact: Carl Thompson Phone: 205-776-2625 ; Fax: 205-776-1619 Email: cthompson@comsectorins.com Website: www.comsectorins.com ■ Markets Offered: Workers’ Comp ■ Phone Inquiries: Accepted ■ Minimum Premium: $5,000 ■ Limits: $1M/$1M/$1M ■ Brokered Business: Accepted ■ States Entered in: Most States ■ Admitted Status: Admitted ■ Carriers Represented: Chartis, Am Trust, Crum & Forester, Guarantee Insurance Co., Munich, Zurich Commercial Sector is a National Wholesaler. We specialize in assisting retail agents solve P & C problems, including Workers’ Comp. Community Association Insurance Solutions, LLC Contact: Gary J. Deck, VP Sales and Distribution Phone: 888-833-4158 ; Fax: 888-833-4159 Email: gary@mgalive.com Website: www.caislive.com ■ Markets Offered: Workers’ Comp/Crime/D&O ■ Phone Inquiries: Accepted ■ Minimum Premium: $280 and up – Depending on the state ■ Limits: Statutory/up to $1Mil/Up to $5Mil ■ Brokered Business: Not Accepted ■ States Entered in: All States except ND,WY,OH,WA/ All States/All States except NV,LA,VT,CA(HOA Only) ■ Admitted Status: Admitted ■ Carriers Represented: PMA Companies/Various Comp Solutions Network, Inc. Contact: Dianne Favro Phone: 713-690-3500 Ext. 41 ; Fax: 713-690-8484 Email: diannef@compsolutionsnetwork.com Website: www.compsolutionsnetwork.com ■ Markets Offered: Monoline Workers’ Comp, Non- Subscriber Programs for Texas Employers ■ Phone Inquiries: Accepted ■ Minimum Premium: $250 ■ Limits: $500K to $10M ■ Brokered Business: Accepted ■ States Entered in: All States ■ Admitted Status: Admitted ■ Carriers (WC:) Accident Fund, American International, Amerisafe, AmTrust, Berkshire Hathaway, Service Lloyds, Midwest Ins., Markel (First Comp), Texas Mutual, Worth Casualty Ins., Bridgefield Casualty, Retailers Casualty

MAY 6, 2019 INSURANCE JOURNAL | NATIONAL | 45

2019 Workers’ Compensation Directory CompWest Insurance Company Contact: Kristi Houston Phone: 714-641-9570 Email: kristi.houston@compwestinsurance.com Website: www.compwestinsurance.com ■ Markets Offered: Workers’ Comp ■ Phone Inquiries: Not Accepted ■ Minimum Premium: $1,000 ■ Limits: $1.5M ■ Brokered Business: Not Accepted ■ States Entered in: AZ CA CO ID NV OR UT ■ Admitted Status: Admitted Continental Brokers, Inc. Contact: Collier Simpson Phone: 866-386-4136 ; Fax: 601-898-4793 Email: cs@continentalbrokers.biz Website: www.continentalbrokers.biz ■ Markets Offered: Health Insurance, Managed Care, HMO, Short Term Medical, Workers’ Comp ■ Phone Inquiries: Accepted ■ Minimum Premium: None ■ Brokered Business: Accepted ■ States Entered in: All States ■ Admitted Status: Admitted ■ Carriers Represented: CNA, Hartford, Assurant, BCBS (some states) United HealthCare, Colonial Continental Underwriters, Inc. Contact: C. Preston Herrington, III Phone: 804-643-7800 ; Fax: 804-643-5800 Email: preston@contund.com Website: www.contund.com ■ Markets Offered: Workers’ Comp ■ Phone Inquiries: Accepted ■ Minimum Premium: $10,000 ■ Limits: 500/500/500 ■ Brokered Business: Accepted ■ States Entered in: All States ■ Admitted Status: Admitted ■ Carriers Represented: Multiple Costanza Insurance Agency, Inc. Contact: Brian Costanza Phone: 800-346-0942 ; Fax: 972-991-2139 Email: b.costanza@cia-tx.com Website: www.costanzainsurance.com ■ Markets Offered: Workers’ Comp, GL, Comm Auto, Crime, EPL, EBL, Umbrella ■ Phone Inquiries: Accepted ■ Minimum Premium: $5,000 ■ Brokered Business: Accepted ■ States Entered in: All States ■ Carriers Represented: Zurich Insurance Co. Don R. Jensen & Company Contact: Don R. Jensen & Company Phone: 630-734-3240 ; Fax: 630-734-3250 Email: apps@drjco.com Website: www.drjco.com ■ Markets Offered: Workers’ Comp ■ Phone Inquiries: Accepted ■ Minimum Premium: $1,000 ■ Limits: None ■ Brokered Business: Not Accepted ■ States Entered in: All States except Monopolistic & AK, HI ■ Admitted Status: Admitted ■ Carriers Represented: Multiple AM Best “A” Rated Carriers

46 | INSURANCE JOURNAL | NATIONAL MAY 6, 2019

Empire Pacific Sovereign, LLC Contact: Adam Wooten Phone: 925-300-1001 Email: adam.wooten@epsinsurance.com Website: www.epsinsurance.com ■ Markets Offered: Workers’ Comp (Guaranteed Cost, Deductible Programs, Foreign), Property & Casualty Lines ■ Phone Inquiries: Accepted ■ Minimum Premium: Varies by Class ■ Limits: Statutory ■ Brokered Business: Accepted ■ States Entered in: Most States ■ Admitted Status: Admitted ■ Carriers Represented: Multiple Carriers

Empire Underwriters, LLC

Contact: Underwriting Toll Free: 800-758-8113 Phone: 813-448-9300 ; Fax: 813-448-9310 Email: quotes@empireunderwriters.com Website: www.empireunderwriters.com ■ Markets Offered: Standalone Workers’ Comp, Staffing Workers’ Comp, Alternative Risk, PEO ■ Phone Inquiries: Accepted ■ Minimum Premium: $1,000 ■ Brokered Business: Not Accepted ■ States Entered in: Most States ■ Admitted Status: Admitted & Non-admitted ■ Carriers: ACE/Chubb, AIG, Century Surety, Employers, Benchmark, Berkshire Hathaway Guard, ICW, Kinsale, Lloyds of London, RLI, RTW, Seneca Specialty, Sompo, Starstone, and many others. Empire Underwriters is National MGA, Insurance Wholesaler, and Excess & Surplus Lines facility. Our organization is dedicated to the success of agents and brokers nationwide and featuring Online Indications and Quotes for several products. Employers Assurance Company (EAC) Contact: Customer Service Phone: 800-700-9113 ; Fax: 888-527-3422 Email: customersupport@employers.com Website: www.employers.com ■ Markets Offered: Workers’ Comp ■ Phone Inquiries: Accepted ■ Limits: None ■ Brokered Business: Accepted ■ States Entered in: Most States Employers Compensation Insurance Co. (ECIC) Contact: Customer Service Phone: 800-700-9113 ; Fax: 888-527-3422 Email: customersupport@employers.com Website: www.employers.com ■ Markets Offered: Workers’ Comp ■ Phone Inquiries: Accepted ■ Limits: None ■ Brokered Business: Accepted ■ States Entered in: Most States Employers Insurance Company of Nevada (EICN) Contact: Customer Service Phone: 800-700-9113 ; Fax: 888-527-3422 Email: customersupport@employers.com Website: www.employers.com ■ Markets Offered: Workers’ Comp ■ Phone Inquiries: Accepted ■ Limits: None ■ Brokered Business: Accepted ■ States Entered in: NV

