|
|
|
Specialty Lines
As I write this article, we are getting ready for the PComp Board Retreat, a two day event where the board reviews the status of our workers' compensation pool, and plans for the future. It is a relaxed setting, and gives us a chance to discuss topics in detail and combine the meeting with some training. For example, we have a panel of risk managers joining the meeting one morning to discuss their success stories about workers' compensation.
PComp is in great financial shape, but that did not just happen on its own. Several years ago the board, confronted with some less than positive financial reports, spent a lot of time at the retreat and subsequent board meetings, making very specific financial plans. We invested in helping the members to keep claims down, and we set ridged rating guides to make sure we had enough premium to pay claims and provide quality services to the members. The board made tough decisions.
And it has paid off, mainly because the members hung in there with us. They realized PComp was created to help counties, to provide services counties could not get from other sources, and that when things were in better shape, the members would benefit financially. For the last two years, PComp's finances were so strong that dividends were returned to the members: over $3.4 million to the members in dividends and grants. The board will be discussing another dividend at the retreat. We hope to continue to return funds to the members in a prudent way as long as PComp's finances remain strong.
We also have benefitted from a very good relationship with PComp's regulators at the Department of Labor & Industry. They provided advice and assistance when we put together our financial plan.
Watch for more good news from PComp this year, and keep up the great risk management to contain claims costs!
Make sure you contact us when you need help with something.
John Sallade
|
|
|
CCAP UC Trust Declares $2 Million Dividend
By Julia Jackson, Deputy Director, Pool Operations
Many members of the CCAP Unemployment Compensation (UC) Trust received a dividend check in mid-June as a result of the continued financial strength of the CCAP UC Trust. Over the last 18 months, benefits charges have steadily declined as the job market and overall economy continue to recover from the downturn in 2008. Total benefits charges for the Trust in 2014 were $1,913,212, as compared to $2,628,277 in 2013 and $5,518,936 in 2012. This steady improvement resulted in a strong surplus position for the Trust. At its May 2015 meeting, the board of trustees unanimously approved a $2 million dividend return to all members who, as of December 31, 2014, had an Eligible Account Balance with the Trust.
An Eligible Account Balance is actuarially determined using the difference between each member's individual account balance with the Trust and their Minimum Balance, which is the benefit provision determined from the 2015 funding analysis or 84.2% of the member's estimated 2015 contributions. The purpose of the Minimum Balance is to assure that the members receiving dividends will not be left with an insufficient account balance.
Of the Trust's 42 county members and 5 county related entity members, seven members were not eligible for a dividend: one had a negative individual account balance, five had a positive individual account balance which is less than their Minimum Balance, and one joined the Trust after December 31, 2014. The dividend return recognizes the remaining 40 UC Trust members' success in retaining quality employees and using effective hiring and firing practices.
SECURE PAYROLL UPLOAD OPTION NOW AVAILABLE
The CCAP UC Trust now offers a secure website for members to upload their quarterly payroll reports electronically, and is recommending members adopt this reporting option to best protect your employees' confidential payroll information. The upload process is simple and convenient. A username and password is required. For more information or to receive access details, contact Sara Hazelton at shazelton@pacounties.org or (800) 895-9039 x 3312.
REPORTING PAYROLL INFORMATION TO LABOR AND INDUSTRY
Recently, several UC Trust member counties both mailed and electronically uploaded their payroll reports to the Department of Labor and Industry (L&I). L&I processed both versions of the payroll reports, doubling the counties' payroll and adversely impacting the amounts due for UC tax purposes. To avoid this in the future - and this precaution applies to all counties, not just UC Trust members - be sure you are only sending one version of your payroll reports to L&I.
For questions or additional information, please contact Julia Jackson, Deputy Director of Pool Operations, at (800) 895-9039 x 3305.
|
|
New Risk Management and Underwriting Manager Joins CCAP Staff
Welcome to Keith Wentz, who joined the CCAP staff on June 15! Keith is our new Risk Management and Underwriting Manager, responsible for risk control services (formerly called loss control services) and underwriting services. This is the position from which Gary Nicholson retired in June, and the position has been changed a little to include some other responsibilities.
Keith comes to CCAP with a bachelor's degree in human resource management, and has earned the ARM, ARM-P, RMPE, and SPHR designations. Prior to joining CCAP he was the Casual Program Coordinator and Business Services HR Generalist for Harley-Davidson in York, and was the Risk Manager for York County. When in that capacity for York County, he served as a member of the PELICAN SAC (board of directors) and was an active member of the county risk managers council.
Keith can be reached at (800) 895-9039, x 3324, or via email: kwentz@pacounties.org.
|
|
Summer Safety Fact Sheet
By Andrew Smith, Loss Control Specialist
Follow the tips to make your summer safe!
