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May 4, 2020 • Vol. 98 No. 9
Contents
Idea Exchange
Special Report
News & Markets
22
10
Special Report: Treating the Total Person: Overcoming the Mental Health Stigma
Supreme Court Backs Insurers Over $12B in Obamacare Payments
20
26 Special Report:
Aon Executives, 70% of Employees Taking Pay Cuts Amid Coronavirus Uncertainties
Raising Workers’ Total Health with Workers’ Comp
30
Spotlight: Nursing Home Insurance Market in Need of Care
34
The Wedge: Engaging Prospects During COVID-19
48
Is it Covered?: Logic & Language, Forms & Facts
50
Closing Quote: Don’t Let Remote Employees Expose Your Business
37
Workers' Compensation Directory
Departments 8 Opening Note 6 | INSURANCE JOURNAL | MAY 4, 2020
12 Declarations
12 Figures
14 Business Moves
18 People
47 My New Markets
INSURANCEJOURNAL.COM
IT TAKES MORE THAN JUST UNDERSTANDING HOW AN INDUSTRY TICKS. YOUR CARRIER NEEDS TO HAVE THE SERVICE TO SUPPORT IT.
You need a carrier that specializes in an industry to find an exceptional level of service to match. We make it our business to know all there is to know about healthcare. And with that deep specialization, comes expertise in underwriting, risk engineering and claims – all working together. All to help you develop customized product solutions that mitigate risk and maximize productivity for your mid- to large-size clients across a number of industries. Add to that an enhanced use of data & analytics, an extensive suite of unmatched capabilities, and a commitment to creating exceptional experiences, and it’s easy to see the difference true specialization can make. The Buck’s Got Your Back.® TheHartford.com/specialization The Hartford® is The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. and its property and casualty subsidiaries, including Hartford Fire Insurance Company. Its headquarters is in Hartford, CT. 20-ML-272864 © March 2020 The Hartford
Opening Note Write the Editor: awells@insurancejournal.com
Research Shows Large Public Firms Neglected Pandemic Risk Assessments
T
he risk of a pandemic was known prior to the current health crisis, yet in disclosing their risk factors to shareholders in 2018, public companies showed little foresight in terms of the impact and likelihood of a pandemic, according to research from the University of Notre Dame. Public companies in the U.S. are required to file annual reports that, among other things, disclose the risk factors that might negatively affect the price of their stock. In “Management Disclosure of Risk Factors and COVID-19,” Bill McDonald and Timothy Loughran, finance professors at Notre Dame’s Mendoza College of Business, examined all 10-K filings (annual reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission) from 2018, before the current pandemic, and found that less than 21% of the filings contained any pandemic-related terms. “Pandemic risk was well known before today’s crisis and we now know the impact for shareholders is significant and negative for the majority of companies,” McDonald said. “Given management’s presumably deep understanding of their businesses and general awareness that, for at least the past decade, pandemics have been identified as a significant global risk, the percentage of firms listing it among other low-probability events, like earthquakes, asteroids and volcanoes, should have been higher.” McDonald and Loughran applied their ongoing research, which utilizes textual analysis to gauge the tone of financial documents, to the coronavirus pandemic. While they found many firms listed other low-probability events among potential risks, McDonald says legitimate warnings about pandemics dominated any real concerns about other types. “Of course, hindsight makes things obvious,” McDonald said, “but I think the risk of a pandemic was significant and, more importantly, it has the potential to cause more damage to most firms. A small portion of those firms, including Disney and Carnival Cruise Lines, acknowledged the risk.” Stock values have taken an enormous hit as a result of the pandemic, and McDonald says managers should have known better. “Health organizations and reputable news sources had been emphasizing that a pandemic was a likely event,” he said. “Informing shareholders of all potential risks associated with investing in a company is a critical part of the disclosure process.” McDonald said that “perhaps companies need to go beyond standard templates in identifying unusual but relevant events that could impact the value of their firm.” The report concluded: “The indirect effects of a pandemic on specific industries, such as supply chain disruptions, should have been anticipated by managers with deep knowledge of their operations. Simply mentioning economic calamity does not seem like a sufficient insight to offer shareholders in assessing the pandemic-related risk factors facing a company’s operations.”
‘Perhaps companies need to go beyond standard templates in identifying unusual but relevant events that could impact the value of their firm.’
Andrea Wells Editor-in-Chief
8 | INSURANCE JOURNAL | MAY 4, 2020
Publisher Mark Wells | mwells@wellsmedia.com Chief Executive Officer Joshua Carlson | jcarlson@insurancejournal.com
ADMINISTRATION / CIRCULATION
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 Columnists: Randy Schwantz, Bill Wilson Contributor: Monique Ferraro
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
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ACADEMY OF INSURANCE
Director Patrick Wraight | pwraight@ijacademy.com Online Training Coordinator Nathan Granitz | ngranitz@ijacademy.com
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Outside the US, call (847) 400-5951 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 2020 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
Life Insurance & Long-Term Care
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Brighthouse SmartCare® is an Indexed Universal Life Insurance Policy with Long-Term Care Riders issued by, with product guarantees that are solely the responsibility of, Brighthouse Life Insurance Company, Charlotte, NC 28277 (“Brighthouse Financial”). All guarantees, including any optional benefits, are subject to the claimspaying ability and financial strength of the issuing insurance company. Each issuing insurance company is solely responsible for its own financial condition and contractual obligations. Brighthouse SmartCare has exclusions, limitations, reduction of benefits, and terms under which the policy may be continued in force or discontinued. For costs and complete details of the coverage, please consult the product illustration. Not available in all states. Brighthouse Financial® and its design are registered trademarks of Brighthouse Financial, Inc. and/or its affiliates. 1904 BDUL649894 ICC18-AP1 • NOT A DEPOSIT • NOT FDIC INSURED • NOT INSURED BY ANY FEDERAL GOVERNMENT 5-18-AP1 AGENCY • NOT GUARANTEED BY ANY BANK OR CREDIT UNION • MAY LOSE VALUE
News & Markets
Supreme Court Backs Insurers Over $12 Billion in Obamacare ‘Risk Corridor’ Payments
T
he U.S. Supreme Court in late April ruled in favor of health insurers seeking $12 billion from the federal government under a program set up by the Obamacare law aimed at encouraging them to offer medical coverage to previously uninsured Americans. The 8-1 ruling authored by liberal Justice Sonia Sotomayor paves the way for a significant one-time cash infusion for major companies such as Humana Inc., Anthem Inc. and Centene Corp. The justices reversed a lower court’s ruling that Congress had suspended the government’s obligation to make such payments. The court agreed with insurers that said the lower court ruling, if allowed to stand, would have let the government pull a “bait-and-switch” and withhold money the companies were promised. “The government should honor its obligations,” Sotomayor wrote. Conservative Justice Samuel Alito was the sole dissenter, saying the court’s ruling “has the effect of providing a massive bailout for insurance companies that took a calculated risk and lost.” 10 | INSURANCE JOURNAL | MAY 4, 2020
Help to Recover
Moda Health Plan Inc. and other insurers that sued to try to compel the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to make the payments have said the government was supposed to help them recover from early losses they suffered after the 2010 passage of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) under Democratic former President Barack Obama. The law, dubbed Obamacare, has enabled millions of Americans who previously had no medical coverage to obtain insurance, including those with pre-existing medical conditions. Unlike other court cases involving Obamacare, this dispute concerned only payments to insurers and did not directly challenge the law itself. Other insurers involved in the case included Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina, Maine Community Health Options and Land of Lincoln Mutual Health Insurance Co. Payments would have come through the law’s so-called risk corridor program designed to mitigate insurers’ risks from
2014 to 2016, when they sold coverage to previously uninsured people through exchanges established under Obamacare. Insurers that paid out significantly less in claims on policies sold through the exchanges than they took in from premiums provided some of their gains to the government. Insurers that paid out more were entitled to government compensation for part of their losses. Republicans, who opposed Obamacare from the outset and numerous times sought to repeal it in Congress, have — like Alito — called the risk-corridor program a “bailout” for the insurance industry. From 2015 through 2017, Congress passed legislation barring HHS from using general funds to pay the government’s risk corridor obligations. Insurers turned to federal courts, and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit ruled in 2018 that Congress effectively repealed its obligation to pay the insurers, prompting the Supreme Court appeal. The opinion is Maine Community Health Options v. United States.
Copyright 2020 Reuters. INSURANCEJOURNAL.COM
Figures
$74,000 Police in Burlington, Vermont, have arrested a man accused of setting a series of fires that caused about $74,000 in damage. Robert Barbin, 57, is facing charges of arson and reckless endangerment after Burlington police say he ignited a fire in a trash can that damaged Ahli Baba’s Kabab Shop and then set additional fires in trash cans downtown.
$43 Million That’s how much Montana is asking a judge to force a group of tobacco companies to pay the state, which has been disputed over the past 15 years. The payments are due under a 1998 settlement of lawsuits that alleged tobacco companies denied the detrimental health effects of their products, caused government-funded medical programs to spend additional money to care for those affected and that the companies marketed their products to children.
$225,000 The amount for which Champion Fiberglass Inc. (Champion), a Houston-area manufacturing company, has settled a lawsuit filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) over discriminatory hiring practices. The EEOC said Champion discriminated against job applicants who were not Hispanic and didn’t speak Spanish. Under a consent decree, the company must compensate a class of non-Hispanic applicants who were prohibited from applying for laborer positions.
Declarations Committed to Transparency
“DFS is committed to ensuring that the New York insurance market is transparent and that consumers receive the disclosures they need to make the best purchasing decisions for themselves.” — New York Department of Financial Services Superintendent Linda Lacewell said regarding $4 million in fines the department issued against Asurion Insurance Services Inc. and Asurion Protection Services LLC (Asurion) for providing inadequate consumer disclosures for insurance offerings for mobile phones, tablets and other wireless communication equipment and for improperly bundling such insurance with other products. Asurion is a New York-licensed insurance producer that assists wireless communications equipment vendors by packaging insurance programs and designing brochures and other materials. 12 | INSURANCE JOURNAL | MAY 4, 2020
Closure Not Made Lightly
PG&E Safety
“PG&E seems reluctant to take ownership of its own safety history and acknowledge its failings.” — Administrative Law Judge Peter Allen, who issued a decision that will enable PG&E to clear another key hurdle in its race to end one of the most complex bankruptcy cases in U.S. history by June 30 or risk losing billions in state funding, lashed out at the company for its safety record and lack of accountability for its past misconduct.
“We don’t make this decision lightly. … We recognize JBS Worthington is critical to local hog producers, the U.S. food supply and the many businesses that support the facility.” — Bob Krebs, president of Colorado-based JBS USA Pork, comments on the closure of the JBS pork processing plant in Worthington, Minn., due to an outbreak of COVID-19 among workers — 33 JBS employees and six close relatives had tested positive as of April 19. The plant employs more than 2,000 people and normally slaughters 20,000 hogs per day. INSURANCEJOURNAL.COM
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Business Moves
East
World Insurance Associates, LewisChester Associates
World Insurance Associates LLC acquired Lewis-Chester Associates Inc. of Summit, N.J., on Feb. 1, 2020. Founded in 1947, Lewis-Chester Associates is a full service, independent insurance agency providing insurance, benefits and financial services for a range of clients. The agency has more than seven decades of experience serving contractors, real estate developers, manufacturers, publicly financed housing developments, professional associations, business owners and entrepreneurs, nonprofit organizations, and individuals and families. Lewis-Chester Associates has niche expertise in insuring the New York metropolitan commercial real estate marketplace and has developed an exclusive multi-family, affordable apartment and independent living senior apartment umbrella program. WIA is headquartered in Tinton Falls, N.J. Since its founding in 2012, it has completed 53 acquisitions and serves its customers from 40 offices in 11 states.
Renaissance Alliance, Oak Tree Insurance Agency, Reardon Insurance Renaissance Alliance Insurance Services, a national membership alliance for independent insurance agencies specializing in property and casualty insurance, announced that two indepen14 | INSURANCE JOURNAL | MAY 4, 2020
dent insurance agencies joined its New England network: Oak Tree Insurance Agency LLC, based in Shrewsbury, Mass., and Reardon Insurance, based in Waterford, Conn. In addition to the prospect of enhanced growth, both new members cited the ability to offload operational and processing tasks as key reasons for joining the network, according to Renaissance Alliance Executive Chairman Kevin Callahan. Oak Tree Insurance Agency serves the personal and business insurance needs of the members of Central One Federal Credit Union and the greater Shrewsbury community. The agency was founded in 2007, and Lisa M. Griffiths is agency principal. Reardon Insurance is a family-owned and operated independent insurance agency that has been serving business and personal clients in Connecticut, Rhode Island and Massachusetts since 1967. The agency has a commercial expertise and a special business focus in serving condominium and homeowners associations. Kevin S. Reardon is owner and president.
The Hilb Group, LifePlus Insurance Agency
The Hilb Group LLC has acquired Massachusetts-based LifePlus Insurance Agency Inc. The transaction became effective March 1, 2020. Established in 2004, LPINS is a full-service ancillary benefits agency, pri-
marily providing insurance for group life, worksite, dental and workers’ compensation to municipalities in Massachusetts. Following the acquisition, LPINS’ associates will continue to operate out of their existing office in Marshfield, Mass., under the direction of LPINS Agency Leader Peter A. Cook Jr. THG is a middle market insurance agency headquartered in Richmond, Va., and is a portfolio company of global investment firm, The Carlyle Group. THG is seeking to grow through targeted acquisitions in the middle market insurance brokerage space. The company now has more than 90 offices in 20 states.