Employers Preferred Insurance Company (EPIC) Contact: Customer Service Phone: 800-700-9113 ; Fax: 888-527-3422 Email: customersupport@employers.com Website: www.employers.com ■ Markets Offered: Workers’ Comp ■ Phone Inquiries: Accepted ■ Limits: None ■ Brokered Business: Accepted ■ States Entered in: Most States FFVA Mutual Insurance Co. Contact: Customer Service Phone: 800-346-4825 ; Fax: 321-214-0220 Email: newbusiness@ffvamutual.com Website: www.ffvamutual.com ■ Markets Offered: Workers’ Comp ■ Phone Inquiries: Not Accepted ■ Minimum Premium: Varies by Industry ■ Limits: Statutory ■ Brokered Business: Not Accepted ■ States Entered in: AL FL GA IN KY MS NC SC TN VA ■ Admitted Status: Admitted Frank Winston Crum Insurance Contact: Jessica Penzien Phone: 727-799-1150 ; Fax: 727-450-7911 Email: submissions@frankcrum.com Website: www.fwcruminsurance.com ■ Markets Offered: Workers’ Comp, General Liability ■ Phone Inquiries: Accepted ■ Minimum Premium: $500/$1000 ■ Limits: 1M/1M/1M ■ Brokered Business: Not Accepted ■ States Entered in: Most States ■ Admitted Status: Admitted Freedom Risk Insurance Services Contact: Ryan Wakefield Phone: 253-432-9495 Email: ryan.wakefield@freedomrisk.net Website: www.freedomrisk.net ■ Markets Offered: Workers’ Comp, PEO ■ Phone Inquiries: Accepted ■ Minimum Premium: $25,000 ■ Limits: Statutory ■ Brokered Business: Accepted ■ States Entered in: All States except Monopolistic ■ Admitted Status: Admitted ■ Carriers Represented: Several specialty markets for hard to place clients Friedlander Group, Inc. Contact: Cosmo Preaito Phone: 914-694-6000 Ext. 203 ; Fax: 914-694-6004 Email: cosmop@friedlandergroup.com Website: www.friedlandergroup.com ■ Markets Offered: Workers’ Comp & Multiple Classes ■ Phone Inquiries: Accepted ■ Minimum Premium: $3,500 / $2,500 Restaurants ■ Limits: Statutory ■ Brokered Business: Accepted ■ States Entered in: Most States ■ Admitted Status: Admitted ■ Alliances With: AmTrust, Employers, New York State Insurance Fund

FUBA Workers’ Comp

Contact: Alicia Hamilton Phone: 888-262-4483 ; Fax: 888-871-7474 Email: fubawc@fubaworks.com Website: www.fubaworkerscomp.com ■ Markets Offered: Workers’ Comp ■ Phone Inquiries: Accepted ■ Minimum Premium: $1,000 ■ Brokered Business: Accepted provisionally ■ States Entered in: FL INSURANCEJOURNAL.COM

2019 Workers’ Compensation Directory GJS Co. Insurance, a company of Worldwide Facilities, LLC Contact: Debbie Mesko Phone: 714-221-9500 ; Fax: 714-876-2252 Email: MeskoD@gjs.com Website: www.gjsullivan.com ■ Markets Offered: Workers’ Comp ■ Phone Inquiries: Not Accepted ■ Minimum Premium: $1,000 ■ Limits: up to 1,000,000 ■ Brokered Business: Not Accepted ■ States Entered in: All States except NJ & NY ■ Admitted Status: Admitted

Gorst & Compass Insurance Contact: Paul Laufer Phone: 818-507-1980 ; Fax: 818-545-3818 Email: plaufer@gorstcompass.com Website: www.gorstcompass.com ■ Markets Offered: Workers’ Comp ■ Phone Inquiries: Accepted ■ Minimum Premium: $500 ■ Limits: $1M ■ Brokered Business: Accepted ■ States Entered in: AZ CA NV OR ■ Admitted Status: Admitted ■ Carriers Represented: 20+ Markets

Grand General Agency Contact: Andy, Brandi or Heather Phone: 800-869-2022 ; Fax: 888-767-0826 Email: commercial@thehelpfulpeople.com Website: www.thehelpfulpeople.com ■ Markets Offered: Workers’ Comp ■ Phone Inquiries: Accepted ■ Minimum Premium: Varies by class ■ Limits: $1,000,000/1,000,000/1,000,000 ■ Brokered Business: Not Accepted ■ States Entered in: All States except Monopolistic & AK, AL, HI ■ Admitted Status: Admitted ■ Carriers Represented: Various Gray Specialty Contact: Robert Swayze Phone: 504-754-6701 Email: rswayze@grayspecialty.com Website: www.grayspecialty.com ■ Markets Offered: Excess Workers Comp, Excess Workers Comp Buffer Layer, USL&H ■ Phone Inquiries: Accepted ■ Minimum Premium: $20,000 ■ Limits: $1,000,000 ■ Brokered Business: Accepted ■ States Entered in: Most States ■ Admitted Status: Admitted ■ Carriers Represented: The Gray Insurance Co. Hamond Safety Management, LLC Contact: Robert A. Stamm Phone: 516-762-4219 ; Fax: 516-488-2167 Email: rstamm@hamondgroup.com Website: www.hamondgroup.com ■ Markets Offered: Workers’ Comp ■ Phone Inquiries: Accepted ■ Minimum Premium: $15,000 ■ Limits: Unlimited by state statute ■ Brokered Business: Accepted ■ States Entered in: NY ■ Admitted Status: Admitted ■ Carriers Represented: NYSIF

INSURANCEJOURNAL.COM

ICW Group Insurance Companies Contact: Trisha Rule Phone: 800-877-1111 Email: enterprisemarketingteam@icwgroup.com Website: www.icwgroup.com ■ Markets Offered: Workers’ Comp ■ Phone Inquiries: Not Accepted ■ Minimum Premium: $2,500; $1,500 for Instant Quote ■ Limits: $1M ■ Brokered Business: Accepted ■ States Entered in: CA FL GA IA IL IN KY MD MI MN MO NC NJ NV OK PA SC TN TX VA WI ■ Admitted Status: Admitted

Irving Weber Associates, Inc. Contact: Christine Brazier Phone: 800-243-1811 Ext. 8207 ; Fax: 631-913-6035 Email: Info@iwains.com Website: www.iwains.com ■ Markets Offered: All Lines including Workers’ Comp ■ Phone Inquiries: Accepted ■ Minimum Premium: $500 ■ Brokered Business: Accepted ■ States Entered in: Most States ■ Admitted Status: Admitted ■ Carriers Represented: Various

Izzo Insurance Services

Contact: Mike Jones Phone: 800-800-1704 ; Fax: 630-582-2803 Email: MJones@IzzoInsurance.com Website: www.IzzoInsurance.com ■ Markets Offered: Workers’ Compensation, Exclusive Security Guard Workers’ Compensation ■ Phone Inquiries: Accepted ■ Minimum Premium: $5,000 ■ Limits: Varies ■ Brokered Business: Accepted ■ States Entered in: All States ■ Admitted Status: Admitted ■ Carriers Represented: AIG, AmTrust Companies, BerkleyNet, Chubb, CNA, Employers Ins. Group, Everest, GUARD, Hartford Ins. Group, ICW Group, Meadowbrook, State Auto, Travelers Ins. Co., Zenith Insurance

IMACO Underwriters Contact: Abel Alvarez Phone: 800-943-3821 Email: marketing@imacoinsurance.com Website: www.imacounderwriters.com ■ Markets Offered: Workers’ Comp ■ Phone Inquiries: Accepted ■ Minimum Premium: $100 ■ Brokered Business: Accepted ■ States Entered: All States except Monopolistic & DC NY SD ■ Admitted Status: Admitted & Non-admitted Insurance Center Special Risks, Ltd. Contact: Ludmila Koval Phone: 888-773-7475 ; Fax: 413-781-0050 Email: lkoval@specilarisksltd.com Website: www.specialrisksltd.com ■ Markets Offered: Workers’ Comp ■ Phone Inquiries: Accepted | 413-750-7349 ■ Minimum Premium: $350 ■ Brokered Business: Not Accepted ■ States Entered: CT MA ME NH NY PA RI VT ■ Admitted Status: Admitted ■ Carriers Represented: The Hartford, Guard Insurance Group, AmTrust