SCOOTER, BIKE and PEDESTRIAN SAFETY
Scooters, bikes, in-line skates and skateboards are associated with numerous injuries yearly. Therefore for a Safe Summer always:
- Wear a comfortable, properly fitted helmet bearing the label of an independent testing lab. Be sure that the helmet sits level on top of the head-not rocking in any direction-and always fasten the safety strap.
- Be sure that safety gear (wrist, elbow and kneepads) fits properly and does not interfere with the rider's movement, vision or hearing.
Wrist pads are not recommended for scooter riders as they may affect their ability to maneuver. - Ride scooters and bikes only on smooth, paved surfaces and only ride during daylight hours.
- Learn the proper hand signals and use them when you turn or stop.
- Come to a complete stop before entering driveways, paths or sidewalks, then look left, right and left again for vehicles or pedestrians heading your way.
- Teach street crossing safety to children by example.
BARBECUE SAFETY
Beware when you barbecue. In 2000 alone, there were 6,100 reported home fires involving gas or charcoal grills in the United States, leading to $29.1 million in direct property damage. Therefore for a Safe Summer always:
- Leave sufficient space from siding and eaves
when using barbecue grills on decks and patios. - Always supervise a barbecue grill when in use.
- Keep children and pets far away from grills.
- With charcoal grills, only use charcoal starter fluids designed for barbecue grills, and do not add fluid after coals have been lit.
- With gas grills, be sure that the hose connection is tight and check hoses carefully for leaks.
- Always follow the manufacturer's instructions and have the grill repaired by a professional, if necessary.
WATER SAFETY
Extra caution should be used when around water for children and adults. Therefore for a Safe Summer always:
- Only swim in approved areas.
- Always supervise children near water at all times and make sure that children learn to swim.
- Check the depth of the water with a lifeguard before jumping in.
- Always wear a U.S. Coast Guard approved PFD (personal floatation device) when boating, jet-skiing, tubing or water-skiing. Air-filled swimming aids, like water wings or inner tubes, are not substitutes for approved PFDs. An adult should always supervise children using these devices.
- Be sure to extinguish all smoking materials and shut down motors, fans and heating devices before fueling a boat. In case of a spill, wipe up fuel immediately and check the bilge for fuel leakage and odors. After fueling and before starting the boat's motor, ventilate with the blower for at least four minutes.
CAMPING SAFETY TIPS
Safety precautions need to be taken when camping. Therefore for a Safe Summer always:
- Use a flame retardant tent and set up camp far away from the campfire.
- Only use flashlights or battery-powered lanterns inside a tent or any other space, not liquid-filled heaters or lanterns.
- Always build your campfire down wind away from your tent. Clear all vegetation and build a pit surrounded by rocks before building your campfire.
- Store liquid fire starter (not gasoline) away from your tent and campfire and use dry kindling to freshen a campfire.
- Always put out a campfire when going to sleep or leaving the campsite. To extinguish the fire, cover with dirt and pour water over it.
FIREWORKS
Fireworks lead to thousands of injuries requiring emergency room treatment annually. These dazzling, but dangerous devices can burn up to 1200°F and can cause burns, lacerations, amputations and blindness. Therefore for a Safe Summer always:
- Leave fireworks to the professionals.
- Stay back at least 500 feet from professional fireworks displays.
- Treat all fireworks, whether legal or illegal for consumers, as suitable only for use by trained professionals.
- Leave any area where amateurs are using fireworks.
Remember Keep Your Summer Safe!
|
Upcoming Events
COMCARE Board Meeting
Tuesday, July 21, 2015, 11 a.m.
CCAP Office, Harrisburg |
|
HOT TOPIC
What is a Work Related Injury?
We get a lot of questions about something the county is thinking of doing, and whether or not the event would be considered work related, and if an injury occurs, would it be covered by workers' compensation.
For example, the county sponsors an exercise class on site, or has a gym for the corrections officers to use. If an employee is hurt in the class or the gym, those injuries will probably be work related. So would injuries due to training events to which the county sends staff. However, Auto accidents on the way to work, for most employees, would not be work related. This does not apply to field staff, who might be going from their house to a client's house or another site - injuries there will probably be work related.
As you can imagine, there are numerous legal cases on this very issue. Our answer to most of the questions we get is that they probably will be workers' compensation claims, BUT, each injury is on a case-by-case basis and sometimes the workers' compensation judges may rule otherwise. Our advice is always to report it to us (or your workers' compensation insurer) and then provide the details needed so we can determine whether to deny or accept the claim.
As with many insurance and risk management questions, often the answer is: It depends!
For more information, contact Karen Cohen, Insurance and Reinsurance Manager at CCAP.
|
|
Quote of the Month
"A person who doubts himself is like a man who would enlist in the ranks of his enemies and bear arms against himself. He makes his failure certain by himself being the first person to be convinced of it."
- Ambrose Bierce
|
|
|
|
|
