CCAP Insurance Matters

We hope you will take advantage of these excellent workshop opportunities. Please remember if your county is a member of the sponsoring insurance program the workshop is FREE to attend. And lunch is included!

UPCOMING WORKSHOP OPPORTUNITIES:

Tues., September 3 - Defensive Driving Course, Best Western/Country Cupboard, Lewisburg
Wed., September 9 - Excellent Supervisor Seminar, Regional Learning Alliance, Cranberry Twp.
Wed., September 16 - Defensive Driving Course, Scranton Hilton, Scranton
Thurs., September 17 - Excellent Supervisor Seminar, Scranton Hilton, Scranton
Tues., September 22- Excellent Supervisor Seminar, Penn Stater, State College
Wed., September 23 - KEYS: Effectively Dealing With Unions In Trouble Economic Times, CCAP North Office, Harrisburg**
Thurs., September 24, KEYS: Conflict Resolution - Finding Solutions Together, Regional Learning Alliance, Cranberry Twp.
Tues., September 29, Stress: Reduce, Relax, Recover, Hilton Garden Inn, Erie**
Wed., September 30, Stress: Reduce, Relax, Recover, Penn Stater, State College**
Thurs., October 1, KEYS: Conflict Resolution - Finding Solutions Together, Scranton Hilton, Scranton
Thurs., October 1, Defensive Driving Course, Penn Stater, State College
Tues, October, 6, Prison Nurses Seminar, CCAP North Office, Harrisburg
Tues., October 6, Stress: Reduce, Relax, Recover, Best Western/Country Cupboard, Lewisburg**

For more information on these workshops and the rest of the fall workshop season, please refer to Glimpse Online.

You should have already received your copy of the fall Glimpse. If you have not received a copy and would like one or would like additional copies let us know!

** The Academy for Excellence in County Government is co-sponsoring several of the CCAP Insurance Programs Workshops this fall. Elective and required credits are available and workshops are FREE to current Academy participants. Please see your copy of the Glimpse for actual credits approved.

As always, if you have any questions, please feel free to contact Linda Rosito or Jenn Carey at (800) 895-9039.

We hope to see you this fall!

County Benefits Survey Informs Health Care Debate

By Charles Taylor, NACo Senior Staff Writer

Article reprinted from the National Association of Counties (NACo) County News, VOL. 41, NO. 15, July 27, 2009 with permission from NACo Healthbenefits

Seventy-five percent of counties in a new NACo survey say if health insurance premiums rise over the next two years, they would likely split the higher costs between the county and the employee. And the use of high-deductible plans is on the rise to deal with increasing health care costs. Twenty-two percent of counties offering such plans this year did not do so the previous year.

Heretofore, relatively few studies have focused on public employers or counties in particular. But since county governments are among the largest public employers in many states, their employee health benefits decisions can significantly affect health insurance markets - and inform the national conversation.

"In this era of economic downturn, budget tightening and potential national health reform, it is a valuable asset for NACo and the administration to have this study of how counties are providing and administering health benefits for their employees," said Jacqueline Byers, NACo's research director.

Ninety-eight percent of county governments offer health benefits and contribute to employee premiums. Another 1 percent offer benefits without paying premiums, according to the NACo survey. This far exceeds the rate for non-federal public and private employers, 63 percent of whom offer health benefits, as reported by the 2008 Employer Health Benefits (EHB 2008) annual survey, conducted by the Kaiser Family Foundation and the Health Research & Educational Trust.

The NACo survey found that 80 percent of county government employees are eligible for health benefits and that average total monthly premiums are $464 for single coverage and $1,087 for family coverage. This is slightly higher than the average monthly premiums for nonfederal public and private employer-sponsored health plans, according to the EHB 2008 survey.

A majority of single coverage (61 percent) and family coverage (59 percent) plans have a general annual deductible. The average annual deductible for single coverage is $931; the average for family coverage is $1,805.

The NACo survey found that eligible employees face a waiting period prior to enrollment in 63 percent of counties. One in four eligible employees does not take the coverage offered. Sixty-one percent of counties offering health benefits to their employees offer retiree health benefits as well.