Jimcor Agencies WC: Michael Hogan - 201-573-8200 Ext. 1211 Staffing WC: Michael Hayes 201-573-8200 Ext. 1109 Phone: 201-573-8200 Ext. 1204 ; Fax: 201-573-8820 Email: mhogan@jimcor.com Website: www.jimcor.com ■ Markets Offered: Workers’ Comp, Staffing WC ■ Phone Inquiries: Accepted ■ Minimum Premium: $1,000 ■ Limits: Any Applicable per State ■ Brokered Business: Accepted ■ States Entered in: All Nonmonopolistic States ■ Admitted Status: Admitted & Non-admitted ■ Carriers Represented: AIG, AmTrust, Applied, Employers, Hanover, National Liability & Fire, Travelers, Crum & Forster, Zurich, Falls Lake, OneBeacon, SouthEast Personnel Leasing

International Excess Companies Contact: Kenneth Kukral, CIC Phone: 800-937-3497 Ext. 2079 ; Fax: 216-342-7442 Email: kennethkukral@intlxs.com Website: www.intlxs.com ■ Markets Offered: Excess Workers’ Comp, PEOs, Workers’ Comp ■ Phone Inquiries: Accepted ■ Minimum Premium: $1,000 ■ Limits: Statutory + increased limits & excess limits ■ Brokered Business: Accepted ■ States Entered in: All States except Monopolistic (monoline OH stop gap available) ■ Admitted Status: Admitted ■ Carriers Represented: Various IPA Risk Management, LLC Contact: Greg or Chase Phone: 201-797-1084 Ext. 201 or 202 ; Fax: 201-797-1076 Email: g. or c.heitmann@ipariskmanagement.com Website: www.ipariskmanagement.com ■ Markets Offered: Health Insurance, HMO, Managed Care, PEO, Workers’ Comp ■ Phone Inquiries: Accepted ■ Minimum Premium: $25,000 ■ Limits: $1,000,000 ■ Brokered Business: Accepted ■ States Entered in: Most States & Multiple states on one account. ■ Admitted Status: Admitted & Non-admitted ■ Alliances With: Yes - health benefits are integrated with workers’ comp benefits

Keating Brokerage Contact: Tim Palmer Phone: 508-229-4710 Email: tpalmer@keating.insurance Website: www.keating.insurance ■ Markets Offered: Workers’ Comp ■ Phone Inquiries: Accepted ■ Minimum Premium: $2,500 ■ Brokered Business: Accepted ■ States Entered in: All States ■ Admitted Status: Admitted ■ Carriers Represented: Over 25 Monoline WC Markets King Insurance Support Systems Contact: Laura Fondarella Phone: 800-488-4096 ; Fax: 949-488-2259 Email: Marketing@kinginsuranceca.com Website: www.kinginsuranceca.com ■ Markets Offered: Workers’ Comp ■ Phone Inquiries: Accepted ■ Minimum Premium: None ■ Limits: Varies ■ Brokered Business: Accepted ■ States Entered in: Western States ■ Admitted Status: Admitted ■ Carriers Represented: AmTrust, Travelers, Berkshire Hathaway

MAY 6, 2019 INSURANCE JOURNAL | NATIONAL | 47

2019 Workers’ Compensation Directory KZ Insurance Brokerage, LLC Contact: Kathy Zeanah Phone: 530-926-6030 ; Fax: 530-926-6040 Email: info@kzib.com Website: www.kzib.com ■ Markets Offered: Workers’ Comp ■ Phone Inquiries: Accepted ■ Minimum Premium: $1,000 ■ Brokered Business: Accepted ■ States Entered in: Most States ■ Admitted Status: Admitted ■ Carriers Represented: BHHC- Oak River, Cypress, Redwood, Travelers and Others. Legacy Employer Concepts, LLC Contact: Brett Arthur Phone: 813-460-9166 Email: brett@legacyemployerconcepts.com Website: www.legacyemployerconcepts.com ■ Markets Offered: Excess Workers’ Comp, Health Insurance, HMO, USL&H, Workers’ Comp, Human Resources, Payroll ■ Phone Inquiries: Accepted ■ Minimum Premium: $100 ■ Limits: 99999999999999 ■ Brokered Business: Accepted ■ States Entered in: All States except AK HI NC ■ Admitted Status: Admitted ■ Carriers Represented: Multiple Carriers Libertate Insurance, LLC Contact: Sharlie Reynolds Phone: 305-495-5173 ; Fax: 407-613-5477 Email: sreynolds@libertateins.com Website: www.libertateins.com ■ Markets Offered: EPLI, PL/GL, Workers’ Comp, Employee Benefits, Commercial Auto/Fleet ■ Phone Inquiries: Accepted ■ Minimum Premium: Varies by program ■ Brokered Business: Accepted ■ States Entered in: All States ■ Admitted Status: Admitted & Non-admitted ■ Carriers Represented: Multiple LIG Marine Managers Contact: Karen Tischler Phone: 727-578-2800 ; Fax: 727-578-9977 Email: KLT@LIGMarine.com Website: www.LIGMarine.com ■ Markets Offered: USL&H (Longshore), Workers’ Comp, MEL ■ Phone Inquiries: Accepted ■ Minimum Premium: $10,000 ■ Limits: Statutory ■ Brokered Business: Accepted ■ States Entered in: All States ■ Admitted Status: Admitted & Non-admitted ■ Carriers Represented: Various LowRateWorkComp Contact: Paul Farhood Phone: 850-625-5190 Email: LowRateWorkComp@gmail.com Website: www.LowRateWorkComp.com ■ Markets Offered: Payroll, USL&H, Workers’ Comp ■ Phone Inquiries: Accepted ■ Minimum Premium: $2,000 ■ Brokered Business: Accepted ■ States Entered in: All States except WA ■ Carriers Represented: Standalone policy or 4 PEOs – Writing All classes depending on state.

48 | INSURANCE JOURNAL | NATIONAL MAY 6, 2019

LUBA Workers’ Comp Contact: Trent Bondy Phone: 888-884-5822 ; Fax: 225-389-5822 Email: lubasales@lubawc.com Website: www.lubawc.com ■ Markets Offered: USL&H, Workers’ Comp ■ Phone Inquiries: Accepted ■ Minimum Premium: $2,000 ■ Limits: $1M/1M/1M ■ Brokered Business: Not Accepted ■ States Entered in: AR LA MS TX ■ Admitted Status: Admitted LWCC Contact: Jennifer Vaccaro Phone: 225-924-7788 Email: communications@lwcc.com Website: www.lwcc.com ■ Markets Offered: Workers’ Comp ■ Phone Inquiries: Accepted ■ Minimum Premium: None ■ Brokered Business: Accepted ■ States Entered in: LA Markel Specialty Contact: Dan Kennedy Phone: 804-217-8820 Email: Dan.Kennedy@markel.com Website: markelinsurance.com/small-business ■ Markets Offered: Workers’ Comp, BOP, Misc. E&O, and specialty package policies ■ Phone Inquiries: Accepted ■ Minimum Premium: N/A ■ Limits: Variable ■ Brokered Business: Limited ■ States Entered in: Most. See website for details. ■ Admitted Status: Admitted MarketScout Chris Kerr - 972-934-4206 ; Dan Fouts - 972-934-4231 John McGee -570-554-4506 ; Patricia Haas - 972-934-4216 Brian Panzeri - 972-934-4207

Email: workcomp@msunderwriters.com ■ Markets: USL&H, Workers’ Comp, Oil & Gas, Social Svcs, Transportation, Construction, Healthcare & Manufacturing, Debit Experience Mod Accounts ■ Phone Inquiries: Accepted ■ Minimum Premium: None ■ Limits: Statutory ■ Brokered Business: Accepted ■ States Entered in: All States ■ Admitted Status: Admitted ■ Carriers Represented: Over 20 national, regional & specialty carriers

MartinoWest Business & Insurance Solutions Phone: 844-333-2005 ; Fax: 916-751-5911 Email: info@martinowest.com Website: www.martinowestprograms.com ■ Markets Offered: PEO, Workers’ Comp, PayGo ■ Phone Inquiries: Accepted ■ Minimum Premium: N/A ■ Brokered Business: Accepted ■ States Entered in: All States ■ Admitted Status: Admitted & Non-admitted ■ Carriers Represented: All Carriers