Midwest
One80 Intermediaries, International Excess Program Managers
One80 Intermediaries, a national wholesale insurance broker and program manager headquartered in Boston, has acquired Beachwood, Ohio-based International Excess Program Managers (IEPM), a wholesale insurance brokerage and program manager operating in all 50 states. Established in 1998, IEPM provides access to a full range of insurance products and specializes in property, liability, inland marine, errors and omissions, directors and officers, commercial auto and umbrella coverage. In addition to wholesale access, IEPM builds tailored multi-state insurance programs for specialty industries, associations and groups of policyholders. Services include underwriting, rating structures, policy issuance and regulatory compliance. One80 Intermediaries is a privately held, national firm with offices across the country. An insurance wholesaler and program manager, the company offers placement services and binding authority for property/casualty, financial lines, personal lines and medical stop loss risks. One80 serves commercial companies, non-profits, public entities and individuals. Coverage spans all industry classes. One80 has offices in more than
continued on page 16
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Business Moves continued from page 14 19 locations nationwide including Boston, New York City, Chicago, Miami, Atlanta, Houston, Dallas, Nashville, San Diego and Seattle.
DOXA, Lawrence E. Smith & Associates, Scholastic Insurance of Florida
Specialty insurance agencies Lawrence E. Smith & Associates of greater St. Louis, Mo., and Scholastic Insurance of Florida in greater Orlando, Fla., have been acquired by DOXA Insurance Holdings LLC. The two agencies specialize in insurance programs for scholastic markets. Each agency will continue operations under the leadership of Larry Smith and his son, Lane Smith, respectively, as well as retaining their individual brand names within the scholastic insurance markets they serve in nine midwestern and southern states. Larry Smith launched LESA in 1977, pioneering accident and health coverage within school systems throughout Missouri, eventually expanding the business to include nine states. Lane Smith joined his father’s business in 2001, and together in 2004, they acquired ownership of the Florida agency that is now the primary provider of scholastic insurance programs in the state of Florida. MarshBerry served as financial advisor to each of LESA and SIF on this transaction. DOXA Insurance Holdings is a Midwest-domiciled holding company that acquires specialty niche focused insurance distribution companies such as managing general agencies, wholesale brokers, program administrators and retail agencies.
South Central
TWFG Insurance Services, Panoptic Insurance
TWFG Insurance Services LLC has acquired the personal and commercial insurance business of The Woodlands, Texas-based Panoptic Insurance, effective April 17, 2020. 16 | INSURANCE JOURNAL | MAY 4, 2020
Panoptic Insurance, founded in 2008 by Arden Hetland, is a national independent insurance agency that provides comprehensive insurance products and services. TWFG Insurance Services is a full service, national retail insurance agency with more than 386 locations in 18 states and approximately $610 million in premium. TWFG Insurance Services LLC is a wholly owned subsidiary of The Woodlands Financial Group, which includes TWFG General Agency LLC, TWFG Premium Finance LLC and The Woodlands Insurance Co.
The Woodlands Insurance, Gulfstream Property & Casualty Insurance
The Woodlands Insurance Co. has completed a renewal rights agreement with Florida’s Gulfstream Property & Casualty Insurance Co. to acquire Gulfstream’s book of homeowners business in Texas. The transaction will result in the transfer of approximately $4 million of in-force gross written premium to TWICO. TWICO will begin offering renewal terms for policies falling due for renewal on or after June 1, 2020. Demotech Inc., which rates independent, regional and specialty insurers, in late March affirmed the financial stability rating (FSR) of A - exceptional - assigned to Gulfstream Property & Casualty Insurance Co. The Woodlands Insurance Co. is an “A” rated carrier that offers qualifying households an all-in-one homeowners policy, which includes flood insurance, home systems protection, service line protection, identity theft and home cyber protection endorsements. TWICO is a wholly owned subsidiary of TWFG Holding Company LLC, which includes TWFG Insurance Services LLC, TWFG General Agency LLC and TWFG Premium Finance LLC. Founded in 2004, Gulfstream, a Sarasota, Fla.-based insurance company, provides homeowners insurance and related services to customers in Alabama, Florida, Louisiana,
South Carolina and Texas.
Southeast
AssuredPartners, Transportation Insurance Advisors
AssuredPartners Inc. has acquired Transportation Insurance Advisors LLC located in Sanford, Fla. Transportation Insurance Advisors' team of 55 will remain under the operational leadership of Scott Light. The agency currently reports $14 million in annualized revenues. According to Light, the agency works with trucking companies nationwide. The group will join AssuredPartners' National Trucking Practice. Headquartered in Lake Mary, Fla., AssuredPartners Inc. is led by Jim Henderson and Tom Riley. It acquires and invests in insurance brokerage businesses, such as property/casualty, employee benefits, surety and MGUs, across the U.S. and in London.
West
Alera Group, Barkley Risk Management & Insurance
Alera Group has acquired Barkley Risk Management & Insurance in California. The Barkley team will continue serving clients in their existing roles. Barkley serves clients throughout California and the surrounding region, providing safety and risk management, claims management, business and insurance risk and more. Deerfield, Ill.-based Alera Group is a national employee benefits, property and casualty, retirement services and wealth management firm.
Alera Group, Cambridge Benefit Solutions
Alera Group has acquired Cambridge Benefit Solutions in Chandler, Ariz. Cambridge Benefit Solutions joins Alera Group through Benefit Commerce Group. Deerfield, Ill.-based Alera Group serves clients nationally with employee benefits, property and casualty, retirement services and wealth management. INSURANCEJOURNAL.COM
People National
Chubb has expanded its North America claims leadership team with two appointments.
Bill Hazelton
Bill Hazelton
has been named head of Chubb North America Claims, and
Megan Watt
has been appointed to a Megan Watt newly created leadership role as head of North America Complex Claims. Hazelton will oversee the strategy for all aspects of the company’s commercial and personal lines claims operations. Watt will lead a team designed to complement Chubb’s underwriters and business partners and use her experience in casualty, mass tort and other complex claims for clients. Hazelton joined Chubb in 2005 and has served in several leadership capacities throughout his tenure. Prior to this new position, he served as Chubb’s Environmental, Excess Casualty and Construction Industry Practice leader. Hazelton is based in Jersey City, N.J. Watt has close to three decades of insurance and leadership experience. She joined Chubb in 2018 as executive vice president and head of North America Claims. Prior to joining Chubb, she was head of Claims for Everest National Insurance Co. She also previously worked for American International Group (AIG). Watt will report to Hazelton and remain based in Basking Ridge, N.J.
East
EXL, an operations manage-
ment and analytics company, appointed Anita Mahon to the
role of executive vice president and chief growth and strategy officer. Based in New York, she will also serve as a member of EXL’s executive committee. Mahon was most recently vice president and Data, Strategy & Portfolio officer at IBM Watson Health, a business unit focused on developing cognitive and data-driven technologies to advance health. Previously, she served as chief marketing officer of Watson Health. She joined IBM in 2016 through its acquisition of Truven Health Analytics, a healthcare information and analytics business, where she served as chief strategy officer.
Haynes and Boone LLP hired Stephen Raptis as a partner in
the Washington, D.C., office, bolstering the national expansion of the firm’s Insurance Recovery Practice Group. Over his 25-year career, Raptis has represented commercial policyholders across the nation in complex coverage disputes. His insurance recovery practice involves everything from traditional environmental contamination and mass torts to directors and officers and errors and omissions claims to cyber/data breach claims and privacy work. Raptis comes to Haynes and Boone from Manatt, Phelps & Phillips LLP, where he was an insurance recovery litigation partner.
Southeast
Starr Insurance Companies appointed Kathleen Murphy as
regional vice president for its Southeast Region. Murphy is responsible for field leadership as well as broker and client relationships. Murphy has more than 22 years of experience on both the brokerage and
18 | INSURANCE JOURNAL | MAY 4, 2020
carrier sides of the business. Starr’s Southeast Region comprises Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee. Murphy is based in Atlanta.
Insurance Co. promoted Michael “Shane” Treigle to
Michael Treigle
BMS Group, an independent
specialist reinsurance broker, appointed Jani Kohonen as senior vice president and Atlanta branch manager. He will be based in Atlanta and reports to Pete Chandler, president and CEO of BMS Re US. Kohonen has more than 15 years of experience in the insurance and risk market. Before joining BMS, he was vice president at StarStone Insurance in Atlanta, overseeing its ILS initiatives and underwriting strategy in the U.S. E&S property space. Kohonen also worked at Aspen Insurance Group in New York, where he held a number of senior roles with a particular focus on catastrophe risk management. Kohonen began his career at Arch Insurance Group.
South Central
Tokio Marine HCC appointed Nick Pastor as senior vice
president and chief actuary, based in Houston. Pastor has more than 25 years of actuarial experience. Most recently, he served as deputy chief actuary at AIG. Previously, Pastor served as chief actuary for QBE North America, senior vice president for Praetorian Financial Group and senior consulting actuary for Ernst & Young. Tokio Marine HCC is a member of the Tokio Marine Group. Baton Rouge, La.-based
Stonetrust Commercial
Tracy Chou
executive vice president and chief financial officer, and hired Tracy Chou as executive vice president and chief investment officer and
Natalie Jones
as director of Human Resources. Treigle formerly Natalie Jones was a senior vice president. Chou was formerly a director for Chou Investment Funds. She will lead and manage the company’s investment strategy. Jones has more than 20 years of human resources experience and prior experience in healthcare, telecommunications and insurance.
Midwest
Springfield, Ill.- based Horace Mann Educators Corp. has appointed Mark Desrochers,
senior vice president and chief corporate actuary, as head of the company’s property/ casualty insurance business on an acting basis. Desrochers will take over from William Caldwell, who resigned from his role as executive vice president of P/C and L/R, effective April 10. Desrochers has more than 30 years of experience in the property/ casualty insurance industry, primarily in personal lines. He joined Horace Mann five years ago as chief corporate actuary and most recently was an integral member of the Corporate Development and Strategy team. Desrochers INSURANCEJOURNAL.COM
News & Markets Pilot Sues Colorado Hotel Over Dismissed Exposure Charge
A
United Airlines pilot whose charge of indecent exposure was dismissed sued the Denver, Colo. airport hotel where his arrest occurred. An attorney for Andrew Collins filed the lawsuit against The Westin Denver International Airport in U.S. District Court in late April. Collins was arrested in September 2018 after being accused of standing naked in front of his 10th-floor hotel window overlooking the Denver International Airport terminal. The Leesburg, Va., resident said he did not know he was visible to anyone in the main terminal.
A judge dismissed criminal charges against Collins in March 2019, but by that time the wrongful arrest had caused a six-month work suspension. Collins settled a lawsuit against the city of Denver for $300,000. His attorney, Craig Silverman, said in a statement they are hopeful the hotel “will acknowledge and remedy the fact this violation occurred with the unfortunate participation and permission of DIA Westin staff.”
The Westin Denver International Airport did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Copyright 2020 Associated Press.
Man Beaten in L.A. Dodgers Parking Lot Sues Team for Negligence
T
he Los Angeles Dodgers are being sued for negligence by a man who was attacked in the parking lot of Dodger Stadium and left with brain damage, his lawyers announced last month. The lawsuit, filed by Rafael Reyna and his wife, contends that the stadium lacked adequate security. “We have no comment” on the lawsuit, team spokesman Joe Jareck said in an email. Reyna, 45, was attacked while walking to his car shortly after midnight on March 30, 2019, after watching a 13-inning game that ended in a 5-4 win by the Arizona
W2 | INSURANCE JOURNAL | MAY 4, 2020
Diamondbacks, according to the lawsuit. He was punched during an argument, authorities say. The lawsuit said Reyna was on the phone with his wife, telling her that he was on his way home, when unknown attackers “punched him repeatedly, causing him to collapse onto the asphalt, strike his head, and lose consciousness,” while his wife heard the entire assault. The parking lot lacked adequate lighting or security guards, and it took personnel at least 10 minutes to discover Reyna and longer for him to receive emergency medical care, the lawsuit alleged. It seeks unspecified damages. Reyna suffered a brain injury when his head hit the pavement, he spent days in a medically induced coma and the father of four still suffers effects of the injury, according to the lawsuit. “His wife knows he has months if not
years of physical therapy lying ahead.” Reyna’s lawyer, Carl Douglas, said in a statement. Among other things, the lawsuit says the Dodgers were negligent for reducing security staff in 2008 and earlier as a cost-saving move – including ending the use of uniformed, off-duty Los Angeles police – and reintroducing in-seat beer sales in 2018. The lack of LAPD-uniformed security personnel “emboldened wrongdoers at the stadium,” according to the lawsuit. “As we all yearn for the return of baseball, this lawsuit reminds everyone that no team … can ever put their own thirst for profits over the safety of their loyal fans,” Douglas said. The lawsuit also alleged that the Dodgers were aware of previous violence. Bryan Stow, a father of two and former paramedic from Santa Cruz, was left with permanent brain damage when the Giants fan was attacked in the parking lot after an Opening Day 2011 game. Two men pleaded guilty to beating Stow and were sent to federal prison. They also were ordered to pay a share of an $18 million judgment against the Dodgers in a lawsuit by Stow that alleged inadequate stadium security. Copyright 2020 Associated Press. INSURANCEJOURNAL.COM
previously was president of the personal lines business unit of The Hanover Insurance Group. Insurance broker and risk advisor Marsh appointed David Rahr as global leader of its Multinational Client Service (MCS). Based in Chicago, Rahr oversees the MCS team of 1,200 specialists who provide global insights David Rahr and strategic risk advice to multinational companies in 130 countries. He most recently served as Risk Management Segment leader for Marsh’s U.S. Central region.
