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Specialty Lines
I am not particularly good at delegating. Generally, I have a specific idea in my head about how I want something to be done, and I unfortunately have the tendency to think that I am the only one who can do it the way I envision it. As the years have gone by, I have fortunately learned that I cannot do it all. We have seven major insurance pools and captive insurance companies which have to be run properly, thousands of claims to be handled, risk control visits to be made and all kinds of financial issues to be dealt with. Three of our programs have state regulations to which we must comply. These comments lead me to recognize that CCAP would not have these great programs, and provide such excellent customer service without the staff that works on our insurance programs every day. I am very proud of them, and quite pleased that they allow me to believe that I am the one in charge. They make coming to work enjoyable, and they sincerely want to help officials, staff, local producers and citizens in every county. A recent photo of the insurance staff is included below. There are 25 of us on the insurance staff, and we also receive help serving you from other CCAP staff who manage finance, technology and even legislative matters related to the insurance programs. We would not be successful without all of them; they do a great job of making things happen just the way I (and others) envision them. On behalf of those CCAP staff mentioned here, please accept our wishes for a safe and wonderful holiday season! And, make sure you contact us when you need help with something, John Sallade |
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PCoRP $3 Million Dividend Announced at Membership Meeting
PCoRP members will share in a $3 million dividend, to be distributed in early December! As announced November 22 at the 2015 Annual Delegates Meeting of the Pennsylvania Counties Risk Pool, the PCoRP Board of Directors has once again declared a dividend distribution to the membership. This is the fifth year in a row with a dividend. Since 2011, PCoRP has now returned $11 million to the members in dividends!
This is second year in a row with the largest dividend ever returned by PCoRP due to the continued strong financial position of the pool.
The 53 members of PCoRP, 49 counties and four county related entities, will receive their share of the dividend based on their contributions paid and claims costs for the policy years 2009/2010 through 2013/2014. The only member which will not receive a dividend is the newest to PCoRP, Crawford County.
Dividend payments will range from a high of $275,385 to a low of $3,405. Ten members will receive dividends of $100,000 or more.
Members are cautioned that this dividend is not necessarily an annual event. While the board will consider this action each year, it is dependent on the financial position of PCoRP at the end of each fiscal year. We suggest you do not budget for this income for 2016.
In addition to this dividend, the board made another decision which will benefit PCoRP members. PCoRP started a Loss Prevention Grant program in 2012 with initial funding of $500,000. Last year the amount was increased to $750,000, which is $15,000 per member. The Board decided to continue that funding for the June 1, 2016 policy year, again with no requirement for county match!
Since 2011, including the dividend and grants for 2015, PCoRP has returned $13.25 million back to the members, while keeping prices for coverage stable! This is almost the entire amount the PCoRP members paid for coverage in 2015/16! So in five years, we have returned one year's costs to the members!
At the Delegates Meeting we shared some information about the long term benefits of membership in PCoRP. Over the 28 years of its operation, PCoRP has provided significant savings to the members, including returns of funds in the form of dividends and credits, the loss prevention grant program, expanded services and more!
If you have any questions about your dividend, or PCoRP in general, please contact John Sallade.
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Tax Collector Bond Law Update
Act 48 of 2015 has clarified and changed several matters regarding Tax Collectors. Here are some highlights of Act 48, as provided by the Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED):
- Effective immediately, incumbent tax collectors will not have to take six credits of training. Instead, beginning on January 1, 2017, incumbent tax collectors will have to take two credits of training before the end of their four-year term of office. Any training credits earned during 2015 will be credited to their account beginning January 1, 2017.
- The Act eliminates the mandatory continuing education requirement for tax collectors effective December 31, 2016. In the interim, the basic training and continuing education programs for tax collectors are voluntary.
- Requires a basic training program and examination for newly elected tax collectors beginning January 1, 2017. Upon successful completion of the basic training program and exam, a newly elected tax collector will be issued a "qualified tax collector" certification by DCED, and will be eligible to take office.
- Establishes that individuals holding the office of tax collector after the effective date of January 1, 2017, shall be known as "qualified tax collectors."
- Clarifies that an individual who is elected as a tax collector for the term of office beginning January 1, 2016, is required to submit a criminal history report to the municipality for which the tax collector was elected before taking the oath of office.
- Establishes that an individual running for a second or subsequent term of tax collector is not required to file a criminal history record check with his nominating petitions or papers.
- With exceptions for county treasurers and neighboring tax collectors, within thirty days of being appointed to fill a vacancy in the office of tax collector, the appointee shall provide a criminal history check to each taxing district serviced by that tax collector. If the appointee has not been a resident of the Commonwealth for the two years immediately preceding the appointment, then the individual shall provide a federal criminal history check to each taxing district served by that tax collector.
- Requires a tax collector's surety bond to cover all taxes collected by a deputy tax collector.