A number of the survey highlights confirm that counties are taking a cost-conscious approach to health care spending. They include the following:

For counties that offered health plans last year, employee premiums increased 8 percent above the previous year
39 percent of respondents reported they are very likely or somewhat likely to increase the size of employee deductibles, and
13 percent and 18 percent, respectively, of respondents reported that they are very likely or somewhat likely to offer high deductible plans next year.

Many counties are embracing wellness programs to help employees stay healthy.

63 percent of counties offer at least one wellness program. Smoking cessation programs are the most commonly offered, followed by gym membership discounts and weight- loss programs
30 percent of counties encourage enrollment in wellness programs through various incentives. The most common incentives involve gift cards, cash, travel or merchandise for employees who participate in wellness programs.

OTHER COVERAGE CHARACTERISTICS

96 percent of counties offer prescription drug benefits, 65 percent offer separate dental insurance coverage, and 51 percent offer separate vision insurance coverage to their employees
48 percent of counties do not offer benefits to part-time employees, and 90 percent do not offer benefits to temporary employees
On average, employees contribute 12 percent of total premiums for single coverage and 32 percent of total premiums for family coverage
65 percent of plans have separate cost-sharing for hospital admissions, and 67 percent of plans have separate cost-sharing for outpatient surgery

The most common way in which counties have dealt and plan to deal with premium increases is to split the increase between the county and the employee.

Between 31 percent and 39 percent of counties are very likely or somewhat likely to increase deductibles, increase office visit co-pays or coinsurance, or increase the amount employees pay for prescription drugs in the next year.

The recently released survey was conducted in April and May of this year by NACo and the National Center for the Study of Counties Carl Vinson Institute of Government at the University of Georgia. Of 1,000 geographically and size-diverse counties contacted by NACo, 273 county human resources directors took the survey, for a response rate of 27 percent. Complete survey results are available online at www.naco.org / County Resource Center / Library / Surveys.

Regulations Require Recycling Programs For Highly Toxic Mercury Products

By Scott Thibodau, Marketing Manager, Veolia Environmental Services

If you are currently tossing your mercury containing lamps in the trash bin, you may want to stop, step back and think again. It's been all over the news recently-- energy efficient lamps, compact fluorescents and mercury. Since these lamps contain mercury, tossing them in the trash could place you at risk for fines or penalties and for financial liability for environmental cleanups down the road.

As a result of the growing concern over the health effects of human exposure to highly toxic mercury, increased legislation and regulations have been proposed or adopted at federal, state and local levels over the past few years. These actions address a number of issues, including banning the sale of certain mercury containing products, enacting product-labeling legislation, establishing disposal bans and establishing education and collection programs for mercury and mercury-containing products.

Expect 2009 to be busier than ever as states continue to push legislation on mercury management. A number of states such as California, Massachusetts, and New York have enacted legislation designed to strengthen and improve regulatory programs that manage lighting and electronic waste. In addition to the three states listed above, Maine, Minnesota, Connecticut, Rhode Island and Florida have enacted more stringent requirements than the Federal Universal Waste regulation. Other states are considering similar legislation. From complete land bans to increasing recycling rates, regulations and bills vary, so knowing the specific rules in your state is very important.

The increased legislation at the state level is an indicator of the need for businesses to work with a reputable environmental services provider. Ultimately, generators are financially responsible for the proper management of their waste. Your environmental services provider should continually monitor what's happening from a regulatory standpoint in order to offer you solutions. That's important because the way waste is managed today may need to change tomorrow. A true service company assists its customers with understanding these changes. Depending on the types and quantities of materials you generate, and the jurisdictions in which you operate, it could be illegal for you to dispose of mercury containing lamps as solid waste. More and more organizations are turning away from the dumpster and setting up programs to recycle mercury containing devices and lamps. Through recycling the mercury is diverted from the solid waste stream and recovered for reuse, along with the other lamp components (glass and metal). In short, waste is turned into a resource.

MERCURY: WHY IT'S A PROBLEM
Exposure to elevated levels of mercury can cause health problems, particularly to the nervous system. Mercury makes its way into the food chain primarily as a result of airborne particles settling on the land and in water bodies through precipitation. Though the percentage of the total mercury entering the environment that is attributable to disposal of spent lamps is relatively small, but through recycling, this source is one of the easiest to control.