Maverick Commercial Insurance Services Contact: Rick Bass or Mario Gomez Phone: 818-223-0011 ; Fax: 818-223-0012 Email: info@maverickinsure.com Website: www.maverickinsure.com ■ Markets: Workers Comp, Construction Program, Large Deductible & Retro Programs, Excess WC, USL&H, PEO & Aviation ■ Phone Inquiries: Accepted ■ Minimum Premium: $2,500 ■ Limits: $1mil/$1mil/1mil ■ Brokered Business: Accepted ■ States Entered in: All States ■ Admitted Status: Admitted ■ Carriers Represented: See website for full list

Maxim Insurance Group Contact: Scott Carde Phone: 813-689-5105 ; Fax: 813-354-2336 Email: mail@maximinsurancegroup.com Website: www.maximinsurancegroup.com ■ Markets Offered: Workers’ Compensation, DBA, Repatriation & Foreign Coverage, USL&H ■ Phone Inquiries: Accepted ■ Minimum Premium: $1,000 ■ Limits: Statutory and up to $2M ■ Brokered Business: Accepted ■ States Entered in: All States except Monopolistic ■ Admitted Status: Admitted ■ Carriers: AIG Group of Companies, AmTrust Group of Companies, Summit Group of Companies, MCIM McClelland and Hine, a division of Worldwide Facilities, LLC Contact: Amicia Hine Phone: 210-293-6240 ; Fax: 210-293-6318 Email: amicia@mhi-mga.com Website: www.mhi-mga.com ■ Markets Offered: Workers’ Comp ■ Phone Inquiries: Accepted ■ Minimum Premium: $500 ■ Limits: Statutory ■ Brokered Business: Accepted ■ States Entered in: AL GA TX ■ Admitted Status: Admitted & Non-admitted ■ Carriers: Travelers, First Comp, Redpoint McLeckie Insurance Group Contact: Bill McLeckie Phone: 903-897-9090 ; Fax: 760-462-1696 Email: bill@mcleckie.com Website: www.mcleckie.com ■ Markets Offered: Workers’ Comp ■ Phone Inquiries: Accepted ■ Minimum Premium: $500 ■ Brokered Business: Accepted ■ States Entered in: AR FL LA OK TN TX ■ Admitted Status: Admitted ■ Carriers Represented: Travelers and various others. Method Insurance Services Contact: Rob Hynek - Phone: 888-981-1702 Email: submissions@methodinsurance.com Website: www.methodinsurance.com ■ Markets Offered: Workers’ Comp ■ Phone Inquiries & Brokered Business: Accepted ■ General Min Premium: $1k ; Contractor Min: $5k ; Tucking & Staffing: $10k ■ Limits: $1,000,000 ■ States Entered in: Agency Appointments in AZ CA CO IA IL KS MO NE NV OK ■ Admitted Status: Admitted carriers only ■ Carriers Represented: AIG, AmTrust, Amerisafe, BerkelyNet, BHHC, Employers, Guard, Meadowbrook, National Liability & Fire, QBE, Risk Administration Services, RTW, StoneTrust, V3 INSURANCEJOURNAL.COM

2019 Workers’ Compensation Directory

Midlands Management Corp.

Oklahoma City, OK & Dallas, TX Phone: 800-800-4007 ; Fax: 405-840-5432 Email: marketing@midman.com Website: www.midlandsmgt.com ■ Markets Offered: Excess Workers’ Comp, Primary Workers’ Comp, Texas Non-Subscriber, Public Entity, Occupational Accident, Property & Casualty Lines ■ Phone Inquiries: Accepted ■ Minimum Premium: As low as NCCI Minimums ■ Brokered Business: Accepted ■ States Entered in: Most States ■ Admitted Status: Admitted & Non-admitted ■ Carriers Represented: AM Best “A” Rated Carriers For more info, see our ad on page 8 (S. Central). Midwest Employers Casualty Contact: Renée Lunceford Phone: 636-449-7022 ; Fax: 636-449-7199 Email: rlunceford@mecasualty.com Website: www.mecasualty.com ■ Markets Offered: Workers’ Compensation: Excess Workers’ Compensation, Group Captives, Large Deductible ■ Phone Inquiries: Accepted ■ Minimum Premium: Varies by risk ■ Limits: Up to Statutory ■ Brokered Business: Accepted ■ States Entered in: All States, District of Columbia ■ Admitted Status: Admitted

Norman-Spencer Agency, Inc. Contact: David George Phone: 937-432-3513 ; Fax: 937-432-1635 Email: davidgeorge@norman-spencer.com Website: www.norman-spencer.com ■ Markets Offered: Excess Workers’ Comp, Workers’ Comp ■ Phone Inquiries: Accepted ■ Minimum Premium: $1,000 ■ Limits: $1M ■ Brokered Business: Accepted ■ States Entered in: All States ■ Admitted Status: Admitted ■ Carriers Represented: AmTrust, Crum & Forster, Everest, Hartford, Liberty Mutual

Normandy Insurance Company

Midwestern Insurance Alliance, LLC Contact: Theresa Bailey Phone: 619-450-1739 ; Fax: 502-426-7067 Email: tbailey@mwiainsurance.com Website: www.midwesterninsurance.com ■ Markets Offered: Workers’ Comp, Trucking, Milk Haulers, Fuel Haulers, Commercial Roofing, Towing, Charter Bus, Limousine, Parcel Delivery, OA/CL, Wood Products ■ Phone Inquiries: Accepted ■ Minimum Premium: $5,000 ■ Limits: $1,000,000 ■ Brokered Business: Accepted ■ States Entered in: All States ■ Admitted Status: Admitted ■ Carriers Represented: Multiple “A” rated carriers NBIS Contact: Don Ellett Phone: 770-257-1113 ; Fax: 770-257-1500 Email: dellet@nbis.com Website: www.NBIS.com ■ Markets Offered: Workers’ Comp ■ Phone Inquiries: Accepted ■ Min Premium: $2,500 (NO mono-line WC – must be in conjunction with other lines GL, Auto, IM) ■ Limits: 1m/1m/1m ■ Brokered Business: NotAccepted ■ States Entered in: All States except NY ■ Admitted Status: Admitted all states

INSURANCEJOURNAL.COM

Omega Insurance Solutions Contact: Keith Steverson Phone: 866-997-0711 ; Fax: 888-611-9598 Email: wc@omega4agents.com Website: www.Omega4agents.com ■ Markets Offered: USL&H, Workers’ Comp, Hard- to-Place WC, GL, Commercial Auto, Small BOPs ■ Phone Inquiries: Accepted ■ Minimum Premium: $500 ■ Limits: WC standard limits or increased to $1M ■ Brokered Business: Accepted ■ States Entered in: Most States ■ Admitted Status: Admitted ■ Carriers Represented: 17 WC carriers/4 PEOs – Writing most classes depending on state.