Group, expanded its Chicago underwriting team to include commercial underwriting veteran Chris Barrow. Barrow joins as vice president specializing in commercial general liability. He began his career as a claims adjustor at Crawford & Company before moving into underwriting at Western World Insurance Group. He also held underwriting and management roles at Crum & Forster Specialty, and most recently, at Vela Insurance Services in Chicago.
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The Liberty Company Insurance Brokers added Jacob Kiley to its San Jose,
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Los Angeles-based Venbrook Group LLC named Sonia Ahuja as chief operations officer. She previously was COO at Farmers Financial Solutions. Prior postings include head of business development at BrightScope, chief strategy officer at First Allied Securities and VP, strategy planning and execution at Wells Fargo Advisors. Venbrook subsidiaries are engaged in retail and wholesale brokerage, program management, claims management and third-party administration.
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MAY 4, 2020 INSURANCE JOURNAL | 19
News & Markets Aon Executives, 70% of Employees Taking Pay Cuts Amid Coronavirus Uncertainties By L.S. Howard
A
on announced it will temporarily cut the pay by 50% of the company’s named executive officers in response to the COVID-19 crisis. In addition, 70% of its global workforce will see a 20% reduction in their salaries, while approximately 30% of Aon colleagues will see no reduction. The broker also vowed not to lay off workers during the crisis. Gregory Case, chief executive officer; Christa Davies, chief financial officer; Eric Andersen, president; John Bruno, chief operating officer, and Tony Goland, the company’s chief innovation officer, have agreed to a temporary 50% reduction in their base salary from May 1, 2020, through Dec. 31, 2020, or until another date is determined by the company, according to a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Further, the company’s non-executive directors have agreed to a temporary 50% reduction in their cash compensation during the same time period. In addition to the payroll actions, Aon said it would be reducing expenditures on contractors and discretionary expenses not related to client service and pausing a share buyback plan.
Managing Expenses Through Salary Cuts
“Typically insurance brokers have managed through economic slowdowns with workforce reductions and in this case the company has said that no one will lose their jobs due to COVID-19, so instead they are looking to manage expenses through these salary reductions,” said a bulletin on Aon, published by Wells Fargo Securities. “This is the first employee pay reduction in the history of Aon. It will be interesting to see if other brokers follow suit; our assumption is they might.” 20 | INSURANCE JOURNAL | MAY 4, 2020
In an April 27 letter to employees, which was included in the SEC filing, Case said, Aon has committed that no one at the broker is going to lose their job because of this COVID-19 outbreak. “Bringing the best of our firm to clients requires every single one of our colleagues and we are committed to an approach that allows all of us to continue supporting that mission,” he said. Case said these actions were taken because of the nature of the “unprecedented lockdown.” “There is no question that it would be easier to wait and see how significant the
coming economic downturn will be, but that puts the future of our firm at risk. Some might argue it would simply be easier to lay-off a subset of our colleagues, but that would put our ability to serve clients at risk,” Case wrote. He acknowledged that the world is experiencing “a humanitarian tragedy at a scale that is difficult to comprehend. “While we hold on to glimmers of hope that the worst of the human impact may have passed, the economic consequences are likely to play out for months, or even years to come. Which presents us with difficult decisions in the near term.” Case cited the gloomy fact that the global economy is forecasted to shrink by about 3% for all of 2020 as a factor behind the executive team’s decisions. “In Europe, recent reports project 59
million jobs affected, with more than a quarter of all private sector employment in the EU and UK impacted. In Asia, millions are projected to be out of work as China recovers from its first quarter of negative economic growth in over 50 years. In the United States, some project that nearly one third of American workers — nearly 47 million people — could lose their jobs before this crisis ends,” he said in the letter. Case said this global lockdown is affecting major sectors of the economy. “In some sectors, organizations have seen nearly all their business disappear in an instant. Airlines have idled most of their fleets. Hotels are all but empty. “Retailers have shuttered their storefronts and resorted to layoffs on a massive scale. Energy companies are pressured as demand plummets. Banks are bracing for a torrent of clients unable to repay debt, with the top 5 U.S. banks alone expanding their loan loss reserves to five times greater than normal,” Case continued. “Taken together, these trends point to a significant and sustained economic downturn. It’s possible that we’re wrong about the gathering financial storm, but our analysis tells us that we need to act and that presents us with a choice: do we eliminate jobs, or do we find an alternative that protects our colleagues and serves our clients?” Case said the company is taking these actions to “protect jobs and preserve our ability to best serve our clients” and does so “from a position of exceptional financial strength.” Aon is planning to acquire Willis Towers Watson — a deal that is scheduled to be completed in the first half of 2021. Neither company has yet discussed how the crisis will affect the future of the deal. INSURANCEJOURNAL.COM
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Special Report: Workers' Compensation Treating the Total Person: Overcoming the Mental Health Stigma By Andrew Simpson
I
n the HBO drama The Sopranos, crime boss Tony Soprano sneaks through a maze of storefronts to meet with his therapist. The last thing he wants is for his mob family to know he is seeing a shrink. That would be a sign of weakness in his macho culture. “That male culture is still there in our industry,” says Francis Callahan, a labor leader and educator for building trade unions in Massachusetts. To be absolutely clear, Callahan is neither a mob boss nor a TV actor. He is part of the senior leadership of Massachusetts AFL-CIO, serving as president of the 75,000 member Building Trades Council. But Callahan has seen firsthand how opioids have led to addictions and then to post-injury mental health issues for many workers. “It’s a culture of toughness, in a word, a lot of testosterone,” he says. “We don’t like talking about our feelings a lot, so it’s that stigma with mental health.” With many musculoskeletal injuries treated with pain medications, workers can still show up on the job. “You can still work. It’s not like a broken leg or a broken arm, you can still go to work, work through the pain. The nature of the industry is also if you don’t work, you don’t get paid,” he explained at this year’s Workers Compensation Research Institute’s annual conference. Workers’ compensation pays only 60 percent of a worker’s pay in Massachusetts. “You can make a lot more than that if you’re willing to take a pain
medication and soldier on,” he said. There are other incentives to solider on. Workers not working may lose pension credits and health insurance. “So you lose a lot, even on workers’ comp, so you’re more likely to tough it out,” Callahan said.
Depression and Suicide
Callahan’s experience with workers for whom what began as a work injury leads to mental health issues is supported by the research of Dr. Les Boden, professor of Environmental Medicine at Boston University School of Public Health that he shared in detail at the WCRI conference. Boden’s research is focused on the economic and human consequences of injuries. He has served as a consultant for governmental agencies and
22 | INSURANCE JOURNAL | MAY 4, 2020
he’s currently the chair of the workers’ compensation study panel of the National Academy of Social Insurance. Boden’s work shows that for many workers, the effects of injuries do not end when the physical harm is healed and they get back to their jobs. In some cases, the effects can be deep and long-term and affect mortality. “I’ve found out that many workers have effects on their earnings that last long past the time that they’re no longer on workers’ compensation,” he said. “I’ve also discovered that lots of workers who’ve had workplace injuries end up on Social Security and disability insurance, many more than the Social Security Administration thinks are there.” He has also learned that workers who suffer lost time
injuries may actually die earlier than others in similar situations. Boden’s research team began 20 years ago following 100,000 workers in New Mexico after they were injured. The initial findings confirmed that workers with lost time injuries die sooner. In terms of overall mortality, there was “considerably a higher rate of death among people who had lost time injuries than people who only had medical only injuries.” The study looked at causes of death, recognizing that the opioid epidemic began during the period these workers were injured. He found that there was a substantial increase among those with lost time injuries in both drug related death and suicide deaths as a
continued on page 24
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Special Report: Workers' Compensation continued from page 22 percentage of all the people in those categories. Particularly among women, a lot of the suicide deaths were drug overdose deaths. For men, the percentage wasn’t as high. Boden said that’s because men tend to kill themselves with guns, and so drugs are not as important a cause. “My conclusion here is that this is an important issue,” Boden said. “That people who are injured at work have an increased risk of both opioid dependence and depression, which is what eventually led people to die from suicide and to die from drug overdoses.” He said two contributing factors are the limited access to mental health services for injured workers and the extent to which workers’ compensation does not always pay attention to depression issues that occur post injury. “This is something I think that it’s time for all of us who are interested in occupational safety and health to take a closer look at, to prevent morbidity and mortality resulting from a workplace injury, but not directly from an injury, but indirectly from the mental health consequences,” he said.
Worker Programs
According to the AFL-CIO leader Callahan, his union is addressing mental health issues with a program built on education, drug testing, a strong benefit plan with an employee assistance program, and peer-to-peer communication. “We call each other brother and sister in the labor union, and there really is a family aspect to that camaraderie,” says Callahan. “If you’re more
comfortable talking to, you know if you’re a carpenter you’re going to talk to a carpenter, or an electrician or an iron worker, it’s that camaraderie on the job,” he said. Co-workers can reach out or a steward who sees that someone is having difficulty may ask if something is going on at home. And the worker can be directed to the right place for the confidential treatment they need, Callahan said. Mary Christiansen, senior manager of the self-insured workers’ compensation program at Southern California Edison, advocates taking into account the employee’s life outside of work, as well as at work. She said her team recognizes that when people have injuries, there may be things happening in their lives that prevent them from recovering as quickly as they should or can. These may include depression, comorbidities, financial problems or family problems. “We stepped back and we said, ‘What does the company have available to help these people, these injured peers, recover?’” The program includes but goes beyond the employee assistance program to involve
24 | INSURANCE JOURNAL | MAY 4, 2020
those handling wellness, benefits, financial services, health advocacy, even payroll. One result is a fact sheet with “hotlines” that claims reps can use to refer employees seeking help with specific issues. “You need to listen to what they’re saying and try to understand what’s going on,” Christiansen said. She said overall workers’ comp claims costs are down in part due to this approach to the “whole” person.
Treatment
There can be tension between insurers looking for evidence-based treatments and professionals offering treatments for mental health issues. Dr. Kenneth Larsen, a clinical psychologist at the Department of Medicine at New England Baptist Hospital in Boston, a pioneering occupational health center, has 20-plus years of experience caring for injured workers. Much of his work has been with severe, acute and chronic trauma, using what he calls limbic-oriented approaches. Whereas cognitive behavioral therapies deal with talking about thoughts, ideas and values, the limbic approach works to quiet down the parts of the brain that trigger anxiety, anger, rage and sensations that affect functioning.
Larsen explains that patients with post-traumatic stress have memories that are like “movies going on in their head that they can’t stop” and that prevent them from going back to work. They often feel that they’ve lost their abilities and they’re very anxious. “They’re breathing up in their throat, their chest is tight, their neck is tight throughout the day; they’re getting just locked down,” he said. Just talking about it reinforces the memory. Instead, Larsen concentrates on quieting down the alarm center by teaching them how to breathe deeply down into their abdomen. Once the patient is calmed, it becomes possible to begin talking about coping, the future, hopes and dreams. “But if they’re anxious and out of sorts, then you can never get through to that spot,” he said. Larsen forges an alliance with patients, getting them to “understand that the wisdom is in their own body” and then to gently get them to take more control of their lives. He said that if limbic treatment begins early, they can be back to work “very quickly.” Limbic therapies can take a long time, as many as 15 to 20 sessions. But he has developed a way to do this in three sessions and has treated almost 450 patients with his method. His treatment requires working closely with surgeons, pain specialists and case managers from workers’ comp insurers or ancillary companies. “They’re the gold in this industry,” he says of case managers. With a workers' comp nurse attached to a case, you’re going to have a better, faster outcome, he says. “But everyone has to talk to each other.” INSURANCEJOURNAL.COM
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Special Report: Workers' Compensation Raising Workers’ Total Health With Workers’ Comp The Many Ways a Job Affects a Worker’s Well-Being
6 Ways a Job Influences a Worker’s Health and Well-Being Design:
Risk of injury, illness, disability
Wages:
Predictor of health, longevity
Benefits:
Healthcare, workers’ comp, income security
Location:
Home, commute, workspace
Time:
Sleep, exercise, food preparation/diet, rest, relationships
Relationships:
Coworkers, supervisors, customers, partners
Source: NIOSH Total Worker Health
26 | INSURANCE JOURNAL | MAY 4, 2020
By Andrew Simpson
W
orkers’ compensation leaders are being urged to move away from thinking primarily about how best to prevent and treat a worker’s physical injury to considering how to help the whole worker. It’s a daunting assignment given the variety of ways that work may affect the health and well-being of a worker, as well as how many factors other than work can influence a person’s health. “In general, we don’t do a good job of appreciating the risk that work plays in
our lives,” says Dr. Casey Chosewood from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. A job can influence a worker’s health in a number of ways including through its design, wages, stability, benefits, hours, location, training, relationships and environment. “Work for many people is their main source of benefits. If you’re a Hispanic female without health insurance in this country, you will die a decade sooner than the average woman in this country. But increasingly, we see healthcare benefits being separated from the employment contract,” INSURANCEJOURNAL.COM
Chosewood says. “And pensions, forget that, that’s a thing of the past. “Work is also an important way that we gain social status and gain connections to other people who can be supportive or can be debilitating to our health and well-being.” One’s job is related to the likelihood of having one of a number of chronic diseases including heart disease, asthma and hearing loss. Work is also related to obesity, diet, smoking, stress, depression, exercise, car accidents, and even life expectancy.
