|
|
|
Specialty Lines
Dear Christie,
One of the toughest parts of my job is saying goodbye to people. Every four years the commissioners' election changes about 35 to 40 percent of our membership. We enjoy meeting and assisting the newly elected members, and at the same time are sad to see prior members depart.
The same is true for my role as a manager. Staff members move on and we move forward. This brings new people to CCAP, and new ideas, which is a good thing. Part of my job is to build on the strengths and ideas of those who are leaving provided to CCAP and its insurance programs.
Gary Nicholson, our Loss Control Services Manager, is retiring June 1. He has been a part of our staff for more than 13 years. He joined us as a Loss Control Specialist, and took over management of the Loss Control staff in July of 2011 when Bruce Mitchell retired.
I think the most telling thing about Gary are the comments I get from CCAP insurance members about him. When I told the insurance boards about Gary's retirement, the comments came fast and furious, noting how helpful and professional Gary has been, and how much his advice and assistance is appreciated. Gary's integrity and willingness to help others is remarkable, and he has indeed set the bar high for customer service.
We wish Gary the best in his retirement, and if you would like to send him a note, click here for his email.
Make sure you contact us when you need help with something,
John Sallade
|
|
|
PCoRP June 1 renewal features overall cost reduction for the members!
Board of Directors met April 9 in State College to make decisions about the June 1, 2015 policy renewal. The board acted to approve renewals from the existing PCoRP reinsurers, and set the Loss Fund contributions at the 85 percent confidence level calculated by the PCoRP actuary.
Total costs for the members are going down about $430,000. While we are still finalizing the numbers, total costs for 2015-2016 will be approximately $13,585,000 compared to $14,025,828 in 2014-2015. This is about a 3.1 percent reduction in costs.
Members' claims experience will be the largest factor in determining individual cost changes from the prior year. But the overall reduction in costs is a good sign for the membership.
Renewal packets will be sent to the members and local insurance producers in early May. The Board approved changes to the PCoRP Coverage Document, which were mainly to clarify coverage. One change clarifies that PCoRP does not provide coverage for drones.
The board also approved renewal of the contract with Industrial Appraisal for a new five year term. IA provides property appraisal services to all PCoRP members.
The board meets next on September 11, 2015 at the CCAP office, and is expected to decide whether or not a dividend will be issued to the members in 2015.
Questions about the PCoRP board meeting should be directed to John Sallade at CCAP.
|
|
Health Alliance Board Meeting Recap
CCAP Health Alliance Board of Directors held its annual spring meeting on Friday, April 17. The board voted to maintain its current officer structure with June Sorg, Elk County Commissioner as the Chair, Erick Coolidge, Tioga County Commissioner as Vice Chair, and Trisha Douglas, Clarion County HR Director as Secretary/Treasurer. The board reviewed the program's marketing initiatives and financials for 2014 year end and 2015 year to date.
The primary focus of the meeting was a detailed program operations report provided by the Delaware Valley Health Trust (DVHT) administrator for the CCAP Health Alliance. The focus of the report was wellness program utilization, a plan performance review, a case study and discussion on premium volatility of fully funded High Deductible Health Plans and training on Affordable Care Act updates to include IRS reporting requirements and the looming impact of the 2018 Excise or "Cadillac" Tax.
The CCAP Health Alliance welcomed four new members in 2014 and 2015 bringing its total membership to seven. The newest members are: Columbia County, Forest County, Southern Alleghenies Planning and Development Commission and the County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania (CCAP). Each member entity, with the exception of CCAP, has a position on the current board of directors. The remaining seven positions are held by various county and county related entity representatives from across the commonwealth.