THE REQUIREMENTS: WHAT ARE YOU SUPPOSED TO DO?
Wastes, such as spent lamps that contain certain levels of mercury, are regulated as "hazardous waste" under the federal Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA). This law, and the regulations stemming from it, creates a framework of rules governing all aspects of waste management in the US. Though it is a federal law, most state governments have been authorized to implement and enforce the RCRA rules. State waste regulations must be either equal to, or more stringent than, federal requirements.

The Universal Waste Rule (UWR) establishes reduced requirements for managing common, widespread wastes such as mercury-containing lamps, batteries, thermostats, and pesticides. The goal is to make it easier for organizations to "do the right thing" with these wastes. Many states have identical requirements as the federal rule, but others have "done their own thing," so you must check with your state environmental agency to determine what your responsibilities are. Under federal and state "Superfund" hazardous waste cleanup laws there are no "TCLP compliant" or "small quantity" exemptions from the liability for future site cleanup if mercury contamination shows up at a disposal facility where your mercury-containing lamps have been legally sent.

GETTING HELP
Regulations and recycling can be a bit confusing - but there are places you can turn to for help. Four key resources are your lighting manufacturer or distributor; your state and local environmental agency; the USEPA-funded Lamp Recycling Outreach Program; and an environmental service/recycling company. If you decide to set up a recycling program to comply with relevant regulations or to protect yourself from future liability, you will need to select an environmental company to provide a safe, efficient, and environmentally sound recycling program for you.

For more information e-mail Julia Jackson, CCAP Employee Benefit Programs Manager, or call (800) 895-9039.

Counties Sought To Participate In Dental Discount Pilot Program

The National Association of Counties (NACo) Board of Directors recently chose Careington as the vendor to partner with NACo to offer the dental discount program to member counties and their residents. Careington was selected for its combination of discounts, the size of its network of dentists and its track record of administering discount dental programs. The founder of the network is a dentist.

The Careington program offers an average discount on dental services of 38 percent through a network of 80,000 dentists. Careington has dentists in all but two states - Vermont and Montana - and has expressed a willingness to recruit dentists in Montana for its network with NACo's assistance.

The program will work differently than NACo's successful prescription drug discount card program. An individual would pay an annual fee of $59 for the dental discount card. With the card, the individual gets a discount on a full schedule of services. A consultant working with NACo on the program determined that if the individual spends $170 on dental services in a year, then the card will pay for itself through the savings. The fee for a family of two or more people would be $69 per year.

Careington was recommended by a task force of county officials chaired by Alan Angel, commissioner, Kent County, Del., following a two-year bid and review process and the assistance of an outside consultant.

The Board authorized the staff to negotiate a contract with Careington to launch the pilot program. NACo will begin the one-year program with 30-35 counties that represent different geographic regions of the country and range in population.

If your county is interested in participating, e-mail Andrew Goldschmidt, NACo Director of Membership/Marketing, or call (202) 942-4221.

How Many Retirement Accounts Do You Have?

Article provided by Nationwide Retirement Solutions, administrator of the NACo Deferred Compensation Program

Having more than one retirement account doesn't necessarily mean that you are well-diversified. The risk you face by having several retirement accounts is that you could be invested in only one or two asset classes and not even know it. Just as a well-balanced diet can help you perform your best, a well-balanced investment portfolio can help it perform its best, too. Keep in mind no investment strategy - including asset allocation or diversification can assure a profit or guarantee against loss in a declining market, but a well-developed strategy can help you manage risk.

When you combine other eligible retirement assets into an employer-sponsored retirement account, your plan representative can help you review how your assets are allocated. Then, you can: retirement accountpiggy

Manage your retirement assets more easily and perhaps more effectively.
Avoid the confusion and paperwork of multiple statements.
Potentially lower costs; it's likely you're paying fees for each retirement account you have. The fewer accounts you have, the fewer fees sapping your investments. By the way, we work hard to keep fees as low as possible.
Have one set of people, tools and resources to help you prepare a comprehensive asset accumulation strategy, and when it's time, retirement-income strategy.
Make calculating required distributions easier; after all, it's usually easier to calculate and take withdrawals from a single account.

If you have more than one retirement account, you may have too many. Discuss with your local plan representative the benefits and trade-offs of combining your retirement assets into an employer-sponsored retirement account.