That reflects the feeling that there is a lot about work that is changing. “There is a shifting of the way that we’re employed, the way work is designed and delivered, the way that we handle the contract that governs how we are paid and the work we do. All of these things are dramatically changing. Work, if you think about it is this paradox of harm and benefit. Work is one of those things where we say, ‘Yeah, having some of this
is good for you, but don’t take too much. It can kill you.’” He believes the Total Worker Health approach is one of the best tools for navigating that “fine line between harm and benefit.” He wants employers and insurers to “think beyond safety, beyond health promotion and start thinking more comprehensively and promptly about all of the ways work impacts our health.”
Where to Start
There are obviously many jobs that are well -designed, stable, well-paid, safe and contribute positively to a worker’s well-being. But those are not the jobs where Chosewood thinks attention needs to be paid. Low wage workers and employees in small businesses are the most at risk and where employers and the industry should focus their attention.
continued on page 28
(See sidebar on page 29: Involuntary Benefits: Security, Time and Obesity)
“While we cannot get rid of every risk factor, and that’s true of all occupational exposures, we can decrease the impact of those by intervening more aggressively and more frequently with health promoting interventions,” according to Chosewood. “Your lives are dedicated to harm reduction. Add to your portfolio. We need to improve the quality of work so we counterbalance some of the inevitable harms that come from employment,” he said, challenging the audience at this year’s Workers Compensation Research Institute’s annual conference. Chosewood is director and senior medical officer at NIOSH and an advocate of the Total Worker Health program that is designed to minimize the risks and optimize the health opportunities for workers. Chosewood recounts the oftheard genealogy of jobs: “My father had one job for his entire life. I’ve had six jobs in my life. My kids will have six jobs at the same time, right?” INSURANCEJOURNAL.COM
Source: NIOSH Total Worker Health/WCRI Annual Conference 2020
Source: NIOSH Total Worker Health/WCRI Annual Conference 2020
MAY 4, 2020 INSURANCE JOURNAL | 27
Special Report: Workers' Compensation continued from page 27 Most workplaces have low wage workers. They tend to be workers with more hazardous jobs and thus more likely to be injured, according to NIOSH. They often have little control over their work and are also prone to job insecurity, forced overtime and discrimination. They are at increased risk of job stress and mental health
NIOSH Total Worker Health Program
https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/ twh/default.html
N
IOSH is preparing a new questionnaire that measures worker well-being. Chosewood said this tool will help companies identify areas “where things are not so good and where they need to intervene in a more practical way.” “If I had a dollar to spend to improve the health of workers today, I would take a lot of it, maybe half, and invest it in improving the skillset of our frontline managers in creating better working conditions,” says Chosewood. NIOSH funds six academic centers of excellence around the country and more than 50 affiliates that are running laboratories doing interventions. NIOSH also publishes a textbook on federal worker health that is used in college courses on the topic of Total Worker Health. NIOSH’s goal is to become a new academic discipline in the field of occupational safety and health.
disabilities. “If your organization wants to intervene, this is where the money is. If you don’t have enough money to intervene in every demographic in your workplace, starting here is going to give you the biggest bang for the buck,” Chosewood said. The other area that should be on risk managers’ radar is small businesses, which number about 5.7 million. More than a third (35%) of the U.S. workforce is employed in businesses with fewer than 100 employees, and 89% of U.S. businesses have under 20 employees. “If your industry serves smaller employers, this is an area of potential influence,” he said. According to Chosewood, small firms tend to “struggle to exist in a risky economic environment,” and they often lack sufficient resources for employee training, workplace safety, health initiatives and protective equipment. Many small businesses do not survive beyond four years, but those that last five years have less than half the annual workplace injury rate as businesses that lasted only two years, according to NIOSH.
Bad, Good and Great
Chosewood sees three types of employers: bad, good and great. “Bad companies send their workers to work in the morning with 10 fingers and toes and send them home with less at the end of the day,” he says. “That’s a bad company. They’re not following the law. They are asking workers to trade health for wages every day.” A good company meets its obligations of the law. “Most
28 | INSURANCE JOURNAL | MAY 4, 2020
of your clients out there are probably good companies. They do have their core set of values. This belief that I have to protect these workers and I have to send them home with the same level of health that they arrived with that morning,” he said. Great companies are the ones that people clamor to work for, the ones that have much better retention, engagement, rating, satisfaction rates and can boast of employees recruiting their friends to work there. Here’s what great companies do, according to Chosewood: “The great companies are the ones that do step one. They
“You cannot overcome eight, 10, 12 hours of hazardous work with a ‘lunch and learn’ on diabetes. It's not going to happen.” keep the 10 fingers and toes, but they invest through three Ps of policies, practices and programs in ways to better design work that actually improves the health of that worker. So, the workers don’t go home on the same level of health; they go home at the end of the day with a higher level of health than they arrived with. That’s a lot of money to spend.” What a great company does is great for workers and their families. It’s great for the communities they live in. But what’s in it for the employer? Chosewood has the answer: “Here’s the secret. Those same workers that went home with more health at the end of that day come back to work
the next morning with that increased level of health. And that quickly, very quickly according to our research, translates into lower injury risks, to more engagement, to more productivity, to fewer days of absenteeism, to lower healthcare spending over time. That is the secret sauce, the win, win, win of the Total Worker Health approach. So put simply, keep workers safe and invest in the best practices and policies to improve their health.” The job contract is sometimes as powerful as the actual job when it comes to health of low wage and small business employees, according Chosewood. People who don’t have secure work often face other related risks. “Workers oftentimes under some employment circumstances may not have appropriate training. They may not have the same access as full time employees to the appropriate personal protective equipment. Their supervisor chain is oftentimes cloudier. This is a significant issue ongoing for the way that we protect our workers,” he said. Furthermore, hazardous work is often outsourced, leading to a concentration of high entry risk jobs for these workers. This type of work has other side effects. “It tends to isolate, it tends to make vulnerable populations more vulnerable under certain employment conditions,” he said. “So, as we’re thinking about injury reduction, one of the critical things to look at is how is the contract written for workers?”
The TWH Approach
The Total Worker Health INSURANCEJOURNAL.COM
approach places top priority on eliminating working conditions that threaten safety, health and well-being. Next, it focuses on substituting health-enhancing policies, programs and practices; third, it looks at redesigning the work environment; fourth, it educates for health and safety; and finally, it encourages personal change. The Total Worker Health approach broadens worker safety and health efforts to include other factors influencing health risks on and off the job. It stresses a focus on higher quality work and better designed work.
But, interestingly, NIOSH does not emphasize the health promotion aspect. It actually minimizes the role of an individual behavior change or health promotion program, according to Chosewood. “You cannot overcome eight, 10, 12 hours of hazardous work with a ‘lunch and learn’ on diabetes. It’s not going to happen,” he quips. “You have to think more upstream. You have to think about organization level interventions, policy level interventions, population health, really at play here.” He stressed that workers
need a say in the development of the policies, practices and programs, the three Ps. “So, it’s not a ‘we build it, they will come.’ It’s a ‘they build it, they will come,’” he said. The blending of work and non-work-related issues is key, according to the NIOSH director. “You don’t leave all of your home issues in the parking lot and come into the office. You bring that with you. And conversely, you don’t leave all of your workplace stressors in the office, you take those home with you. So, employers have a stake in the total health
of their workers.” Everything should be supported by an integrated system. In short, a company’s safety committee should talk to benefits design, and benefits design should talk to health promotion and the EAP and others and their workers. “All those people should be on one team,” he told the workers’ compensation leaders. “We shouldn’t have an HR team and a safety team. There needs to be a worker well-being approach that integrates all those systems. You’re all after the same thing at the end of the day.”
Involuntary Benefits: Insecurity, Time Poverty and Obesity
A
ccording to NIOSH, the links between a job and a worker’s total health or well-being are numerous. Not all are good. Dr. Casey Chosewood of NIOSH explains more in these excerpts: Insecurity. “One word pops to mind immediately: wages. If you don’t have an income, your health is likely to suffer pretty quickly, pretty fast. If for no other reason because of the stress that comes from not knowing if you’re going to get a paycheck next Friday. But in truth, there’s a significant and growing segment of our workforce that does not have the guarantee of a paycheck next Friday. Yes, they work, they get up to work every day, but there’s no security built in to the nature of that work. “ Chosewood said paying
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shift workers is an “immediate way” that employers can improve the health of their shift workers and that sometimes it's only about paying them 10 cents or 50 cents more per hour. Time Poverty. While work is a precursor to injuries, it is also the cause of another health problem, one that he calls time poverty. Time poverty afflicts those who must hold down multiple jobs. “You have no time at the end of the day leftover for anything else. All of the health pursuits that you might be trying to achieve, there’s no time left over for them. No time for family or physical activity, for finding healthy meals and preparing them. Time poverty is a significant drain on the health of this nation, and it’s largely being driven by the need to have multiple jobs with multiple commutes that
are tacked on as well.” Obesity. What about one’s chances of being overweight or obese? The obesity rate among long-haul truck drivers is close to 80%. “This is not overweight and obesity combined, just pure obesity - 80% risk. And it isn’t only because obese people line up for the job when there’s a job opening on monster.com, okay? Obesity is a take-home benefit that should be listed in the benefits package of that job, right?” Chosewood says it’s not just because truck driving is a sedentary job that obesity is common. “The stress that comes from needing to be constantly vigilant when you work is likely a play here. There’s also a significant element of boredom. So, truckers smoke more and they eat more to overcome the boredom and to avoid sleep. Long hours of working,
fatigue and sleep disruption likely have hormonal influences that increase the risk factors of obesity. We need long-haul truck drivers. We need interventions to help with those folks.” Obesity also plagues police officers, firefighters and security guards. Here, in addition to the influences of stress and chronic vigilance shared with truck drivers, these first responders “need to go from 0 to a 100 really quickly.” In fact, he said, most firefighters die of heart attacks on the job, not in burning buildings or collapses from a fire-related urgency. “What we believe is the long hours of work and the multiple shifts that police officers oftentimes have. Many of them have second or third jobs oftentimes because their pay is not enough to live in the cities that they protect.”
MAY 4, 2020 INSURANCE JOURNAL | 29
Spotlight: Nursing Homes
Nursing Home Insurance Market In Need of Care After COVID-19 Deaths, Liability Concerns Hit Already-Troubled Market By Amy O’Connor
N
ursing homes are right in the middle of the deadly coronavirus pandemic hitting the U.S, with more than 20%, or 11,000, of the nation’s COVID-19 deaths happening in these long term care facilities, according to a mid-April report by The Associated Press. As of 2016, there were 15,600 nursing homes in the country. The New York Times reported April 17 that the virus had been found in at least 4,100 American nursing homes and other long term care facilities. The virus has had a devastating effect on elderly or immunocompromised residents of these facilities in particular. It has been a struggle for
Extra Care How Brokers, Carriers Are Trying to Help (see page 33)
the long term care industry, encompassing assisted living facilities, independent living facilities, nursing homes and skilled nursing facilities, as well as continuing care retirement communities (CCRCs), as it faces staffing shortages, a lack of personal protective equipment (PPE) and inadequate testing. The insurance industry is well aware of these struggles. “They’re just overwhelmed,” said Michael Spaan, president of Inlight Insurance Services of Oklahoma, which specializes in commercial healthcare risks, writing about $30 million in premium in the space. “They’re already overwhelmed, and they’re already overworked and now, I don’t see how they’re doing it. ... It’s very problematic for a long term care provider. I think they’ve got the toughest situation in healthcare with this particular pandemic.” The insurance market for these businesses was already strained before the current crisis.
30 | INSURANCE JOURNAL | MAY 4, 2020
In its 2019 long term care providers study, insurance broker Aon estimated that losses would increase by 5% and claim frequency would go up by 2% annually. Annual claims costs in 2020 would average $2,300 and increase by 5% annually, Aon forecasted. Increasing frequency and severity of professional and general liability claims resulted in substantial rate increases in these lines for 2020. Insurance Journal reported in January that some brokers saw increases of at least 12% to 15% for senior living facilities, even on accounts with no loss histories. Capacity took a hit as well. Agents in the space reported the number of carriers writing the business had started to decrease way before COVID-19 gave insurers another reason to be wary of the market.