- Specifies that a deputy tax collector shall collect taxes through the duration of an incapacitation of the tax collector, unless the taxing district determines that collection by the county treasurer or a neighboring tax collector is necessary.
- Requires an appointed deputy tax collector to be approved by the municipality for which a tax collector was elected.
- Requires renewal of qualification to be completed prior to the tax collector's final year in office. If the tax collector fails to complete the continuing education requirements, the tax collector shall be deemed ineligible to be placed on the ballot at the end of the tax collector's current term of office.
DCED will be sending Tax Collectors more information regarding training requirements. You can read more detail about Act 48 on the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development website. |
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CCAP Health Alliance Welcomes a New Member
Carbon-Monroe-Pike Mental Health and Development Services (CMP MH/DS) will be joining the CCAP Health Alliance effective January 1, 2016. CMP MH/DS is the eighth member of the CCAP Health Alliance and its third county related entity member. The Health Alliance debuted in 2013 and has been growing steadily since its inception. Members include: CMP MH/DS, CCAP, Clarion County, Columbia County, Elk County, Forest County, Southern Alleghenies Planning and Development Commission and Tioga County.
The CCAP Health Alliance is administered by the Delaware Valley Health Trust (DVHT) and is the only health insurance cooperative endorsed by the County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania (CCAP).
To learn more about the CCAP Health Alliance, contact Julia Jackson at (717) 736-4705.
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What is a Safety Leader?
By Keith Wentz, Risk Manager and Underwriting Manager Creating an environment where employees want to engage in safety and move toward safer behaviors is the job of County Commissioners, Risk Managers and Supervisors. These leaders are ultimately responsible for:
- Implementing safety management systems
- Ensuring employees complete safety training
- Rooting out and resolving safety challenges before injuries occur
- Interacting with employees, creating a culture of safety and motivating employee engagement
Risk tolerance is declining, and regulations and cost pressures are tightening. The challenge is to get all employees - many of whom have packed schedules and are less involved with safety on a daily basis - to become more engaged in their own safety and that of their co-workers.
That's not always easy. For better risk control, better compliance with legal obligations and, most importantly, attaining zero injuries and deaths, there must be a shift in behavior and attitude throughout the organization. Leaders need to make employees conscious of things they're doing on the job that might be putting people at risk. The need to educate employees on changing their behavior is critical. It's About Priorities
In an environment where pressure to provide mandated services is ever-present, employees need to know that safety is a requirement of their job performance. Risk Managers need to:
- Get out and talk with employees at all levels to share the County's philosophy
- Hold regular safety meetings and provide real data on an organization's vulnerable areas
- Listen to the issues employees have and understand what their challenges are
- Respect the team by valuing their opinions and implementing their ideas
- Train
When a safety system does fail, risk managers will always look for where the breakdown occurred. To determine if there was there a breakdown in culture? Process? Or program design? It Takes More than Words
A County can have all the safety management systems in place, but without strong safety leadership and the ability to use the systems in the right way, employees will not be as safe as they could be. Leaders can cause a dramatic shift in performance by focusing on the right things. The extent of training, time in the field, meetings, audits, metrics reporting and strategic planning can really causing a shift in employee behavior. Safety training combined with a strong safety culture, positive interactions with workers in the field and equipping individuals so they can facilitate a dialog about poor performance or evidence of risk can create substantial change. Emphasis should be placed where risks are the greatest. The Journey to Safety Excellence
The Journey to Safety Excellence is a roadmap; the journey increases safety, morale and compliance through four pillars:
- Leadership and employee engagement
- Safety management systems
- Risk reduction
- Performance measurement
For more information, contact Keith Wentz at (717) 736-4724. |
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Risk Control Staff add Light and Sound Meters to Safety Arsenal
By Andrew Smith, Risk Control Specialist
Lighting
Good lighting in workplaces is essential to allow people to see clearly and perform their work safely. Poor lighting can be a safety hazard. Misjudgment of the position, shape or speed of an object can lead to accidents and injury. Poor lighting can affect the quality of work, specifically in a situation where precision is required. In addition, lighting can also have an effect on overall productivity. Poor lighting can be a health hazard. Too much or too little light strains eyes, cause eye discomfort and headaches. The key factors to consider when determining the adequacy of lighting are:
- The amount of light in an area
- Number, type and position of the light sources
- Tasks or activities performed
- How often and for how long these are performed
How is light measured?
The amount of light in an area can be measured using a light meter (or lux meter). This measures the amount of light falling onto a surface, which is known as the illuminance of that surface. Illuminance is measured in lux. Recommended illuminance levels for different types of work areas can be evaluated by your risk control specialist.