Please Note: Qualified retirement plans, deferred compensation plans and individual retirement accounts are all different, including fees and when you can access funds. Assets rolled over from your account(s) may be subject to surrender charges, other fees and/or a 10% tax penalty if withdrawn before age 59�.

For more information on the NACo Deferred Compensation Program e-mail Julia Jackson, CCAP Employee Benefit Programs Manager, or call (800) 895-9039.

Have Workers Been Set Up?

By Gary Nicholson, CHSP, Senior Loss Control Specialist phoneguy

Ergonomics means fitting the workplace to the worker to prevent physical stress and injury. Because the design of workplace equipment is critical to a worker's performance, a well-adjusted, comfortable workstation that matches the operator's size and movements can increase productivity, heighten employee morale, and also lower workers' compensation costs by reducing injury claims.

Ergonomic improvements don't have to be difficult or costly. Most of the time, inexpensive, minor changes will increase worker comfort - a book to raise the monitor, a box to raise the feet or a change of lighting. For computer work, several elements should be examined: the chair, keyboard, monitor, desk, and tools such as the mouse, document holder, and lighting.

Most people sit at a computer, so the chair height should be adjusted to the desk height. The worker should sit back in the chair with the lower back supported by a lumbar support, pillow or rolled towel and the feet resting firmly on the floor, a footrest or box.

To prevent neck and shoulder strain, the keyboard should be waist-high allowing the upper arms to hang freely at the sides with forearms parallel to the floor and hands and wrists straight and relaxed. A computer mouse, trackball or stylus pen should be positioned close to the keyboard and at the same height. A keyboard tray, adjusted to compensate for a too-high desk, can be added to hold the keyboard and mouse.

The computer monitor should be approximately at arm's length with the screen near but not higher than eye level. This will vary based on the individual's visual requirements. A book or stand can raise the monitor. The document holder should be at the same height and distance as the screen to minimize head movement and eye, neck and shoulder strain. Light from overhead, a window or task lamp should be adjusted to reduce glare. It might be necessary to tilt the screen or angle it away from the window; a window shade, glare screen or screen hood may be added.

Workers can reduce the risk of injury by becoming aware of what they do, how they do it, and how long they do it. They should be reminded to periodically look away from the screen, blink frequently, take micro breaks or get out of the chair and stretch to reduce static postures and eyestrain. Ergonomically speaking you need to set workers up for comfort and not for injury.

For more information email Gary Nicholson, Senior Loss Control Specialist or call (800) 895- 9039.

Excellent Supervisor Seminar

By Linda Rosito, Insurance Training Director

This fall we are offering the always popular Excellent Supervisor Seminar in three locations. Rick Pierce from Rising Sun Consultants will be presenting The 10 Keys To Effective Supervision™. The dates and locations are listed below.

Wed., September 9 at the Regional Learning Alliance, Cranberry Twp.
Thurs., September 17 at the Scranton Hilton, Scranton
Tues., September 22 at the Penn Stater, State College

Applying the concepts of Servant Leadership to supervision, Rising Sun Consultants has developed an applied set of strategies to effectively supervise employees. This set of strategies is referred to as "The 10 Keys to Effective Supervision™."

For more information on this workshop or the rest of the fall workshop season, please refer to Glimpse Online.

Training Opportunity For Prison Nursing Staff

By Patty Ensminger, SCLA, Senior Claims Representative and Linda Rosito, Insurance Training Director

PIMCC has recognized the need for prison nursing staff to obtain continuing education credits through the Pennsylvania State Nurses Association. We are offering a Prison Nurses Seminar on Tuesday, October 6, 2009, the training will be held at the CCAP North Office Building, Harrisburg.

The training will include: Legal Documentation, Medication Management and Suicide Screening. The speakers include Marie Milie Jones of Meyer, Darragh, Buckler, Bebenek & Eck, P.L.L.C., John Avolio, R.Ph., Diamond Pharmacy, and Joel Friedman, PhD, from CFG Health Systems, LLC.

This training is being sponsored by PIMCC and is free to members of the PIMCC program. PIMCC members include: Bucks, Carbon, Clarion, Elk, Huntingdon, Juniata, Lycoming, McKean, Mercer, Mifflin, Northumberland, Perry, Potter, Susquehanna, Tioga, Union, Warren and Wayne. There is a fee of $150.00 per attendee for nonmembers.