Unprofitable Market
James McNitt is area president for Risk Placement Services (RPS) Healthcare Division in Chicago, a whole-
saler writing about $100 million in premium for long term care facilities that places business with the segment’s major carriers such as CNA, Chubb, MedPro, and others. McNitt said there was significant movement in 2019 towards a hardening marketplace demonstrated by carrier consolidation, a focus on building deductibles and retentions, and excess limit capacity constraints. The marketplace has been historically unprofitable, he said, with some carriers operating at combined ratios of over 200% in the past five years. “[Carriers] have not been able to write their way out of it,” McNitt said. “We ended 2019 with a market that was speeding down the highway towards a very hardening spot, and here we are with a whole new reason to have an even more tough time writing in this space.” Insurance specialists in the class say the facilities are doing the best they can considering INSURANCEJOURNAL.COM
they lack proper resources, such as PPE. “The federal response for the elder care community has been really disappointing,” said Michael Stoop, president of Metropolitan Risk Advisory in Irvington, N.Y., who noted his clients have had to figure out on their own how to acquire PPE to protect staff and residents and get testing in place to stem outbreaks in the facilities. “It’s a lack of resources that is really contributing to and exacerbating the issue in these nursing homes,” he said. “They have to be fully resourced and they aren’t, which is why it is spreading like wildfire there and these [residents] just can’t take it.” Steve Spina, executive vice president of underwriting at TDC Specialty Underwriters, said they’ve heard from insureds who are using trash bags and hotel shower caps as PPE, as well as homemade masks for protection. “They are MacGyvering their way through this, even though there isn’t a lot available to them in terms of the equipment that they need. These people are really putting their lives on the line,” said Spina whose firm, TDCSU, is part of The Doctors Company Group, a mutual insurance company that insures about 2,000 nursing homes and has a book of business of about $50 million in that space. Negative media stories about what is happening at long term care facilities has made it harder, said Shelagh Grubb, producer with Plasteridge Insurance Agency, which insures about 800 facilities in Florida. “I think [the staff] are superheroes and they’re not really getting the recognition or INSURANCEJOURNAL.COM
support that they should be getting,” said Grubb, also a board member of the Florida Assisted Living Association.
Carrier Response
Not surprisingly given the pandemic, the cracks in the long term care industry insurance market that were already evident have been getting worse. Carriers in the space have been pulling back on capacity and coverage due to increasing claims frequency and severity since the beginning of the year. “Before March, going into 2020 the market was already distressed for long term care providers. Now I would say it’s about as difficult of a market that I’ve ever seen,” Spaan said. McNitt is worried that the potential liability some nursing homes may face will make a difficult insurance situation even more difficult. “My concern is that the nursing home space is going to continue to have a deteriorating reputation as a result of this and their occupancy rates are going to be way down — therefore making less money — and they are already not able to pay their insurance premiums,” McNitt said. “Their insurance isn’t going to go down, in fact, it’s going to go up and they already can’t even afford it. It’s going to be a bad time to be a nursing home operator.” “When we get on the other side of COVID and what does that industry look like … it is going to be absolutely decimated,” said Stoop. “How many families are going to want to put their families in a nursing home after what just happened? And staffing is going to be a huge issue for
them, and it was already an issue before. There are so many unanswered questions.” Some agents say it is too early to tell what the eventual effect on the insurance market will be as the situation is changing daily. “This is not only new for the world, it’s also new for the insurance industry. So right now, it is kind of a waiting game to see what happens,” said Grubb. “It’s really going to depend on how the courts decipher some of this policy language to really speak to what the exposures are going to look like. … It’s going to be very interesting to see how this all plays out.” Too soon or not, the liability concerns are on the forefront of the minds of many working with this class, particularly carriers. According to McNitt, some carriers have already implemented COVID-19 specific applications that require the long term care facility to state if they’re aware of positive virus cases among staff or residents. This is a dangerous move for the insured, he said, because if someone tests positive after the application goes through to the carrier, they “could say that it was a potential misrepresentation.” “If a facility does state [they have no cases] they’re putting themselves on the hook to make sure that they’re being honest, and you can’t honestly expect any nursing home in the
entire country to not have a case today,” he said. “If they don’t know about it yet, they just haven’t found it.” Carriers are reportedly also enacting broad COVID-19 exclusions on new and renewal business, placing moratoriums on writing medical professional liability business until mid-May, or being extremely selective on what types of facilities they will write and where they will do business. States like New York, New Jersey, California and Florida are considered highly litigious and particularly difficult to find coverage for right now. “Instead of trying to figure out what the premium needs to be to write it, they’re just electing to not quote it,” said Spaan. “Because of markets pulling out already before all this started, the ones that are left are being very, very, very, very selective. If it’s not a completely stellar five-star facility, then carriers are declining to quote in many cases, particularly if it’s in a state that’s litigious.” “Carriers are afraid right now … I used to get a tremendous amount of calls from carriers and they have been silent,” said Stoop. “They see a really fragile glass vase on the mantle and just the slightest movement is going to send everything crashing.” Florida agent Matt Baker, president of Thompson Baker, said he has been unable to renew a policy that expires in May for a single location nonprofit skilled nursing facility with just over 200 beds that has operated in the community for 100 years. His agency began the renewal process back in January and
continued on page 32
MAY 4, 2020 INSURANCE JOURNAL | 31
Spotlight: Nursing Homes continued from page 31 received non-renewals from three different carriers — one on the D&O policy, one on the general and professional liability coverage, and one for workers’ compensation. Now that the country is in a fullfledged pandemic, he has been unable to get quotes from other carriers. “The feedback that I’m getting is that this isn’t just a Florida problem, it’s certainly not just an issue with my particular account, this is a burgeoning thing nationwide to the extent that facilities could be faced with a financial decision that may lead them to go bare,” Baker said. He is still hopeful he will be able to place the business but expects that when he does the terms of any coverage will “be dramatically different.” “I think the market was already changing a little bit, but I think we’re in the early stages of seeing that the virus is really making things — at least in the near term — worse from a coverability standpoint,” he said. “It was already getting more challenging, but this has really made it a lot more challenging,” Spina said there are still competitors and capacity in the market, and it is a long way off from an affordability crisis. He acknowledges that nursing homes are financially squeezed and may not be able to take on additional premiums so they may choose to self-insure some layers of coverage to keep costs down, but he doesn’t think rates will go up more than they were before the virus hit. “The hardening has already happened, and it’s a matter of how hard it gets. There may be pockets where nursing homes cannot find coverage,
because of either where they reside or how bad their loss experience has been,” he said. “But if what I believe is going to happen happens, in terms of the crisis being limited largely to defense costs, then I don’t see an Armageddon insurance environment.”
Liability Issues
The level of liability the segment may face when the crisis subsides is top of mind for the industry and its insurers. Professional liability defense attorney Constance Endelicato, vice chair of the Medical Device and Health Law Committee of the International Association of Defense Counsel (IADC), described the COVID-19 exposures as “endless,” and said the facilities’ vulnerability to exposure has been “riddled with various complicating factors.” Some of those complicating factors include: how quickly a facility locked down to outside visitors; how strictly the facilities followed proper policies and procedures to contain the virus’ spread; if exposed and asymptomatic workers spread the virus unknowingly; challenges controlling the spread of the virus; lack of treatment options for patients; staffing shortages because of infection; refusal to come to work or walk-outs; and lack of
32 | INSURANCE JOURNAL | MAY 4, 2020
adequate PPE, to name a few. “The lack of testing capability, the delayed symptoms, the ongoing admission of new residents, and the residents’ fundamental rights to have family and friends as visitors, may also play a role in exposure as these factors are thought to be ways in which the virus can spread,” said Endelicato, who is also partner at law firm Wood Smith Henning & Berman in Los Angeles where she defends physicians, hospitals and skilled nursing facilities. “Although individual policy considerations will vary, some policies may have specific exclusions or defined terms which could ... limit or negate coverage for losses associated with COVID-19,” she noted. “As an example, property policies may have specific virus exclusions, while business interruption policies may require a demonstration of a ‘direct physical loss.’” Attorney Alan Levine of Levine and Associates in Florida, who litigates malpractice claims against nursing homes, said he doesn’t think COVID-19 creates a slam dunk for lawsuits by plaintiff attorneys. He personally will look at several key factors before filing suits, such as the timing of someone’s infection — was it in January or March — and what actions were taken to counter
the virus’ spread. “Once you determine how it got in … then the liability is looked at: What did they do once it got in to protect these people? If they didn’t do anything, you could go after it from that aspect,” he said. “It’s two different phases and that’s where you kind of fall into the general policies versus the professional policies.” The unknowns in terms of how the virus is spread and when people show symptoms further complicates any general liability claims against the facilities, he said. “When you’re looking at it from the liability aspect, it’s did they violate their policy and procedures? What did they do that allowed that virus into their facility that they knew or should have known about? And that’s going to be really, quite frankly, hard to prove. But again, if there were elements of it or they were aware of it, you could pin liability,” he said. Levine said there is a financial deterrent to attorneys filing frivolous suits against nursing homes because the cases are very expensive and difficult to litigate. The costs can outweigh the benefits. “In any kind of civil case, or even a nursing home case, you need two things from a plaintiff’s side to be successful — you need liability, you need damages,” he said. “In today’s world, from a plaintiff’s perspective, it’s all about the insurance coverage. If you’ve got good insurance coverage and the case is decent, you move forward with it. But a lot of times you’re just running into very, very low insurance coverage, if any at all.” TDCSU’s Spina said he thinks INSURANCEJOURNAL.COM
the main exposures will likely fall under professional liability and whether the facilities did what they were supposed to do to protect the residents as best that they could against a standard of care. “This is a widely held axiom of the professional liability world. Whether it’s healthcare or it’s non-healthcare, there is a standard of care that is the measuring stick upon which liability is established. Given the unique set of circumstances that this virus provides, how do you measure or hold accountable an organization against the standard of care that really doesn’t exist?” he asked. Spina thinks there will likely be a rash of claims but also believes nursing homes are not defenseless. “[There’s] just a whole bunch of defenses available to them, not just in terms of a measurement against the standard of care, but there’s also causation. Exactly how is it spread? How do you get the virus? In a nursing home, it really comes in four ways — from visitors who come into the facilities, appointments that they might have to take outside for, any new admissions, and staff,” he added. Still, the long term care industry would like to see more done to limit facilities’ liability. The American Healthcare Association and the National Center for Assisted Living (AHCA/NCAL), which represents more than 14,000 facilities, told Insurance Journal that it is concerned about the potential liability to long term care facilities “who are responding to the pandemic and providing high quality patient care while following INSURANCEJOURNAL.COM
updated guidance that has been issued by federal agencies such as CDC and CMS.” Mark Parkinson, president and CEO of AHCA/NCAL, said legislation like the CARES Act and the Public Readiness and Emergency Preparedness Act (PREP Act) include language that provides additional federal liability protections for volunteer healthcare professionals or broad immunity protections to healthcare professionals during the COVID-19 emergency response. Additionally, the Secretary of Health and Human Services has urged state governors to take action to protect healthcare professionals from medical liability. “While we appreciate these initial steps and support from the federal government, more needs to be done to afford appropriate legal protection to those that are working hard to prevent and contain this virus from spreading,” Atkinson said. AHCA/NCAL is encouraging every state to extend sovereign immunity provisions to long term care providers and other healthcare sectors providing care during the COVID-19 pandemic. Inlight Insurance Services’ Spaan argues that immunity protection for these facilities should absolutely be passed at the federal level because the losses will be devastating to this class if civil litigation is allowed to go unchecked. “Immunity has to happen. I don’t think there’s any other remedy that will provide the long term care providers with the solutions that they need right now,” he said. “I think you could have the best nursing home in the country doing everything correctly and they could still have an outbreak in
their facility.” Immunity would be helpful, said Spina, but “there will always be a carve-out for the gross negligence and the sensational headlines of these terrible situations that should
never happen.” “[Immunity] is not something you can rely upon because it can always be challenged.... But I do think that more immunity is going to happen.”
Extra Care: Brokers, Carriers Trying to Help
N
ursing home insurance specialists say that they are doing whatever they can to help their insureds during this trying time, either by sending out information from the CDC, answering questions, aiding with documentation, or helping them acquire resources. CNA, for example, notified agents and insureds on March 27 that it would underwrite makeshift childcare operations as needed for healthcare facilities. CNA said insureds could create both offsite and onsite childcare operations to address the pandemic and the insurer would underwrite the exposures to accommodate its insureds and help the facilities remain staffed. CNA declined to comment for this story. Metropolitan Risk’s Stoop said his team has been working to help obtain PPE for clients. One of his nursing home clients that couldn’t obtain adequate PPE for its staff opted to purchase plasma tests so employees could be tested for COVID-19 antibodies. The facility planned to use the results to segregate their patient population and staff based on who had the antibodies. Stoop was able help acquire and purchase 750 plasma tests to be donated. “That’s how the community is helping these folks,” he said. He believes brokers need to be advocates for their nursing home clients now more than ever and ensure that they are reporting any potential incidents that could eventually be a claim to the carriers. Tell them to document everything, he added. “Brokers can really help them manage the information and the files because there is a battle coming,” he said. TDCSU has been encouraging its clients and their agents to utilize the risk management services provided with its policies, Spina said, so they can take every precaution to protect staff and residents. They have also been answering questions for insureds worried about how to deal with potential exposures. The job of an insurer right now, Spina noted, isn’t to make this situation harder on an industry that is already struggling. “Our response has been that we want to be there for them. This is a very difficult situation that they’re in,” Spina said. “It’s really important that we defend their reputations because there’s a lot of good nursing homes out there and a lot of good people doing fantastic work. They are really the angels of mercy.”
MAY 4, 2020 INSURANCE JOURNAL | 33
Idea Exchange: The Wedge
Engaging Prospects During COVID-19
I
t’s not the dog in the fight; it’s the fight in the dog. Are you ready for the fight? And what fight is that? It’s the fight for by Randy Schwantz the buyer’s mind. Most buyers are very confused right now. For that matter, all of us are. It’s the buyer’s confusion that is your open door. And, here is a fact. Every day, despite a quarantine order, despite social distancing, despite a full moon, quarter moon, or no moon — insurance is still being purchased. Renewals are happening every single day. And you are either in that conversation, or you are running from it. If you’re a sharp and knowledgeable agent, you should be looking at this as a rescue mission. You are rescuing buyers who need help. In too many cases, buyers are with a friendly, professional, but reactive agent who has been milking this commission cow for years.
insurance. This couldn’t be less true. Now, as much as any time in history, insurance could be the saving grace. You need to find your angle and present it to your buyer. Engage them in a conversation about survival and what-if. Prepare yourself to help. So, when you are making your calls, sending emails, engaging your prospects, it should never be the same amateur messages that others have been spewing on them since the beginning of their buying career. This is embedded in deep thought. Here is my suggestion. Put on the hat of the buyer. Please, do your best to be them right now. When you do, get out your yellow pad and make a list of all the things that are confusing them right now in this dark time. Get real about the issues they are facing. And with that list, determine which, if any, you can assist them with by providing timely information and great counsel. Think like a buyer’s coach, not a born salesman/woman.