New Age Underwriters Agency, Inc. Contact: Ed Sharples Phone: 516-488-2312 ; Fax: 516-488-2508 Email: ESharples@NewAgeIns.com Website: www.newageins.com ■ Markets Offered: Excess Workers’ Comp, USL&H, Workers’ Comp ■ Phone Inquiries: Accepted ■ Minimum Premium: $5,000 ■ Limits: Varies by State ■ Brokered Business: Accepted ■ States Entered in: All States ■ Admitted Status: Admitted & Non-admitted ■ Carriers Represented: 30 carriers including - Amtrust, Cimarron, Employers, National Liability, Normandy, Utica National, and others

Contact: Laura Lieberman, Marketing Phone: 866-688-6448 ; Fax: 866-688-6448 Email: applications@normandyins.com Website: www.normandyins.com ■ Markets Offered: Workers’ Comp ■ Phone Inquiries: Accepted ■ Minimum Premium: $1,000 ■ Limits: Standard ■ Brokered Business: Accepted ■ States Entered in: AR FL GA LA MS NC OK PA TX VA ■ Admitted Status: Admitted ■ Alliances With: Various Brokers / Direct appointment may be available For more info, see our ad on page 5 (Southeast) ; page 4 (S. Central). Number One Insurance Agency, Inc. Contact: Michelle St. Angelo Phone: 508-634-7364 ; Fax: 508-634-2930 Email: mstangelo@massagent.com Website: www.massagent.com ■ Markets Offered: Workers’ Comp ■ Phone Inquiries: Accepted ■ Minimum Premium: $100 ■ Limits: 100 / 500 / 100 + ■ Brokered Business: Accepted ■ States Entered in: All States ■ Admitted Status: Admitted ■ Carriers Represented: AmTrust Group, Norfolk & Dedham Group, The Hartford

Oryx Insurance Brokerage, Inc. Contact: Tom Pasquale Phone: 607-724-0173 ; Fax: 607-724-7266 Email: marketing@oryxinsurance.com Website: www.oryxinsurance.com ■ Markets Offered: Workers’ Compensation, GL, BA ■ Phone Inquiries: Accepted ■ Minimum Premium: $15,000 ■ Brokered Business: Not Accepted ■ States Entered in: NY – Other States Eligible: CT DE IL MD NJ PA VA VT ■ Admitted Status: Admitted ■ Carriers Represented: Various A rated Carriers Pacific Excess Insurance Marketing Contact: Barry Colburn Phone: 800-222-5582 ; Fax: 714-228-7899 Email: Marketing@pacificexcess.com Website: www.pacificexcess.com ■ Markets Offered: Workers’ Comp, All P&C Risks ■ Phone Inquiries: Accepted ■ Minimum Premium: As Low As $500 ■ Limits: $1M ■ Brokered Business: Accepted ■ States Entered in: 35 States ■ Admitted Status: Admitted ■ Carriers: Multiple Carriers Represented PEO Brokers Group Contact: Steve Brown Phone: 877-810-9355 Email: swbrown@peobrokersgroup.com Website: www.peobrokersgroup.com ■ Markets Offered: Workers’ Comp ■ Phone Inquiries: Accepted ■ Minimum Premium: None ■ Limits: $1M ■ Brokered Business: Accepted ■ States Entered in: All States ■ Admitted Status: Admitted ■ Carriers Represented: Multiple Plimsoll Specialty Markets, LLC Contact: Michael Clark Phone: 770 933-6925 Email: mclark@plimsollspecialty.com Website: www.plimsollspecialty.com ■ Markets Offered: Workers’ Comp, Aircraft Hull and Liability, Aviation General Liability and Aviation/Aerospace Products Liability ■ Phone Inquiries: Accepted ■ Minimum Premium: $2,500 ■ Limits: $2,000,000,000 ■ Brokered Business: Accepted ■ States Entered in: All Major North American Aviation/ Aerospace Underwriters Plimsoll Specialty Markets is an aviation specialty wholesale brokerage staffed by a seasoned group of Aviation and Aerospace Insurance executives. We have access to workers’ compensation markets for any aviation or aerospace related businesses from flight crews to aircraft repair and service to aerospace manufacturing and airport and airline service contractors.

MAY 6, 2019 INSURANCE JOURNAL | NATIONAL | 49

2019 Workers’ Compensation Directory PMC Insurance Group Phone: 877-762-2667 Email: info@pmcinsurance.com Website: www.pmcinsurance.com ■ Markets Offered: Workers’ Comp ■ Phone Inquiries: Accepted ■ Minimum Premium: $2,500 ■ Brokered Business: Accepted ■ States Entered in: All States ■ Carriers: Multiple National and Regional Carriers

RIC Insurance General Agency, a division of Worldwide Facilities, LLC

Preferred Property Programs

Contact: Carmen Suarez Phone: 888-548-2465 ; Fax: 732-946-0547 Email: info@ppp-quotes.com Website: www.ppp-quotes.com ■ Markets Offered: Workers’ Comp ■ Phone Inquiries: Accepted ■ Minimum Premium: $300 ■ Limits: 100/500/100 ; 500/500/500 ; 1,000/1,000/1,000 ■ Brokered Business: Accepted ■ States Entered in: All States except Monopolistic ■ Admitted Status: Admitted ■ Carriers Represented: A- X rating by AM Best Specializing in the commercial real estate marketplace. We offer Umbrellas, EIL & WC for Condos, HOA’S, PUD’S, Apartments and Timeshare Associations. We also offer umbrellas and B&M policies for commercial lessors risk only (LRO). Program Brokerage Corporation Contact: Cynthia O’Brien, President - Wholesale Div. Phone: 866-607-8370 ; Fax: 212-338-2910 Email: info@programbrokerage.com Website: www.programbrokerage.com ■ Markets Offered: Workers’ Comp ■ Phone Inquiries: Accepted ■ Minimum Premium: $2,500 ■ Limits: $1M ■ Brokered Business: Accepted ■ States Entered in: All States ■ Admitted Status: Admitted ■ Carriers Represented: AIG, AmTrust, C&F, CNA, Everest, Guard, Hanover, Hartford, Star, Travelers, Zurich Red Rock Financial Group, Inc. DBA: The Workers Compensation Insurance Place Contact: Lawrence Levine Phone: 520-975-2505 Email: info@redrockfg.com Website: www.redrockfg.com ■ Markets Offered: Workers’ Comp (High Risk) (High mode 1.75+): Roofers, Framers, Excavators, Truckers and many other class codes. ■ Phone Inquiries: Accepted ■ Minimum Premium: $7,500 ■ Limits: None ■ Brokered Business: Accepted ■ States Entered in: Majority of states 42 ■ Admitted Status: Admitted & Non-admitted ■ Alliances With: PEOs

50 | INSURANCE JOURNAL | NATIONAL MAY 6, 2019

Contact: WC Underwriter Phone: 888-693-7892 Ext.10 ; Fax: 707-335-8651 Email: workcomp@ric-ins.com Website: www.ric-ins.com ■ Markets Offered: Workers’ Comp ■ Phone Inquiries: Accepted ■ Minimum Premium: $500 ■ Brokered Business: Not Accepted ■ States Entered in: All States except ND, OH, WA, WY ■ Admitted Status: Admitted ■ Carriers Represented: CA State Compensation Insurance Fund, AIG, AmTrust, BerkleyNet, C.N.A., Employers, Everest, Guard, Hartford, ICW, Liberty Mutual, Markel Specialty, Nationwide, QBE No. America, StarStone, Travelers and Zenith.

Risk Innovations, LLC

Contact: Jeff Sandy Phone: 816-251-1608 ; Fax: 866-262-5802 Email: jeff@wc.guru Website: www.riskinnovationsllc.com ■ Markets Offered: Excess Workers’ Comp, USL&H, Workers’ Comp ■ Phone Inquiries: Accepted ■ Minimum Premium: State min. ■ Limits: None ■ Brokered Business: Accepted ■ States Entered in: All States ■ Admitted Status: Admitted ■ Carriers Represented: Over 20 Risk Innovations is a National Wholesaler that specializes in Workers’ Compensation and Personal Lines Insurance. They offer custom solutions for your clients by providing unparalleled underwriting expertise and carrier exclusive partnerships with 20 WC markets available for most risks. They specialize in hard to place accounts with competitive pricing. Risk Placement Services, Inc. Phone: 866-595-8413 Email: Contact_Us @RPSins.com Website: www.rpsins.com ■ Markets Offered: Excess WC, Workers’ Comp ■ Phone Inquiries: Accepted ■ Minimum Premium: $1,000 ■ Brokered Business: Accepted ■ States Entered in: All States ■ Admitted Status: Admitted ■ Carriers Represented: ACE, AIG, CNA, Hartford, Safeco & Zurich