If you have any questions, please contact Patty Ensminger with conference questions and Jenn Carey with registration questions.

Pennsylvania Facilities Management Association Annual Seminar, September 29 - October 1

The 56th annual seminar of the PFMA will be held September 29th - October 1st, in Harrisburg. Designed for facility maintenance managers and administrators, the three day conference will be held in two locations. Day one will be held at the PA Farm Show (in the new section) located in Harrisburg, PA. This year, because of its centralized location and larger floor space, PFMA will be able to invite more vendors and walk-ins will be permitted for Day One to the general public and other associations or organizations interested in facilities management issues. Day Two and Three are for PFMA members only and will be held at Fort Indiantown Gap, Annville, PA for further facility-related maintenance manager training.

The training seminar affords state agencies, facility management professionals and the general public a perfect opportunity to update PFMA members with upcoming initiatives or trends. PFMA updated its by-laws last year to open membership to not only state employees, but those affiliated with facilities management in the public/private sector.

The PFMA consists of over 200 members ranging from Facility Maintenance Managers/Administrators, Directors, PA Department Deputy Secretary's, Chief Operating Officers, Engineers/Architects and other professionals from Commonwealth of Pennsylvania agencies such as General Services, Public Welfare, PennDOT, State Police, State System of Higher Education, Penn State Facilities Engineering Institute, Agriculture, Corrections, Labor and Industry and Conservation and Natural Resources.

PFMA membership is only $25 per year and includes the training seminar. To review the program brochure, registration forms, vendor registration forms and PFMA by-laws please visit the PFMA website at www.pafma.com.

If you have any specific questions please contact Robert Kleimenhagen, Jr., CFM.,
1st Vice President, Pennsylvania Facilities Management Association, e-mail: rkleimenha@state.pa.us, phone: (717) 787-7002.

AMSR - Annual Member Service Report, 2009

By Greg Cunningham, Loss Control Specialist

This fall, all counties and county related entities will be receiving CCAP's annual report about the insurance programs in which they participate. We are currently in the process of gathering information and distributing 'Annual Member Service Reports' which will give each county and county related entity a 'snapshot' of how well they're doing in each particular program as well as some information on programs that may be of interest to you. This information is grouped by the insurance programs in which you participate and is designed to give the member pertinent information regarding insurance costs, claims experience and loss control activities.

The reports will be sent to each member in CD format and can be viewed as a Power point slide show. It is best if the report is viewed on a computer which is connected to the internet as there are links to various CCAP web pages and appropriate staff emails.

Should you have any questions or concerns please don't hesitate to use the contact information located throughout the report. We trust you'll find this information useful and we welcome any feedback you may have.

CCAP Insurance Programs, more than 'just insurance'!

Quote Of The Month

"To know what is right and not to do it is the worst cowardice."

- Confucius

CCAP Insurance Programs
PO Box 60769, Harrisburg, PA 17106-0769
Phone (800) 895-9039 - FAX (717) 526-1020
Claims Fax (888) 692-2368
Click here to go the Insurance Section of the CCAP Website.

email:jsallade@pacounties.org

Insurance Matters is published monthly by CCAP Insurance Programs for the use of members of CCAP's UC Trust, PCoRP, PComp, PIMCC, COMCARE, COMCARE PRO, BEST Flex, PELICAN and other insurance programs, and insurance producers of these members.

Advice contained in this publication is not legal advice and members are encouraged to seek the opinion of their solicitor.

The information provided in this publication is not intended to take the place of professional advice. Readers are encouraged to consult with competent legal, financial, or other appropriate professionals. Statements of facts and opinions expressed in this publication, by authors other than Association staff and officers, are the sole responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent an opinion or philosophy of the officers, members and staff of the County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania (CCAP). No endorsement of advertised products or services is implied by CCAP unless those products or services are expressly endorsed, or are owned or managed by the Association programs, or our affiliates. This publication may not be reproduced, modified, distributed, or displayed in part or in whole, by any means, without advance written permission of CCAP. Please direct your requests to John Sallade, Managing Director, CCAP Insurance Programs, jsallade@pacounties.org.

Note: As part of its copyright agreement the CCAP grants the author the right to place the final version of his/her manuscript on the author's homepage, subject to CCAP's standards, or in a public digital repository, provided there is a link to the CCAP website.