Relationship Be Damned
If you were a successful high school football or basketball coach, you would be doing all you could to help your athlete have the best career in sports that they can. You would see your athlete as someone who needed your help, not as someone you had to sell something to. As you analyze your athlete, you are looking at their talents, capabilities and skills, and considering ways to help them improve. A buyer’s coach has the same attitude and mindset. Analyze your buyer’s situation, skills, capabilities and talents, and find the gap so you can help them have the best, most predictable position possible. When you look at your buyers like a buyer’s coach, it will fill your mind with things you can do to bring a new and different level of value to your buyer. With that, you pick up the phone and make that
It’s not about the relationship. It’s about quality. It’s about predictability. It’s about control. Buyers want quality, predictability and control. Those agents who are supplying that are in a high position. Those who are not are vulnerable, and shouldn’t they be? Isn’t this Darwinism at its highest calling? If so, it’s time for you and any other survivors of this malady to adapt. You have to keep prospecting. You have to learn to sell virtually. That is the real topic of this article. Adapt, so you don’t descend into a place you don’t want to be.
From Cold Call to Virtual Sales Call
Phones still work. Yes, buyers have some difficult challenges they need to deal with, and you might be thinking it’s not 34 | INSURANCE JOURNAL | MAY 4, 2020
Buyer’s Coach
dial. Don’t hesitate. It’s not insensitive to reach out to help, to empathize and provide a service. Engage with the buyer, and some will want to talk further because you are different. Because you are bringing a thoughtful, meaningful conversation to the table, you will have set an appointment to speak again.
‘Adapt, so you don’t descend into a place you don’t want to be.’ Virtual Sales Call
I’ve been making virtual sales calls for over 25 years. It started with just the telephone and has progressed to using tools like Zoom or Gotomeeting. I’ve added the INSURANCEJOURNAL.COM
ability to write and draw as the buyer talks. You can do this, too. I highly recommend you do this. Think of your office like a virtual studio. You don’t need much room. You have a webcam. Consider your background, the lighting on your face, and the quality of your audio. I bought a high-quality microphone a couple of years ago to do podcasts. You don’t need anything this fancy, but you do need a quality device that is easy to talk with and has stable output. In the background of my office are shelves. My books stay neatly organized, and I have a poster up with my branding on it. • I want my buyers to see that I am prepared, not a makeshift accident. • You can do this, too. This is your studio, INSURANCEJOURNAL.COM
your brand, your image and your professionalism on stage. • Is selling virtually any different than selling face to face? Believe it or not, some aspects are actually more manageable. • You can lay your questions out on your desk and follow a logical progression of thought. • You can take notes while your buyer is talking, and they see their words written on the screen. • You can show your proven process for helping them take control of their situation using your graphics. • You can build your service timeline on the spot and have them agree that’s what they want. • Being virtual can be more natural if you prepare yourself.
Surviving This ‘Hurricane’
If you lived on the coast and you knew a hurricane was coming your way, you’d board up your house and take your family inland to protect them. Consider this a hurricane of a different breed. It’s going to last not just days, but potentially months. The best way you can protect yourself and your family is to get to work. Be the best version of yourself that you can be. Push your boundaries. Think differently, act differently, do differently. If you do, you will be a survivor. If you don’t, your future as an insurance agent becomes significantly less predictable. Good luck and stay safe! Schwantz is founder of The Wedge Group. He’s also the author of the book Agency Growth Machine. Phone: 214-446-3209. Email: randy@thewedge.net. MAY 4, 2020 INSURANCE JOURNAL | 35
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7710 Insurance Co.
Contact: Brian Guthrie Phone: 312-216-2802 Email: brian.guthrie@7710insurance.com Website: www.7710insurance.com ■ Markets Offered: Workers’ Comp: Fire Districts and Ambulance ■ Phone Inquiries: Accepted ■ Minimum Premium: $20,000 ■ Limits: $1,000,000 ■ Brokered Business: Accepted ■ States Entered in: All except monopolistic, CA NY ■ Admitted Status: Admitted Built by first responders, 7710 Insurance provides guaranteed cost workers compensation for fire and ambulance. Nonrated and admitted in 8 states and authority to write in 43 states through fronting agreement with A rated Benchmark Insurance. Value proposition focuses on safety, fitness, cost containment, speed of care and claim service.
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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 2020 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.
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
Agency Resources Contact: MaryEllen Mazzo Phone: 973-315-0716 ; Fax: 610-537-2035 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 or 818-825-6181 Email: info@aligngeneral.com Website: www.aligngeneral.com ■ Markets Offered: Workers’ Comp - MODS above 1.05 ■ Phone Inquiries: Not Accepted ■ Minimum Premium: $40,000 with $75,000 Artisan Contractors ■ Limits: Statutory ■ Brokered Business: Accepted ■ States Entered in: CA ■ Admitted Status: Admitted ■ Carriers Represented: Call For Details
MAY 4, 2020 INSURANCE JOURNAL | NATIONAL | 37
2020 Workers’ Compensation Directory 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: 30 Carriers 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 American Team Managers Insurance Services 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: marketing@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.
38 | INSURANCE JOURNAL | NATIONAL MAY 4, 2020
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
Apex Insurance Services Contact: Robert Hughes Phone: 210-812-5658 ; Fax: 210-340-8986 Email: hughes@apexinsurance.com Website: www.apexinsurance.com ■ Markets Offered: Excess WC, Workers’ Comp ■ Phone Inquiries: Accepted ■ Minimum Premium: $1,000 ■ Limits: Statutory and high excess ■ Brokered Business: Accepted ■ States Entered in: All States ■ Admitted Status: Admitted ■ Carriers Represented: Various National & Regional Carriers
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 partner- ships with many carriers. Inquire for details.
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.
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, Public Entity 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
Applied Underwriters, Inc.
Phone: 877-234-4450 ; Fax: 877-234-4452 Email: sales@auw.com Website: www.auw.com ■ Markets Offered: Workers’ Comp, EPLI, Commercial Auto ■ Phone Inquiries: Accepted ■ Minimum Premium: $5,000 annual ■ Limits: None ■ Brokered Business: Accepted ■ States Entered in: All States ■ Admitted Status: Admitted ■ Alliances With: Promesa Health For more info, check out our ad on pages 2 & 3 (National) & on the Back Cover.
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 INSURANCEJOURNAL.COM
2020 Workers’ Compensation Directory 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. Atlas General Insurance Services Contact: Mark Williams, EVP of Marketing Phone: 858-724-5012 Email: mark@atlas.us.com Website: atlas.us.com ■ Markets Offered: Broad underwriting appetite including agriculture, construction, healthcare, manufacturing, transportation and many more industry segments. ■ Phone Inquiries: Accepted ■ Minimum Premium: Minimums vary per state, new ventures accepted. ■ Brokered Business: Accepted ■ States Entered in: AZ CA CO GA NC NJ NY PA SC TN VA ■ Admitted Status: Admitted ■ Carriers Represented: Multiple exclusive“A” rated carriers, visit our website for more details.
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. INSURANCEJOURNAL.COM
Charity First Insurance Services, Inc. Contact: Frank Tarantino Phone: 415-536-4037 ; 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)
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 Email: success@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 Breckenridge Insurance Services Email: partner@breckis.com Website: www.breckis.com ■ Markets: Guaranteed cost, excess for self-insureds, large deductible, alternative markets, healthcare 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. 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 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 For more info, see our ad on page 11 (National).
CID Insurance Programs, Inc. Contact: Lexi Goldspring Phone: 800-922-7283 ; Fax: 619-593-2008 Email: Lexi@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 Cluett Commercial Insurance Agency, Inc. Contact: Michelle Dempsey, Workers’ Comp Unit Mgr Phone: 800-926-6771 ext. 124 ; Fax: 781-585-4180 Email: mdempsey@cluettinsurance.com Website: www.cluettinsurance.com ■ Markets Offered: Workers’ Comp , 24 Hour Policy, Excess Workers’ Comp, USL&H, PEO ■ Phone Inquiries: Accepted ■ Minimum Premium: $1,000 ■ Limits: No Limits ■ Brokered Business: Accepted ■ States Entered in: All except Monopolistic or AK, HI ■ Admitted Status: Admitted & Non-admitted ■ Carriers Represented: Over 30 carriers represented.
Commercial Sector Insurance Brokers
Contact: Jake Roberts Phone: 205-328-3982 ; Fax: 205-776-1619 Email: jroberts@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.
MAY 4, 2020 INSURANCE JOURNAL | NATIONAL | 39
2020 Workers’ Compensation Directory Community Association Insurance Solutions, LLC Contact: Gary J. Deck, Director of Sales and Distribution, Managing Partner Phone: 916-212-8310, 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 except ND WY OH WA / All States / All 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, ICW Group 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 40 | INSURANCE JOURNAL | NATIONAL MAY 4, 2020
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. CRES Insurance Services Contact: Alita Hawksworth Phone: 858-618-1648 Email: info@cresinsurance.com Website: www.cresinsurance.com ■ Markets Offered: Workers’ Comp ■ Phone Inquiries: Accepted ■ Minimum Premium: $750 ■ Limits: $1M ■ Brokered Business: Accepted ■ States Entered in: All States ■ Admitted Status: Admitted & Non-admitted 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
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, Truckers Workers’ Comp, Staffing Workers’ Comp, Large Deductible Workers’ Comp, Alternative Workers’ Comp, 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, Clear Springs, Benchmark, Berkshire Hathaway, Guard, ICW, Kinsale, Lloyds of London, RLI, RTW, Seneca Specialty, Sompo, Starstone & 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.
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 FFVA Mutual is a Florida-based regional insurance carrier specializing in workers’ compensation since 1956. Rated A(Excellent) by A.M. Best, we insure a variety of businesses in all major industry groups and write business in 10 states (AL, FL, GA, IN, KY, MS, NC, SC, TN and VA). Flux Insurance Services, LLC Contact: Curtis Prince Phone: 888-358-9467 Email: cprince@fluxins.com Website: www.fluxins.com ■ Markets Offered: Workers’ Comp, Pay As You Go, HR, Payroll ■ Phone Inquiries: Accepted ■ Minimum Premium: No minimum / New Ventures Eligible ■ Limits: $10 MIL ■ Brokered Business: Accepted ■ States Entered in: All States ■ Admitted Status: Admitted & Non-admitted ■ Carriers Represented: Various A rated carriers including (Accredited, Benchmark, Berkshire Hathaway, Berkley Net, Cimarron, Protective) Frank Winston Crum Insurance Contact: Jessica Penzien Phone: 727-799-1150 ; Fax: 727-450-7911 Email: wc@fwcrum.com Website: www.frankwinstoncrum.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
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2020 Workers’ Compensation Directory 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 & NYSIF Safety Groups ■ Phone Inquiries: Accepted ■ Minimum Premium: $3,500 ■ Limits: Statutory ■ Brokered Business: Accepted ■ States Entered in: NY & Most States ■ Admitted Status: Admitted ■ Alliances With: NYS Insurance Fund, Employers Ins. Co. & Amtrust FUBA Workers’ Comp Contact: Stacey Butler 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
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 David 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, Alternative Risk, Reinsurance, Captives ■ 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.