There are a host of other issues related to lighting in the workplace such as glare, reflection, colors, shadows, contrast and general lighting maintenance. Your risk control specialist can assist your county identify the hazard, communicate with the county representative and provide appropriate recommendations and/or actions. Noise Generally, the levels of noise in office areas are below those levels known to pose a risk to hearing. In offices 'annoyance' noise is likely what may interfere with communication, annoy or distract people and affect a person's performance of tasks like reading and writing. Noise that prevents a person from understanding an instruction or warning signal may also be a risk to safety. The first step is to determine whether or not noise is a potential problem in your workplace. A walkthrough survey helps in making this decision. The indicators of a potentially hazardous noise level include: noise is louder than busy city traffic; people have to raise their voice to talk to someone at 3 feet away; at the end of work shift, people have to increase the volume of their radio or TV to a level too loud for others; after working for a few years at that workplace, employees find it difficult to communicate in a crowd or party situation where there are other sounds or many voices. How is sound measured?
The most common instruments used for measuring noise are the sound level meter. The meter consists of a microphone, electronic circuits and a readout display. The microphone detects the small air pressure variations associated with sound and changes them into electrical signals. These signals are then processed by the electronic circuitry of the instrument. The readout displays the sound level in decibels. The meter takes the sound pressure level at one instant in a particular location. For more information, or if you are interested in scheduling a light or sound meter test, contact the CCAP Risk Control Department. |
CCAP Health Alliance Administrator Opens Onsite Health Center
The Delaware Valley Health Trust (DVHT), administrator for the CCAP Health Alliance, will be opening an onsite health center this fall. The facility is located in Horsham, Pennsylvania.
DVHT has partnered with CareHere to provide its members with a health center that will serve as the cornerstone of their healthcare needs. This health center will offer many convenient, cost saving medical services to members, their spouses and their dependents. Some of the benefits include:
- No Copayments
- No Deductibles
- No Cost for Generic Medications
- Over 300 Generic Medications Onsite
- No/Minimal Wait Times
- Online Appointment Scheduling
- No-Cost, Confidential Health Coaching
- No-Cost, Personal Wellness Programs
- CareHere Connect: Online Wellness Portal
This health center is unique because it focuses on both primary care and preventative care. To meet both the primary care and preventative care needs of its patients, a physician, nurse practitioner, nurse and other staff will be available.
DVHT was formed in 1999 with the goal of providing rate stabilization in the health insurance marketplace through administrative cost controls. Having successfully reduced their administrative expense load to under seven percent (compared to 18 to 22 percent in the commercial insurance market), this new health center provides the opportunity for DVHT to tackle the other main component of health care costs - the cost of care and treatment. As the CCAP Health Alliance and DVHT memberships continue to grow, the programs' boards will continually evaluate opportunities to expand this type of member benefit statewide. In the meantime, CCAP is proud to be partnered with this innovative and member-focused organization. For more information about the CCAP Health Alliance or the DVHT Health Center, contact Julia Jackson at (717) 736-4705. |
Upcoming Events
PCoRP Board Meeting and Retreat January 20 - 22, 2016 The Hotel Hershey
COMCARE PRO SAC Board Meeting January 25, 2016 CCAP Office, Harrisburg PELICAN SAC Board Meeting January 26, 2016 The Hotel Hershey |
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HOT TOPIC
ABC's - it's that time againCounties have an amazing number of departments, offices, units and other entities which are essential to the operation of the county. One of the hardest things to determine is whether a particular agency, board or commission (ABC) is part of the county, from a corporate legal position, or if it is a separate entity. The main reason for trying to figure this out is to determine if the entity should have insurance coverage through the county, or have it on their own. There are two worst case scenarios. First, it is possible the ABC has its own insurance coverage, and does not realize it is covered by the county's policies (mainly liability, property, auto and more rarely workers' compensation). In this scenario, money is probably being wasted buying duplicate coverage. The second example is even more concerning. This would happen when a claim occurs (for example a lawsuit) and the ABC realizes it does not have an insurance policy which responds to defend the lawsuit, because the ABC assumed the county's insurance would respond. The county then discovers that their insurance does not cover the ABC. The potential impact of this could be catastrophic, depending on the costs to defend the lawsuit and possibly pay additional damages if the ABC is found to be in the wrong. Making sure the county has proper coverage for county agencies, boards and commissions can be a painstaking project, but it is an essential part of risk management. When budgets are tight it is important to make sure you are not buying duplicate coverage, and equally important to make sure there is coverage for every entity. For the PCoRP program, the ABC question is a part of the annual application for coverage. We ask about specific ABC's which counties usually have, and provide space on the application to include other ABC's we have not mentioned. But this is more than just a checklist. It is not enough to just check that box that tells us, for example, the Conservation District is a separate entity and has its own insurance, the county needs to know that is the case. We can help you with the questions that need to be asked to determine if an entity is included in your county's coverage, or if they should have their own policy. This is a great project for your county risk manager (and if you don't have one, it is a great reason to consider hiring a risk manager!). For more information, contact Karen Cohen at (717) 736-4707.
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Quote of the Month
"It is not how much we have, but how much we enjoy,
that makes happiness."
- Charles Spurgeon
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