The next meeting of the board of directors will be on Friday, November 6, 2015 at the CCAP Office in Harrisburg.
|
NACo and Nationwide Announce First Plan Sponsor Aspire Award
NACo and Nationwide Retirement Solutions have announced the first "Aspire Award: Honoring Innovative Leadership in Promoting County Employee Retirement Savings" to recognize two counties that have gone above and beyond in empowering their employees for retirement success. Counties who offer their employees the opportunity to participate in the NACo Deferred Compensation Program, administered by Nationwide Retirement Solutions, are eligible for nomination for the Aspire Award.
As an employer, a county serves as plan sponsor to its employees' retirement programs. Some counties have developed and implemented innovative approaches to create opportunities for their employees to be retirement ready.
The first annual "Aspire Award: Honoring Innovative Leadership in Promoting County Employee Retirement Savings" will be presented during NACo's Annual Conference, July 10-13, 2015 in Mecklenburg County (Charlotte), North Carolina.
Two awards will be presented. Consideration will be given to the plan sponsors who present measurable outcomes that result from unique, unusual and original efforts to successfully engage county employees in their retirement futures.
Further information and the application are available at http://www.naco.org/aspire.
Applications must be received by NACo by 5 pm Eastern time, Friday, May 15, 2015. Applications may be submitted to plansponsor2015@naco.org or mailed to Aspire Award, NACo, 25 Massachusetts Ave, NW, Suite 500, Washington, DC 20001.
|
|
Return to Work Program Myths
By Jeanie Henry, RN, Loss Control Wellness Nurse
An effective return to work (RTW) program can save your county or county related entity a great deal of money on workers' compensation insurance costs.
We have seen some misconceptions regarding return to work programs which prevent implementation of effective programs. Overcoming these myths is the first step in creating a successful return to work program.
An employee can only return when fully recovered
- The purpose of a RTW program is to facilitate recovery by providing a temporary work site accommodation to allow the employee to return to work under specific work restrictions.
- An employee can return to work with simple modifications to their work environment, schedule or duties based on the severity of the injury.
- As the worker physically recovers, job demands and tasks are gradually increased until they are performing the target job as previous and appropriate. This allows for a smoother transition to regular job duties.
Early return to work results in unproductive employees
- Employees who return to work using modified duties are only unproductive if they spend time counting paperclips and ceiling tiles.
- The first option in a RTW program is to return the employee back to their regular job with modifications based on physician recommendations. The employee can remain in the same essential role, alongside the same co-workers.
- Injured employees are extremely valuable assets if properly utilized to accomplish specific tasks.
Staying at home is the best medicine
- Not really. Medical studies have shown that individuals who return to work recover quicker and return to their regular jobs sooner.
- RTW expedites recovery because the employee must comply with physician recommendations.
- RTW enhances communication between the employee and the employer.
- The longer an employee stays at home, the less likely they will return to work.
Return to work programs are too expensive
- Indirect costs such as hiring, training and overtime can increase expenses and impact your profitability.
- Most RTW programs cost nothing for the employer.
- Modifying your work site or equipment to accommodate an injured employee is a smart investment. Modifications for RTW average $600.00. Studies show the return on investment is $8.00 for every dollar spent.
It's not in the budget to offer "light duty" to extra employees
- Modified or light duty is payroll. If you do not provide RTW, the pay for those employees will come from your workers' compensation insurance, thus inflating your experience modification.
- These are not "extra" employees; they are your employees.
- Is overtime in your budget?
The union will never agree to this
- To obtain union support, include a union representative in the development of the program and to be a member of the RTW team.
- Union participation will enhance communication and build trust between workers and management.
We don't have that many claims, so we don't need a RTW program
- Waiting to have a claim is not the time to throw together a program. The best time to set up your RTW program is before an employee is injured.
- A RTW program should be set up, policy and procedures written and formalized and training of employees completed.
- It only takes one significant claim with extremely high medical and wage expenses to increase your workers' compensation premium. You will own those expenses through your experience modification for three years.
The county is responsible to reimburse the employee the difference between workers' compensation wages and normal wages
- If an employee is off work more than seven days related to a workplace injury, employee wages will be covered by workers' compensation benefits. This amount is approximately two-thirds of their gross income.