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Halcyon Underwriters Contact: Jason Mata Phone: 321-527-2180 ; Fax: 407-660-0525 Email: marketing@halcyonuw.com Website: www.halcyonuw.com ■ Markets Offered: Workers’ Comp ■ Phone Inquiries: Accepted ■ Minimum Premium: $5,000 ■ Limits: 500/500/500 ■ Brokered Business: Not Accepted ■ States Entered in: All States ■ Admitted Status: Admitted & Non-admitted ■ Carriers Represented: Allied World, Amerisafe, AmTrust, Chubb, CNA, Crum & Forster, Employers, Everest, FFVA, Guard, Hartford, ICW, Liberty Mutual, Markel, Nationwide, Sentry, State Auto, Travelers, Zenith, Zurich
HIIG Houston International Insurance Group Contact: Scott Hauser Phone: 972-587-4315 ; Fax: 713-467-8238 Email: shauser@hiig.com Website: www.hiig.com ■ Markets Offered: Workers’ Comp ■ Phone Inquiries: Contracted Producers Only ■ Minimum Premium: $25,000 ■ Limits: Statutory ■ Brokered Business: Not Accepted ■ States Entered in: All States, limited NY/CA ■ Admitted Status: Admitted ■ Carriers Represented: Imperium Insurance Company/Great Midwest Insurance Company IAAC, Inc. (Membership Services Div. of IIABNY) Contact: Customer Service Phone: 800-962-7950 ; Fax: 888-432-0510 Email: iiabny@iiabny.org ■ Markets Offered: USL&H, Workers’ Comp ■ Phone Inquiries: Accepted ■ Minimum Premium: $2,000 ■ Brokered Business: Not Accepted ■ States Entered in: NY ■ Admitted Status: Admitted ■ Carriers Represented: PMC Insurance, IIABNY’s endorsed WC wholesaler represents several carriers. ICW Group Insurance Companies Contact: Jessica Northrup 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 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 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 Integrated Underwriters ® Contact: Curtis Prince Phone: 567-233-2667 Email: cprince@integrateduw.com Website: www.integrateduw.com ■ Markets Offered: Workers’ Comp, Pay As You Go, HR, Payroll ■ Phone Inquiries: Accepted ■ Minimum Premium: $50,000 ■ Limits: $10 MIL ■ Brokered Business: Accepted ■ States Entered in: All States ■ Admitted Status: Admitted & Non-admitted ■ Carriers Represented: Various integrated insurance programs all back by A rated carriers including (Ace, Accident Fund, AIG, AmTrust, Benchmark, Clear Spring, Sunz, Zurich) 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 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 MAY 4, 2020 INSURANCE JOURNAL | NATIONAL | 41
2020 Workers’ Compensation Directory Izzo Insurance Services, A division of Hull & Company, LLC
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, AmeriTrust, AmTrust Companies, BerkleyNet, Chubb, CNA, Employers Ins. Group, Everest, Great American, GUARD, Hartford, ICW Group, Normandy, Starr, State Auto, Travelers, Zenith Insurance 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: Various 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 Legacy Employer Concepts, LLC Contact: Brett Arthur Phone: 813-460-9166 Email: brett@legacyemployerconcepts.com Website: www.legacyemployerconcepts.com ■ Markets Offered: Excess Workers’ Comp, EPLI, Teladoc, 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 ■ Admitted Status: Admitted ■ Carriers Represented: Multiple Carriers Libertate Insurance Services, LLC Contact: Sharlie Reynolds Phone: 305-495-5173 ; Fax: 407-613-5477 Email: sreynolds@libertateins.com Website: www.libertateins.com ■ Markets Offered: Workers’ Compensation, EPLI, PL/GL, Property, Cyber, 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
42 | INSURANCE JOURNAL | NATIONAL MAY 4, 2020
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 London Underwriters Contact: Jessica Gutheil Phone: 866-245-5197 Email: marketing@londonuw.com Website: www.londonuw.com ■ Markets Offered: Excess WC, Workers’ Comp ■ Phone Inquiries: Not Accepted ■ Minimum Premium: $1,000 ■ Brokered Business: Accepted ■ States Entered in: All except HI ND OH WA WY ■ Admitted Status: Admitted & Non-admitted ■ Carriers Represented: Employers, MCIM, AmTrust, The Hartford, Employers Preferred Insurance Company 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. Markel Contact: Aaron Heithoff Phone: 888-500-3344 Email: aaron.heithoff@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
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.
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 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 INSURANCEJOURNAL.COM
2020 Workers’ Compensation Directory
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 MiniCo Insurance Agency, LLC Contact: Angela Cozzo Phone: 800-528-1056 Email: customercare@minico.com Website: www.minico.com ■ Markets Offered: Workers’ Comp for Self-Storage Facilities ■ Phone Inquiries: Accepted ■ Minimum Premium: None ■ Limits: $1,000,000/$1,000,000/$1,000,000 ■ Brokered Business: Accepted ■ States Entered in: All States ■ Admitted Status: Admitted ■ Carriers Represented: Liberty Mutual NBIS Contact: Chris Fiorentino Phone: 770-257-1502 ; Fax: 770-257-1500 Email: cfiorentino@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 New Age Underwriters Agency, Inc. Contact: Marty Ascher Phone: 516-488-2500 X238 ; Fax: 516-488-2508 Email: M.Ascher@NewAgeIns.com Website: www.newageins.com ■ Markets Offered: Workers’ Comp, Excess Workers’ Comp, Cannabis, Hard to Place ■ Phone Inquiries: Accepted ■ Minimum Premium: Varies by Carrier ■ Limits: Varies by State ■ Brokered Business: Accepted ■ States Entered in: All States ■ Admitted Status: Admitted & Non-admitted ■ Carriers Represented: 30 carriers including - Allianz, Amtrust, Cimarron, Employers, National Liability, Normandy, Utica National, Zurich and others
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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
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 MO 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 2 (Southeast) ; page 7 (S. Central). Novum Underwriting Partners Contact: AnneMarie Latocha Phone: 315-395-9707 Email: annemarie.latocha@novumuw.com Website: www.novumuw.com ■ Markets Offered: Workers’ Comp, High Hazard Workers’ Comp ■ Phone Inquiries: Accepted ■ Minimum Premium: $500 ■ Limits: Statutory ■ Brokered Business: Accepted ■ States Entered in: All except Monopolistic ■ Admitted Status: Admitted ■ Carriers Represented: 20+ ‘A rated carriers 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, A.I.M. Mutual Ins Companies and more.
Omaha National Underwriters, LLC
Contact: Chris LaMantia Phone: 844-761-8400 Email: sales@omahanational.com Website: www.omahanational.com ■ Markets Offered: Workers’ Comp ■ Phone Inquiries: Accepted ■ Minimum Premium: Must be experience rated ■ Limits: Statutory ■ Brokered Business: Accepted ■ States Entered in: AZ CA IL NE NJ NV PA ■ Admitted Status: Admitted ■ Carriers Represented: PPIC For more info, see our ad on page 1 (National). 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. Oryx Insurance Brokerage, Inc. Contact: Tom Pasquale Phone: D 607-304-4230 ; 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
MAY 4, 2020 INSURANCE JOURNAL | NATIONAL | 43
2020 Workers’ Compensation Directory PEO/Insurance Emperor Contact: Nick Minetos Phone: 505-610-6885 ; Fax: 505-212-0366 Email: nick@peoemperor.net Website: www.peoemperor.net ■ Markets Offered: Workers’ Comp, Health Insurance, Wellnes Program/Tax Savings ■ Phone Inquiries: Accepted ■ Minimum Premium: $1,000 ■ Limits: 999999999 ■ Brokered Business: Accepted ■ States Entered in: All States except Monopolistic ■ Admitted Status: Admitted & Non-admitted ■ Carriers Represented: Several Carriers and PEOs, ASOs and EORs 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 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
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 D&O, 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: Various 50 | INSURANCE JOURNAL | NATIONAL MAY 4, 2020
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
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 40 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. (RPS) 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
Roamnet Insurance Marketing Programs
Contact: Anthony Amorelli III Phone: 909-987-6111 ; Fax: 909-987-2245 Email: anthonya3@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 (WC Condo), Travelers, Zenith, CompWest, Preferred Employers, PIE, CHUBB, Hartford, Guideone & Markel
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, Starr, and National Liability & Fire Insurance.. 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 25 (National). SAGE Program Underwriters Contact: Chuck Holdren Phone: 833-724-3111 Email: chuck@sageuw.com Website: www.sageuw.com ■ Markets Offered: Workers’ Comp Insurance for Shooting Sports ■ Phone Inquiries: Accepted ■ Minimum Premium: $1,000 ■ Limits: $1,000,000 ■ Brokered Business: Accepted ■ States Entered in: All States ■ Admitted Status: Admitted
SDS General Insurance Services, Inc. Contact: Heidi Schaible Phone: 714-462-8044 ; Fax: 714-525-0397 Email: heidis@sdsins.com Website: www.sdsins.com ■ Markets Offered: Workers’ Comp ■ Phone Inquiries: Accepted ■ Minimum Premium: $1,000 ■ Limits: $1,000,000 ■ Brokered Business: Not Accepted ■ States Entered in: All States ■ Admitted Status: Admitted ■ Carriers Represented: Oakriver/Cypress/Redwood, Republic Indemnity, Markel, Employers, AmTrust North America, Atlas General
INSURANCEJOURNAL.COM
2020 Workers’ Compensation Directory Staffing Lines Contact: Jim Gara Phone: 610-808-9586 ; Fax: 610-941-9889 Email: jagara@nsminc.com Website: www.staffinglines.com ■ Markets Offered: Workers’ Comp for the Staffing Shield Commercial Insurance Services Industry Contact: Rob Anderson ■ Phone Inquiries: Accepted Phone: 760-345-9029 ; Fax: 800-345-4851 ■ Minimum Premium: $15K for Professional/Clerical Email: info@shieldins.net Risks; $25K for Pick/Pack and Hospitality; $10k Website: www.shieldins.net Medical; $30k Social Services, Non-profits, schools; ■ Markets Offered: Workers’ Compensation: cannabis, $50K for Light Industrial contractors, country clubs, freight forwarders, ■ Limits: Statutory health care, hotel/motel, HVAC, indoor gun ranges, ■ Brokered Business: Accepted light manufacturing, restaurants, retail storage ■ States Entered in: All States warehouse, staffing, telecommunications, trucking ■ Admitted Status: Admitted ■ Phone Inquiries: Accepted ■ Minimum Premium: $1,000 StateFund First ■ Limits: $1,000,000 Contact: Erica Bro ■ Brokered Business: Accepted Phone: 855-784-4433 ; Fax: 415-536-4003 ■ States Entered in: Most States Email: Service@statefundfirst.com ■ Admitted Status: Admitted & Non-admitted Website: www.statefundfirst.com ■ Carriers Represented: Nationwide, MidSouth, ■ Markets Offered: Workers’ Comp Normandy, Cimarron ■ Phone Inquiries: Accepted For more info, see our ad on page 36 (National). ■ Minimum Premium: Varies We have functioned as a program manager providing contractor ■ Limits: $1,000,000 insurance products to retail brokers and wholesalers since 2004. ■ Brokered Business: Accepted Rate, quote and bind online. All carriers are A rated by A.M. ■ States Entered in: CA Best. Easily register as a producer today on our website for full ■ Admitted Status: Admitted ■ Carriers Represented: California State Compensation program access. Insurance Fund, ICW, Berkshire Hathaway
SIS Insure
Contact: Caine Hernandez Phone: 760-599-7242 Email: caine@sisinsure.com Website: www.sisinsure.com ■ Markets Offered: Workers’ Comp , Excess WC ■ Phone Inquiries: Accepted ■ Minimum Premium: $650 ■ Limits: $1,000,000 ■ Brokered Business: Accepted ■ States Entered in: All except Monopolistic and AK NY FL ■ Admitted Status: Admitted ■ Carriers Represented: Nova Casualty, Markel, AmTrust, and more! For more info, see our ad on page 17 (National). SouthEast Personnel Leasing Inc. Contact: Emanuel Molina Phone: 727-692-8801 ; Fax: 727-682-0182 Email: emanuel.m@spli.com Website: www.spli.com ■ Markets Offered: Workers’ Comp, USL&H ■ Phone Inquiries: Accepted ■ Minimum Premium: Varies by State ■ Limits: $ 1,000,000 ■ Brokered Business: Accepted ■ States Entered in: AL AZ CA CO FL GA IL KY LA MD MS NC NJ NM NV NY OK PA SC TN TX VA Sports & Fitness Insurance Corporation (SFIC) Contact: Kim Tucker Phone: 800-844-0536 ; Fax: 601-853-6141 Email: askus@sportsfitness.com Website: www.sportsfitness.com ■ Markets Offered: Workers’ Comp ■ Phone Inquiries: Accepted ■ Minimum Premium: Varies ■ Brokered Business: Accepted ■ States Entered in: All States ■ Admitted Status: Admitted & Non-admitted ■ Carriers Represented: Liberty Mutual, Hartford
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Stonetrust Commecial Insurance Company Contact: Trey Day Phone: 225-368-6474 ; Fax: 866-923-1871 Email: Trey.Day@StonetrustInsurance.com Website: www.StonetrustInsurance.com ■ Markets Offered: Workers’ Comp ■ Phone Inquiries: Accepted ■ Minimum Premium: $5,000 ■ Limits: 2,000,000/2,000,000/2,000,000 ■ Brokered Business: Not Accepted ■ States Entered in: AR LA MO MS NE OK TN TX ■ Admitted Status: Admitted SWBC Contact: Lisa Pinto Phone: 210-525-1241 ; Fax: 210-321-7530 Email: swbcinfo@swbc.com Website: www.swbc.com ■ Markets Offered: Workers’ Comp ■ Phone Inquiries: Accepted ■ Minimum Premium: No minimum ■ Limits: 100/100/500 minimum ■ Brokered Business: Not Accepted ■ States Entered in: All States ■ Admitted Status: Admitted & Non-admitted ■ Carriers Represented: All Major Carriers Target Managers Insurance Services, Inc. Contact: Michael Kiger Phone: 702-588-5300 ; Fax: 702-588-5310 Email: Submissions@targetmanagers.com Website: www.targetmanagers.com ■ Markets Offered: USL&H, Workers’ Comp ■ 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.
Tejas American General Agency
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 5 (S. Central) & page 4 (Southeast).
Texas Mutual Insurance Company
Contact: Customer Service Phone: 800-859-5995 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 3 (S. Central). 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 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 4, 2020 INSURANCE JOURNAL | NATIONAL | 51
2020 Workers’ Compensation Directory
The Mechanic Group, Inc. , A Division of Specialty Programs Group, LLC
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 The MEMIC Group Contact: Ashley Fuller Phone: 207-482-4131 Email: afuller@memic.com Website: www.memic.com/agents ■ Markets Offered: Workers’ Comp ■ Phone Inquiries: Accepted ■ Minimum Premium: Varies ■ Brokered Business: Not Accepted ■ States Entered in: All Non-monopolistic States ■ Admitted Status: Admitted 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 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 4, 2020
U.S. Risk, LLC Contact: Brian Rudolph Phone: 941-444-1643 Email: WCsubmissions@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
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
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 $500 ■ 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 13 (National).