RMIS Contact: Bertha Davis Phone: 714-738-1383 ; Fax: 714-921-1160 Email: WC@RMISmga.com Website: www.RMISmga.com ■ Markets: Workers’ Comp ■ Phone Inquiries: Accepted ■ Minimum Premium: $500 ■ Limits: All ■ Brokered Business: Accepted ■ States Entered in: AZ CA IA IL IN MN MO NE NM NV TX WI ■ Admitted Status: Admitted ■ Carriers Represented: Employers, AmTrust, Travelers, FirstComp/Markel, National Fire Roamnet Insurance Marketing Programs Contact: Rusty Manzo Phone: 877-272-0333 ; Fax: 909-987-2245 Email: rustym@roamnetins.com Website: www.roamnetins.com ■ Markets: Workers’ Comp ■ Phone Inquiries: Accepted ■ Minimum Premium: $1,500 ■ Limits: High limits with small premiums ■ Retail Agents/Brokers: Accepted ■ States Entered in: Most States ■ Admitted Status: Admitted ■ Carriers Represented: AmTrust, Nationwide, Hanover, Travelers, Zenith, CompWest, & Preferred Employers Russell Bond & Co., Inc. Contact: Rick Smith Phone: 800-333-7226 ; Fax: 800-677-6779 Email: rsmith@russellbond.com Website: www.russellbond.com ■ Markets Offered: Workers’ Comp, Excess EL Public Entities (NY Only), Excess Workers’ Comp ■ Phone Inquiries: Accepted ■ Minimum Premium: $1,000 ■ Limits: $1M EL - Statutory WC ■ Brokered Business: Accepted ■ States Entered in: All States except HI UT WY ■ Admitted Status: Admitted ■ Carriers Represented: AIG, AmTrust, Crum & Forster, Lion, and Starr. RWISI Group Contact: Randy White Phone: 813-220-9220 ; Fax: 305-436-3786 Email: randy@rwisi.com Website: www.rwisi.com ■ Markets Offered: USL&H, Workers’ Comp ■ Phone Inquiries: Accepted ■ Minimum Premium: $25,000 ■ Limits: $1M ■ Brokered Business: Accepted ■ States Entered in: All States except Monopolistic ■ Admitted Status: Admitted

Safety National Casualty Corporation

Phone: 888-995-5300 ; Fax: 314-995-3843 Email: info@safetynational.com Website: www.safetynational.com ■ Markets Offered: Excess WC, Workers’ Comp ■ Phone Inquiries: Accepted ■ Minimum Premium: Varies by state ■ Limits: Varies by state ■ Brokered Business: Accepted ■ States Entered in: All States & Canada ■ Admitted Status: Admitted For more info, see our ad on page 13 (National).

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2019 Workers’ Compensation Directory SFA-5Star Specialty Programs Contact: Dee Dee Bloom Phone: 702-740-8470 ; Fax: 702-740-8472 Email: dd.bloom@5starsp.com Website: www.5starsp.com/SFA/default.aspx ■ Markets Offered: Excess Workers’ Comp, Large Deductibles, Buy-Down/Layer Coverage, Self- Insurance Bonds, Cash Flow Only Policies ■ Phone Inquiries: Accepted ■ Minimum Premium: $15,000 ■ Limits: Statutory ■ Brokered Business: Accepted ■ States Entered in: All States ■ Admitted Status: Admitted & Non-admitted ■ Carriers Represented: All Excess WC Carriers

Tejas American General Agency

Staffing Lines Contact: Jennifer Porter Phone: 610-808-9584 ; Fax: 610-941-9889 Email: jlporter@nsminc.com Website: www.staffinglines.com ■ Markets Offered: Workers’ Comp for the Staffing Industry ■ Phone Inquiries: Accepted ■ Minimum Premium: $15K for Professional/Clerical Risks; $25K for Pick/Pack and Hospitality; $50K for Light Industrial ■ Limits: Statutory ■ Brokered Business: Accepted ■ States Entered in: All States ■ Admitted Status: Admitted

Contact: Bart Koch Phone: 888-999-8242 ; Fax: 512-342-2803 Email: marketing@taga1.com Website: www.taga1.com ■ Markets: USL&H, Workers’ Comp, Non-Subscription ■ Phone Inquiries: Accepted ■ Minimum Premium: $250 ■ Limits: $1M/$1M/$1M ■ Brokered Business: Not Accepted ■ States Entered in: TX AZ AR CA CO FL KS LA MI MO NV NM NC OK SD TN WA ■ Admitted Status: Admitted ■ Carriers: Accident Fund, ACE USA, AIG, Amerisafe, AmTrust, Employers, Essex Ins Co, First Comp, Great American, Hanover, ICW Group, Redpoint, Travelers, Service Lloyds, Scottsdale For more info, see our ad on page 3 (S. Central & Southeast).

State Compensation Insurance Fund of California

Shield Commercial Insurance Services Contact: Rob Anderson Phone: 760-345-9029 ; Fax: 800-345-4851 Email: info@shieldins.net Website: www.shieldins.net ■ Markets Offered: Contractors Workers’ Comp ■ Phone Inquiries: Not Accepted ■ Minimum Premium: $5,000 ■ Limits: $1,000,000 ■ Brokered Business: Accepted ■ States Entered in: Most States ■ Admitted Status: Admitted & Non-admitted ■ Carriers Represented: Nationwide For more info, see our ad on page 26 (National).

Contact: Customer Service Phone: 888-STATEFUND (888-782-8338) Email: webmaster@scif.com Website: www.statefundca.com ■ Markets Offered: Workers’ Comp ■ Phone Inquiries: Accepted ■ Minimum Premium: Depends on class ■ Brokered Business: Accepted ■ States Entered in: CA ■ Alliances With: State Fund Medical Provider Network For more info, check out our ad on page 3 (West).

Texas Mutual Insurance Company

Contact: Customer Service Phone: 800-859-5995 ; Fax: 512-224-8585 Email: information@texasmutual.com Website: www.texasmutual.com ■ Markets Offered: Workers’ Comp ■ Phone Inquiries: Accepted ■ Minimum Premium: Competitive premiums ■ Brokered Business: Accepted ■ States Entered in: TX For more info, see our ad on page 7 (S. Central).

StateFund First Contact: Frank Tarantino Phone: 415-536-8438 ; Fax: 415-536-6003 Email: frank_tarantino@statefundfirst.com Website: www.statefundfirst.com ■ Markets Offered: Workers’ Comp We have functioned as a program manager providing contractor ■ Phone Inquiries: Accepted insurance products to retail brokers and wholesalers since 2004. ■ Minimum Premium: Varies Rate, quote and bind online. All carriers are A rated by A.M. ■ Limits: $1,000,000 Best. Easily register as a producer today on our website for full ■ Brokered Business: Accepted program access. ■ States Entered in: CA ■ Admitted Status: Admitted ■ Carriers Represented: California State Compensation SouthEast Personnel Leasing Insurance Fund, ICW, Berkshire Hathaway, Atlas, Contact: Emanuel Molina Applied Underwriters Phone: 727-692-8801 ; Fax: 727-682-0182 Email: emanuel.m@spli.com SWBC Website: www.spli.com Contact: Lisa Pinto ■ Markets Offered: Workers’ Comp, USL&H Phone: 210-525-1241 ; Fax: 210-321-7530 ■ Phone Inquiries: Accepted Email: swbcinfo@swbc.com ■ Minimum Premium: Website: www.swbc.com ■ Limits: $ 1,000,000 ■ Brokered Business: Accepted ■ Markets Offered: Workers’ Comp ■ States Entered in: AL AZ CA CO FL GA IL LA MD ■ Phone Inquiries: Accepted MS NC NJ NM NV NY OK PA SC TN TX VA ■ Minimum Premium: No minimum ■ Limits: 100/100/500 minimum Sports & Fitness Insurance Corporation (SFIC) ■ Brokered Business: Not Accepted Contact: Kim Tucker ■ States Entered in: All States Phone: 800-844-0536 ; Fax: 601-853-6141 ■ Admitted Status: Admitted & Non-admitted Email: askus@sportsfitness.com ■ Carriers Represented: All Major Carriers Website: www.sportsfitness.com ■ Markets Offered: Workers’ Comp Target Managers Insurance Services, Inc. ■ Phone Inquiries: Accepted Contact: Michael Kiger ■ Minimum Premium: Varies Phone: 702-588-5300 ; Fax: 702-588-5310 ■ Brokered Business: Accepted Email: Submissions@targetmanagers.com ■ States Entered in: All States Website: www.targetmanagers.com ■ Admitted Status: Admitted & Non-admitted ■ Markets Offered: USL&H, Workers’ Comp ■ Carriers Represented: Liberty Mutual, Hartford ■ Phone Inquiries: Accepted ■ Minimum Premium: $1,000 ■ Limits: $1M ■ Brokered Business: Accepted ■ States Entered in: Most States ■ Admitted Status: Admitted ■ Carriers Represented: AIG, Amerisafe, AmTrust, California Insurance Company, Continental Indemnity, Employers Compensation, National Liability, Zurich & many others. INSURANCEJOURNAL.COM