- Allowing an injured employee to stay at home and receive 100 percent compensation takes away all incentive to return to work.
- Unless contractually obligated, this practice should be eliminated.
We don't have any transitional jobs for employees to do
- Really? You don't have anything for them to do? Ask for suggestions from employees. Think "tasks", not "jobs".
- If unable to return the injured employee to his or her original job with modification, consider the entire operation.
- Make a quick reference list of all of the departments and tasks of your county that can be offered for modified work. The list may include maintenance, housekeeping, buildings and grounds, transportation and office work to list a few.
Return to work does not happen in a vacuum. It is a team effort. Your PComp Loss Control Staff are available to assist your return to work efforts. Contact the CCAP Loss Control Department at (800) 895-9039; or email us at:
Gary Nicholson, Loss Control Services Manager
Maureen McMahon, Loss Control Specialist
Andrew Smith, Loss Control Specialist
Dennis Cutler, Loss Control Specialist
Jean Henry, RN, Loss Control Wellness Nurse
|
|
May Training Opportunities!
By Linda Rosito, Insurance Training Director
The CCAP Insurance Programs Has several great training opportunities for this spring workshop season. Attached for your convenience is the listing.
| MAY | | | 12 | KEYS: Engaging Your Staff and Improving Morale | | 13 | KEYS: What Were They Thinking? | | 20 | Maintenance Workshop | | 21 | Prison Risk Management Workshop | | 29 | County Risk Managers Council | | | | JUNE | | | 3 | County Risk Managers Council |
Please keep in mind that most of our training sessions are free (if sponsored by an insurance program in which your employer is a member) AND for PCoRP, PComp and UC Trust members you can SAVE MONEY off your insurance costs by attending training sessions. If you aren't sure if your county is a member of these programs please refer to the Member Listing.
We continue our partnership with the Academy for Excellence in County Government and are offering several opportunities for both required courses as well as electives. For additional information please refer to Upcoming Academy Events.
Please register online using our new registration process. And as always, if you have any questions, please feel free to contact Linda Rosito or Jenn James at (800) 895-9039.
Thank you for your continued support of the CCAP Insurance Programs trainings. We hope to see you this spring!
|
Upcoming Events
UC Trust Board Meeting
Friday, May 8, 2015, 10 a.m.
CCAP Office, Harrisburg PIMCC Board Meeting
Friday, May 22, 2015, 10:30 a.m.
CCAP Office, Harrisburg |
|
HOT TOPIC
Personnel Actions
For an insurance provider, there is nothing more expensive and difficult to defend than an employment decision which is handled poorly. We have seen decisions made to terminate employees for very sound reasons, which then become claims because the process was handled improperly. There have also been a few times when the decision was made for reasons which seem difficult to quantify.
Our first recommendation in these situations is to seek professional advice. Whether it is the county HR director, county solicitor and/or outside legal counsel, it is essential that elected officials and department heads make sure they are following the federal and state laws regarding employment matters. We have even had claims where the county did not even follow its own written procedures!
Secondly, I cannot overestimate the importance of documentation. Even when it is clear there are grounds for personnel action, the county needs to be able to show documentation of the reasons for the action. Keep in mind that a suit related to the action may not be filed until two years from the date of the event. Will you have the documentation in place to remind you and others what was done and why?
Lastly, personnel actions are not something for public consumption. Comments made about the individual can, and often do, come back to haunt public officials and county staff, and make defending the personnel action much more difficult. Juries have a tendency to focus on the nasty public comments, no matter how accurate, as the real reason for a personnel action.
Please note that this is not a legal opinion, but are comments from an insurance and risk management standpoint.
For more information, contact Karen Cohen at CCAP.
|
|
Quote of the Month
"Saying goodbye doesn't mean anything.
It's the time we spent together that
matters, not how we left it."
- Trey Parker
|
|
|
|
|