Worldwide Facilities – MGA Workers’ Compensation Contact: Ana Sims Phone: 707-535-2510 Email: asims@wwfi.com Website: www.wwfi.com ■ Markets Offered: Workers’ Comp ■ Phone Inquiries: Accepted ■ Limits: Statutory ■ Brokered Business: Accepted ■ States Entered in: All States
World Wide Specialty Programs
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
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My New Markets 6 Month Policies for Hired & Non-Owned Auto Food Delivery Providers
Market Detail: Breckenridge Insurance
Services (www.breckis.com) knows it’s a challenging time now and for the foreseeable future due to the COVID-19 pandemic. For those local restaurants, pizzerias, caterers, grocery stores, and in some cases, liquor stores, that are temporarily starting delivery service, six-month hired and non-owned auto coverage products are available. Program features include: hired and non-owned auto coverage; limits up to $2 million; competitive rates; defense costs outside the limit; available nationwide excluding Florida; policies are 100% earned to bind coverage. Available limits: As needed Carrier: Unable to disclose States: All states except Florida Contact: Breckenridge Marketing at 855728-8822 or e-mail: partner@breckis.com
Sports & Leisure Insurance Program
Market Detail: All Risks Ltd.’s (www. allrisks.com) Alive Risk works with retail insurance agents nationwide to make available Sports & Leisure Insurance across a broad range of exposures. Target classes include: associations, teams, leagues, camps, clinics, action sports, tournaments, casino and gaming facilities, and shortterm events. Coverages include: general liability, excess, accident & health, inland marine, prize indemnity, and trainers professional liability. Available limits: As needed Carrier: Unable to disclose States: All states Contact: All Risks Ltd. at 410-505-4836 or e-mail: allrisksmnm@allrisks.com
Transportation (Trucking, Train, Bus, etc) Workers' Compensation Insurance Market Detail: UnderWrite Insurance
Services (mga.gounderwrite.com) is a managing general agency that specializes in hard to place workers’ compensation risks. It has secured coverage for many transportation companies such as truckers to railroad companies. Coverage is available for many types of transportation INSURANCEJOURNAL.COM
exposures, including: local and suburban transit; intercity & rural bus transportation; bus charter service; trucking (local, intermediate, long-haul); hazmat trucking, courier services, water transportation, towing and tugboat service; marinas; air transportation; and train operators. Appetite for new ventures, MOD 1.30 or higher, accounts in state fund or pools and distressed accounts or lapsed. Available payment options include standard down payment with installments, pay-as-you-go, and PEO (pay-as-you-go and payroll services). Commissions ranging from 6 to 12%. Submissions: Acord 130, X-Mod (if available); three to four year loss runs (if available); details on large loss. Available limits: As needed Carrier: Unable to disclose States: All states except Alaska, Hawaii, N.D., Ohio, Wash., and Wyo. Contact: Marvin Mensah at 201-580-6806 or e-mail: marvin.mensah@gounderwrite. com
Habitational - Hotels, Senior Care Centers, Apartments, Resorts
Market Detail: Beacon Hill Associates Inc. (www.b-h-a.com) works with insureds who manage or own habitational facilities that face many potential environmental exposures. These facilities are unique risks because of the health standards that must be met and maintained in a multi-unit living/working environment. From air quality to food handling, the insured needs to be covered for potential problems that may occur in patient rooms, cafeterias, labs, classrooms, dorm rooms, and other meeting spaces. Representative risks include hospitals, nursing homes, rehabilitation facilities, other medical centers, college campuses, boarding schools, training centers, and other on-campus education facilities or meeting spaces. Coverage
needed: site pollution liability and more. Available limits: As needed Carrier: Unable to disclose, admitted States: All states Contact: Bill Pritchard at 800=596-2156 or e-mail: info@b-h-a.com
Automotive Dealerships
Market Detail: Victor Insurance Managers (www.victorinsuranceus.com) provides property/casualty insurance solutions specifically tailored to the needs of automotive dealerships. This class faces a myriad of challenges. From protecting expensive inventory to dealing with the public, their risk profile can be extensive. Victor’s policies are designed and underwritten by industry experts with options for franchised auto dealers and independent auto dealers. Available limits: Minimum $20 million Carrier: Various, admitted and non-admitted available States: All states except Alaska and Hawaii Contact: Barry Haring at 913-685-6154 or e-mail: Barry.Haring@victorinsurance. com
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Need a Market? Find It. FAST MAY 4, 2020 INSURANCE JOURNAL | 47
Idea Exchange: Is it Covered?
Logic & Language, Forms & Facts Just Because It’s Not Covered Doesn’t Mean It’s Not Covered … The Entirety of Contract Doctrine – Part 1
A
n invariable practice of the late, great Don Malecki, CPCU, was that, when serving as an expert witness in a contested claim By Bill Wilson or writing an article about a coverage issue, the entire policy had to be reviewed before reaching a conclusion about coverage. Entirety of
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contract is a fundamental principle of contract analysis and not just insurance contracts. However, over the years, I’ve been involved in reversing so many claim denials where the adjuster failed to review the entire policy that I created a webinar called “Just Because It’s Not Covered Doesn’t Mean It’s Not Covered” that examines multiple examples of such erroneous denials.
In most of these claims, if you examined only the language excerpted from the policy that was used as a basis for the denial, the denial appears to be correct. However, further investigation of the policy often reveals that the claim was indeed covered. Sometimes coverage was found in a separate coverage grant in the policy, while other times the cited language was modified or clarified in some way by another provision in the policy. This month, I’ll examine a commercial lines claim that illustrates the latter situation where the adjuster failed to read a definition within the context of an exclusion. Next month, we’ll review a personal lines claim where the adjuster was searching, with apologies to Johnny Paycheck, for coverage in all the wrong places. This month’s claim example comes from an astute agent who recognized that an adjuster’s denial was based on an incomplete analysis of the insurance contract.
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A tree service company was using a power crane mounted on the back of a truck to lift a downed tree from a structure. The boom on the crane broke and the tree fell onto an adjacent structure. The adjuster denied the claim for damage to the structure under the insured’s 2013 ISO CGL policy on the basis that the vehicle was an “auto” and not “mobile equipment,” and, therefore not covered by the CGL policy. The agent contested the claim denial. Normally, a power crane mounted on a truck would be considered “mobile equipment” under this part of the “mobile equipment” definition:
“Mobile equipment” means any of the following types of land vehicles, including any attached machinery or equipment: d. Vehicles, whether self-propelled or not, maintained primarily to provide mobility to permanently mounted: (1) Power cranes, shovels, loaders, diggers or drills; or ... However, the adjuster pointed out this language in the last paragraph of the very lengthy definition:
However, “mobile equipment” does not include any land vehicles that are subject to a compulsory or financial responsibility law or other motor vehicle insurance law where it is licensed or principally garaged. Land vehicles subject to a compulsory or financial responsibility law or other motor vehicle insurance law are considered “autos.” The vehicle in question was licensed for use on public roads and was subject to motor vehicle insurance laws so, under this provision of the definition of “mobile equipment,” the vehicle is indeed an “auto” and the CGL policy has an “auto” exclusion. So, since the vehicle is an “auto,” the adjuster’s presumption was that its use was excluded by the policy. The adjuster made this presumption because he failed to actually read the “auto” exclusion in the policy. INSURANCEJOURNAL.COM
However, just because a vehicle is an “auto,” that doesn’t mean the “auto” exclusion applies to the specific facts and circumstances of the claim. You have to apply the definition within the context of the actual “auto” exclusion in the policy. The “auto” exclusion has exceptions that include the following [EMPHASIS added]:
This exclusion does not apply to: (5) “Bodily injury” or “property damage” arising out of: (a) The OPERATION of machinery or equipment that is attached to, or part of, a land vehicle that would qualify under the definition of “mobile equipment” IF it were NOT subject to a compulsory or financial responsibility law or other motor vehicle insurance law where it is licensed or principally garaged; or ... While it’s true that the CGL policy generally covers “mobile equipment” but excludes “autos” and that a vehicle with a mounted power crane that is subject to a motor vehicle insurance law is an “auto” and not mobile equipment, that doesn’t mean that the apparatus is excluded based solely on the definition. You have to consider the definition within the context of the exclusion. Generalizations like “CGL policies don’t cover the use of autos” have no use in
May 4, 2020 American Digital Title Insurance Company 76 St. Paul Street, Suite 500 Burlington, VT 05401 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 021186200, Attn: Financial Surveillance and Company Licensing within 14 days of the date of this notice.
insurance contract analysis. You have to read the precise language of the policy form and it’s clear when you read the definition within the context of the actual exclusionary language that the policy excludes the road use of the vehicle, but not the actual operation of the power crane. When confronted with claim denials like this, I always ask myself, “What would Don Malecki do?” Tune in next month when we explore how a personal lines claim might be rightfully denied under one part of a policy, but covered elsewhere in the policy. All you have to do is RTFP! 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.”
Advertisers Index Applied Underwriters 2, 3, 52 www.auw.com Brighthouse Financial www.brighthousefinancialpro.com 9 Builders & Tradesmen's Insurance www.btisinc.com 11 Insurance Associates of America www.iaanetwork.com 19 Liberty Mutual www.libertymutualgroup.com/business 51 M.J. Hall & Company www.mjhallandcompany.com W1 Nationwide Mutual www.nationwide.com 23 Normandy Harbor www.normandyins.com C7, S2 Omaha National Underwriters www.omahanational.com 1 PersonalUmbrella.Com 4, 5 www.personalumbrella.com ProAssurance Companies www.proassurance.com 21 Safety National www.safetynational.com 25 Shield Commercial Insurance Services www.shieldins.net 36 SIS Wholesale www.sisinsure.com 17 Smart Choice Agents Program www.smartchoiceagents.com 15 St. Johns Insurance Company www.stjohnsinsurance.com S5 Summit www.summitholdings.com C1, S1, M1 Tejas American General Agency www.taga1.com C5, S4 Texas Mutual www.texasmutual.com C3 The Hartford Insurance Group www.thehartford.com 7 Worldwide Facilities www.wwfi.com 13
MAY 4, 2020 INSURANCE JOURNAL | 49
Closing Quote Don’t Let Remote Employees Expose Your Business
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ith millions of Americans working at home because of the coronavirus pandemic, the businesses that employ them are more vulnerable than ever to ransomware, phishing and other cyberattacks. It’s essential that companies take thoughtful risk management actions, consulting with management teams including IT professionals, to develop a plan specific to their needs. There are three basic methods for remotely connecting to a company infrastructure from home. The least secure is allowing employees to use their own devices to work By Monique Ferraro from home. A more secure method utilizes Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP), while a Virtual Private Network (VPN) is generally considered the most secure method of connecting remotely. Each method carries unique and shared risks.
Employees Use Their Own Devices to Work Remotely
If employees work remotely using their own devices and internet connection, the cybersecurity risks to businesses derive mainly from: any data they send to the company; direct access they make to company resources; and the elevated risks posed by increased online activity. Employees using private email can be particularly susceptible to phishing attacks. Some employee private emails
Although the coronavirus has spread globally, it’s not too late to implement a remote access policy for employees.
may already be infected with malware. Train employees on how to avoid phishing scams and require the use of business rather than personal email accounts to conduct business. Encourage them to practice good cyber hygiene when using their personal devices and to report any security breaches or cyber incidents to the appropriate business contact. When working at home, employees should: Use long and complex passphrases; set up automatic installation of updates to operating systems and software; employ firewall and anti-virus protection; not share personal or business confidential/sensitive information online or by phone.
Remote Desktop Protocol
If employees require access to business resources, using RDP (or a VPN) provides endto-end encryption that is more secure than transferring or accessing files from a non-encrypted connection. RDP is a Microsoft tool distributed with its operating systems that
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allows one device to remotely connect to another. According to the ransomware recovery firm Coveware, misconfigured, poorly secured or unpatched RDP was the vector of attack for nearly twothirds of ransomware attacks during the first quarter of 2019. Older versions of RDP are not updated automatically and require a security exception for upgrade alerts. Make RDP connections as secure as possible. Set firewalls to limit access to RDP ports and limit users who can log in using RDP.
Employ Multifactor
Authentication (MFA) in RDP Multifactor authentication refers to using more than one method to verify a user’s identity. That means using a combination of something that you know — like a password, phrase or answer to a question — with something that you have — like a physical or cryptographic key — and/or something that you are — a biometric scan of your face, fingertip, or retinal scan. MFA is an important tool to help your business restrict access to systems.
Virtual Private Network
A VPN utilizes technology like RDP, but it is developed by other software vendors. VPNs also employ end-to-end encryption when connecting a remote device to another, usually to access business resources or to securely connect to the internet over Wi-Fi. VPN software should be deployed by your business so that it may be properly configured. As with RDP, ensure that MFA is enabled or employ a secure single sign in. If your company uses a VPN, instruct employees to use it exclusively to access business resources, especially when accessing your systems via public Wi-Fi. Ensure that VPN software is configured to patch automatically and monitor alerts for vulnerabilities. Issuing consistent communication that instructs employees to use the most secure means to get their work done will go a long way toward ensuring continued and successful business operations. Ferraro is cyber counsel in HSB’s Global Cyber Products Group. INSURANCEJOURNAL.COM
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