Texas Oil & Gas Association Workers’ Comp Safety Group Contact: Jim Sierra Phone: 512-478-6631 ; Fax: 512-472-3859 Email: jsierra@txoga.org Website: www.txogainsurance.com ■ Markets Offered: Oil & Gas Workers’ Comp ■ Phone Inquiries: Accepted ■ Minimum Premium: $0 ■ Brokered Business: Accepted ■ States Entered in: TX ■ Admitted Status: Admitted ■ Carriers Represented: Texas Mutual Ins. Company

The American Equity Underwriters, Inc.

Contact: Marketing Department Phone: 251-690-4230 Email: aeu.marketing@amequity.com Website: www.amequity.com ■ Markets Offered: USL&H ■ Phone Inquiries: Accepted ■ Minimum Premium: $10,000 ■ Limits: Federal Acts - Statutory, EL - $1M ■ Brokered Business: Accepted ■ States Entered in: All States ■ Admitted Status: N/A, U.S. Dept. of Labor Approved ■ Carriers Represented: American Longshore Mutual Association (ALMA) a U.S. Department of Labor approved group mutual association For more info, see our ad on page 55 (National). AEU is a program administrator for a group self-insurance fund authorized by the U.S. Department of Labor to provide USL&H coverage for the liabilities of its members, which are waterfront employers of all sizes. AEU can also provide State Act workers’ compensation and MEL coverage.

MAY 6, 2019 INSURANCE JOURNAL | NATIONAL | 51

2019 Workers’ Compensation Directory

The Mechanic Group, Inc.

Contact: Marc Katz Phone: 845-735-0700 ; Fax: 845-735-8383 Email: mkatz@mechanicgroup.com Website: www.mechanicgroup.com ■ Markets Offered: Workers’ Comp and all other lines for Security Guards, Alarms and Investigators. ■ Phone Inquiries: Accepted ■ Minimum Manual Premium: $3,500 ■ Limits: All ■ Brokered Business: Accepted ■ States Entered in: All States ■ Admitted Status: Admitted ■ Carriers Represented: The Hartford, Berkshire Hathaway, AIG theWCmarketplace.com Phone: 704-574-1422 ; Fax: 800-603-1702 Email: service@theWCmarketplace.com Website: theWCmarketplace.com ■ Markets Offered: Workers’ Comp ■ Phone Inquiries: Accepted ■ Minimum Premium: $500 ■ Limits: $1,000,000 ■ Brokered Business: Accepted ■ States Entered in: NC & SC ■ Admitted Status: Admitted ■ Carriers Represented: 3 dozen - One-stop shopping Total Program Management Contact: Matt Blake Phone: 631-676-1531 ; Fax: 888-773-2239 Email: matthew.blake@tpmrisk.com Website: www.tpmrisk.com ■ Markets Offered: Workers’ Comp ■ Phone Inquiries: Accepted ■ Minimum Premium: Varies ■ Limits: Varies ■ Brokered Business: Accepted ■ States Entered in: Most States ■ Admitted Status: Admitted ■ Carriers Represented: AmTrust, Berkshire Hathaway Homestate, Pharmacists Mutual, Guard, American Mining Transport Risk Management Aviation and Aerospace Insurance Contact: Jessie Hushaw Phone: 720-208-0844 ; Fax: 720-208-0845 Email: Comp@TransportRisk.com Website: www.TransportRisk.com ■ Markets Offered: Workers’ Comp, Excess Workers’ Comp, Aviation WC and Defense Base Act ■ Phone Inquiries: Accepted ■ Minimum Premium: $1,000 ■ Limits: $1,000,000 ■ Brokered Business: Accepted ■ States Entered in: All States except Monopolistic ■ Admitted Status: Admitted & Non-admitted ■ Carriers Represented: Allianz, Old Republic, Members of Global Aerospace, Members of USAIG

52 | INSURANCE JOURNAL | NATIONAL MAY 6, 2019

U.S. Risk Contact: Glenn Matias Phone: 508-283-6706 Email: glenn.matias@usrisk.com Website: www.usrisk.com ■ Markets Offered: Workers’ Comp (All Lines), Monoline Workers’ Comp, Excess Workers’ Comp, USL&H, Occupational Accident, Non-Subscriber ■ Phone Inquiries: Accepted ■ Minimum Premium: Varies ■ Limits: Varies ■ Brokered Business: Accepted ■ States Entered in: All States ■ Admitted Status: Admitted & Non-admitted ■ Carriers Represented: We access Work Comp from 25+ Carriers Universal Insurance Programs Contact: Jenny Bortman Phone: 800-844-2101 ; Fax: 866-512-2272 Email: info@uiprograms.com Website: www.uiprograms.com ■ Markets Offered: Workers’ Comp ■ Phone Inquiries: Accepted ■ Minimum Premium: None ■ Brokered Business: Accepted ■ States Entered in: All States ■ Admitted Status: Admitted

Worldwide Facilities, LLC

Contact: Todd Pollock Phone: 401-500-5911 Email: tpollock@wwfi.com Website: www.wwfi.com ■ Markets Offered: Workers’ Comp ■ Phone Inquiries: Accepted ■ Minimum Premium: Starting at $1,000 ■ Limits: No maximum ■ Brokered Business: Accepted ■ States Entered in: All States ■ Admitted Status: Admitted ■ Carriers Represented: Multiple carriers For more info, see our ad on page 21 (National).

World Wide Specialty Programs V3 Insurance Partners, LLC Contact: Pam Wagner Phone: 215-600-0749 ; Fax: 215-475-3959 Email: Pam.Wagner@v3ins.com Website: www.V3ins.com ■ Markets Offered: Workers’ Comp ■ Phone Inquiries: Accepted ■ Minimum Premium: $5,000 ■ Limits: Standard statutory limits ■ Brokered Business: Accepted ■ States Entered in: All States ■ Admitted Status: Admitted Work First Casualty Company Contact: Bruce Winterrowd; VP of Underwriting/Mktg Phone: 630-416-7954 Email: bwinterrowd@workfirstcasualty.com Website: www.workfirstcasualty.com ■ Markets Offered: Workers’ Comp ■ Phone Inquiries: Accepted ■ Minimum Premium: $100,000 ■ Limits: $1,000,000 Employer’s Liability ■ Brokered Business: Accepted ■ States Entered in: All States except Monopolistic or ME, NH and VT ■ Admitted Status: Admitted ■ Alliances With: American Staffing Association, Broadspire

Contact: Dorothy Taylor ; Robert Thompson Phone: 800-245-9653 or 631-390-0900 Fax: 631-390-0922 Email: dtaylor@wwspi.com ; rthompson@wwspi.com Website: www.wwspi.com ■ Markets Offered: Workers’ Comp, All other Staffing Lines ■ Phone Inquiries: Accepted ■ Minimum Premium: Call to discuss ■ Limits: State Mandated ■ Brokered Business: Accepted ■ States Entered in: All States ■ Admitted Status: Admitted ■ Carriers Represented: Zurich World Wide Specialty Programs has lead the market with the most comprehensive program for the staffing industry for over 50 years. Our partnership & understanding of how the staffing industry works allows us to be the premier source for all Staffing insurance lines including Staffing Workers’ Comp. Wrap Up Insurance Solutions Contact: Brian Billhartz Phone: 636-489-0185 ; Fax: 636-536-7473 Email: bbillhartz@wrapupsolutions.com Website: www.wrapupsolutions.com ■ Markets Offered: Excess Workers’ Comp, Workers’ Comp, Wrap Ups ■ Phone Inquiries: Accepted ■ Minimum Premium: N/A ■ Limits: $100MM ■ Brokered Business: Accepted ■ States Entered in: All States ■ Admitted Status: Admitted & Non-admitted ■ Carriers Represented: Zurich, AIG, ACE, Liberty Mutual, ARCH, Old Republic, Travelers

INSURANCEJOURNAL.COM

May 6, 2019

Lemonade Insurance Company 5 Crosby Street, Floor 3 New York, NY 10013

Clermont Insurance Company 301 Route 17 North, Suite 900 Rutherford, NJ 07070

The above company has made application to the Division of Insurance to obtain a Foreign Company License to transact Property and Casualty Insurance in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

Any person having any information regarding the company which relates to its suitability for the license or authority the applicant has requested is asked to notify the Division by personal letter to the Commissioner of Insurance, 1000 Washington Street, Suite 810, Boston, MA 02118-6200, Attn: Financial Surveillance and Company Licensing within 14 days of the date of this notice.

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May 6, 2019

Aventus Insurance Company 6801 Calmont Avenue Fort Worth, TX 76116

United Healthcare Insurance Company of Illinois 200 East Randolph Street, 5300 Chicago, IL 60601

The above company has made application to the Division of Insurance to obtain a Foreign Company License to transact Property and Casualty Insurance in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

The above company has made application to the Division of Insurance to obtain a Foreign Company License to transact Life, Accident and Health Insurance in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

May 6, 2019

State National Insurance Company Inc. 1900 L. Don Dodson Drive Bedford, TX 76021

Service American Indemnity Company 201 Robert S. Kerr Ave. Suite 600 Oklahoma City, OK 73102

The above company has made application to the Division of Insurance to amend their Foreign Company License to transact Property and Casualty Insurance in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

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Advertisers Index Access Home Insurance www.accesshomeinsurance.com SC9; S5 American Equity Underwriters www.amequity.com 55 American Global of Florida, LLC 10, 11 www.americanglobal.com AmTrust Financial Services, Inc. www.amtrustgroup.com 5 Applied Underwriters www.auw.com 2, 3, 56 Brighthouse Financial www.brighthousefinancialpro.com 7 Insurance Associates of America www.iaanetwork.com 23 Louisiana Commerce & Trade Assoc. SC9; S5 www.lctacomp.com Midlands Management Corporation www.midlandsmgmt.com SC8 MODGIC www.modgic.com 28 Monarch E&S Insurance Services www.monarchexcess.com W1 Normandy Harbor SC4; S5 www.normandyins.com Omaha National Underwriters www.omahanational.com CA1; PA1; IL1 Philadelphia Insurance Companies www.phly.com 22 ProAssurance Companies www.proassurance.com 9 Safety National www.safetynational.com 13 Shield Commercial Insurance Services www.shieldins.net 26 Smart Choice Agents Program www.smartchoiceagents.com 15 St. Johns Insurance Company www.stjohnsinsurance.com S6 State Compensation Insurance Fund www.statefundca.com W3 Summit www.summitholdings.com SC1; S1 Tejas American General Agency www.taga1.com SC3; S3 Texas Mutual www.texasmutual.com SC7 United Fire Group www.ufgsolutions.com 17 Worldwide Facilities www.wwfi.com 21

MAY 6, 2019 INSURANCE JOURNAL | 53

Closing Quote How Workplace Violence Impacts the Bottomline

orkplace violence leaves chaos in By Gary Sheely its wake. Besides the psychic trauma, physical injuries and even sometimes fatalities, there are enormous financial impacts. Some are obvious, but many show up only with insightful analysis. Analysts have used statistics from workers’ compensation reports, law enforcement, and numbers from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and have arrived at a minimum cost of many tens of billions of dollars per year. This information is important, but most business leaders are more interested in the question, “Should a violent incident occur at my workplace or office, what are the possible financial impacts on my organization?” Answers to this question will range widely with variables such as the size of the organization, the nature of the violent incident, the type of industry, etc. However, it is possible to identify specific types of financial impact.

The Hidden Pre-Costs

There is one issue that no-one writes about in the context of this discussion, and it really should be a part of this conversation. Workeron-worker violence does not happen in a vacuum or just out of the blue. In nearly all cases, abusive supervisory styles, bullying, and a sense of injustice have been part of

‘A good workplace is much cheaper to run than a bad one.’

the workplace culture. In turn, these elements of workplace culture are always associated with multiple hidden costs to the organization. Actively disengaged workers are less productive, intentionally undermine morale, call in sick more often, can perpetrate acts of passive or active sabotage, and contribute to employee turnover. This is the point: By the time a violent incident occurs, your organization has already been paying the hidden costs of the circumstances that have brought it about, often for years. It’s been said, “A good workplace is much cheaper to run than a bad one.”

Once Violence Happens

Differences in the size of the organization and the nature of the violence make it difficult to establish a useful range of financial impact for every case. However, the categories of impacts listed below will be true across the board. Given the many variables, it’s not practical to suggest figures, but the reader can easily apply these impacts to their organization.

54 | INSURANCE JOURNAL | MAY 6, 2019

Critical Incident Care. Even if there are no physical injuries, survivors of violent incidents often struggle to regain a sense of normalcy. Providing Critical Incident care for impacted employees is not only a moral and ethical obligation, it’s in the best interests of all concerned. Temporary Closure of the Workplace. You can arrive at a ballpark figure for your organization by multiplying your estimated daily revenues by the number of days your office will be closed. This could be anywhere from one day to perhaps three or four. Lost Revenue. Again, the magnitude of this impact is dictated by several things, including the nature of the violence, how many it impacted, and your organizations daily revenues. This impact is persistent and slow to resolve. Healthcare Premium

Increase Triggered by Need for Psychological Services.

Even workers not directly affected by the violent incident will often experience an increase in anxiety and other negative impacts.

Rise in Workers’ Comp Premiums. These premiums are calculated based on the size of the workforce, the nature of their jobs, and your organization’s claims history. Violent incidents with injuries will raise the claims history index of your organization and result in an increase in premiums. Costs of Litigation. These costs have risen substantially in the last decade. Jury awards of several million dollars are not uncommon.

Expenses Associated Employee Turnover. Studies

have shown that employee turnover spikes after violent incidents, up to 10%. There are other wildcard impacts such as impact on shareholder value, negative publicity, etc. When you consider all the ways a violent incident can impact the bottom line, prevention programs just make good sense. Sheely is an associate of the Safety Institute and Tactical Confrontation Specialist focusing on workplace violence issues. Website: safetyinstitute. com. Email: info@safetyinstitute.com. INSURANCEJOURNAL.COM

PLACING USL&H CAN BE A CHALLENGE. WE MAKE IT EASY. When it comes to USL&H, you need a trusted partner on your side. For more than 20 years, our team of longshore specialists have partnered with insurance brokers to solve their clients’ toughest USL&H challenges. That’s because we aren’t your typical longshore carrier. Through flexible underwriting, in-house claims handling, and individualized loss control services, we’ve earned the trust of more than 1,300 waterfront employers and their brokers. Learn more about our commitment to doing longshore differently at WeKnowLongshore.com.

Expect big things in workers’ compensation. Most classes approved, nationwide. It pays to get a quote from Applied.® For information call (877) 234-4450 or visit auw.com/us. Follow us at bigdoghq.com. ©2019 Applied Underwriters, Inc., a Berkshire Hathaway company. Rated A+ (Superior) by A.M. Best. Insurance plans protected U.S. Patent No. 7,908,157.