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Specialty Lines
Many of you know that I am a big music fan. My musical tastes are pretty broad, which means I spend way too much money on CD's and iTunes. Pop into my office and there is almost always music playing. One of my favorites from college was David Bowie, not for his sartorial uniqueness, but for good old fashioned guitar rock, especially "Changes." His death was a shock, and that song resonates with me right now as I have been turning to face changes the last several months.
In this issue of Insurance Matters you will see we have added five new staff members in the last four months. Bringing that many new people to our staff is exciting, and we are working to make them part of the CCAP insurance team. We have high expectations for customer service, and are working hard to make sure you continue to get the member services you deserve.
In addition, I want to let you know Julia Jackson has resigned at CCAP, after fourteen years of service to CCAP members. She started as an administrative assistant for risk management meetings and CCAP conference planning and as she would say, made her own adventure at CCAP, becoming an important part of the insurance staff. Among many other things, she helped us find a great health insurance program for CCAP members, and was a founder of the successful SCHRPP affiliate for county HR directors. We are excited for her new opportunity, and have started interviews for her replacement. I'm hoping to have someone on board in March, and in the interim please contact me for anything on which you would have worked with Julia.
Change makes the days a little more interesting and challenging. It gives us a way to survive February, knowing the changes March will bring. It brings progress, new ideas, and helps us learn and alter our thought process and behaviors. Our pledge to you is we will manage the changes well, and will build upon the solid work we do every day for our members.
Make sure you contact us when you need help with something,
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PIMCC Board Election Results
The nomination and election process for the five elected members of the PIMCC Board of Directors is now complete, and the four incumbents up for election were nominated. There were no other nominations, therefore they have been re-elected to two year terms, which expire at the end of 2017.
Congratulations to the following re-elected board members:
Michelle Shedden
| Bradford County Chief Clerk
| Jeff Hornberger
| Clarion County Warden
| Dominick DeRose
| Dauphin County Warden and Act 22 Representative
| Bruce Herdman
| Philadelphia Prison System Chief of Medical Operations and Act 22 Representative
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PIMCC, the Prison Inmate Medical Cost Containment program, is CCAP's consulting service for county prisons, and also administers the Act 22 Service for inmate inpatient costs to be Medicaid eligible. For more information about PIMCC, contact John Sallade, CCAP Insurance Programs Managing Director, by phone (717) 736-4709 or email jsallade@pacounties.org.
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PCoRP and PComp Board Meeting Notes
PCoRP:
The PCoRP Board of Directors met January 21 and 22 in Hershey. Much of the meeting involved planning for the June 1, 2016 renewal of the property and liability insurance pool. An orientation was provided for all board members, and discussions included coverage for volunteers, updated policies for defense counsel selection, proposed changes to the PCoRP Coverage Document, coverage for county related entities and updates on the Loss Prevention Grant program.
The PCoRP board elected officers for 2016:
Chairman:
| Frank Staudenmeier
| Schuylkill County Commissioner
| Vice Chairman:
| Erick Coolidge
| Tioga County Commissioner
| Secretary/Treasurer:
| Bill Gaylord
| Wyoming County Chief Clerk
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PComp:
The PComp Board of Directors met on February 19 at the CCAP office. The board was provided with an orientation about the workers' compensation pool, including a review of core documents. Plans for the March 13 annual meeting of the members were reviewed. The board also decided upon some training topics for their annual retreat meeting in June. An RFP for medical bill repricing and pharmacy services has been sent to selected companies.
The board elected officers for 2016:
Chairman:
| Dan Vogler
| Lawrence County Commissioner
| Vice Chairman:
| Jim Martin
| Adams County Commissioner
| Secretary/Treasurer:
| Dee Robinson
| Union County Chief Clerk
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Questions about these board meetings should be directed to John Sallade at CCAP.
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Insurance Staff Update
As referenced above, in the past four months we have welcomed five new employees to the insurance staff:
Ethan Nicholson, PCoRP claims representative, joined us on November 23, 2015, moving from the CCAP IT department to insurance. He can be reached at (800) 895-9039 extension 3368, or direct line (717) 736-4768, or etnicholson@pacounties.org.
Ryan Cale, PCoRP claims representative, also began work on November 23, 2015. He can be reached at (800) 895-9039 extension 3330, or direct line (717) 736-4730, or rcale@pacounties.org.
John Hebenthal, PCoRP claims representative, started on January 4, 2016. John can be reached at (800) 895-9039 extension 3327, or direct line (717) 736-4727, or jhebenthal@pacounties.org.
Jodi Kroski, Insurance Pool Operations Administrative Assistant, joined CCAP on February 16, 2016. She can be reached at (800) 895-9039 extension 3301, or direct line (717) 736-4790, or jkroski@pacounties.org.
Danielle McKenna, Insurance Member Services Administrative Assistant began work at CCAP on February 22, 2016. She can be reached at (800) 895-9039 extension 3359, or direct line (717) 736-4759, or dmckenna@pacounties.org.
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PComp Safety Improvement Program
By: Keith Wentz, Risk Management and Underwriting Manager CCAP's insurance programs have always had a goal of providing quality member services to counties and county related entities, not just insurance. Any reasonable assistance to make your workplaces and operations as safe as possible for the public and county employees is of the utmost importance to us. Creating value-added programs based on your needs is at the forefront of everything we do. The PComp Safety Improvement Program (SIP) grant program is one example of our value added efforts. This program supports safety committees and administration by awarding grants to offset the cost of improving safety to protect employees on the job, reduce accident frequency and severity, enhance safety, wellness and risk management programs. The program is open to all PComp members, both counties and county related entities. There is no matching required from your organization and the process for applying and receiving the funds is simple. In 2015, 36 Counties and 10 County Related entities received nearly $416,000 in grant dollars. The PComp Board has again set aside funding for the SIP grants.
You are eligible to use up to $11,000 in 2016 for your SIP grant!
Please take advantage of this program! We have attached the 2016 PComp information sheet and grant application for your review and consideration.
For more information on the PComp Safety Improvement Program contact Keith Wentz, Risk Control and Underwriting Manager, by phone (717) 736-4724 or email kwentz@pacounties.org.
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PELICAN Rates Set
At the January 26, 2016, Subscribers Advisory Committee (SAC) meeting, the PELICAN SAC made two major changes to the PELICAN program structure. They also maintained PELICAN's history of affordable, stable rates by leaving the skilled bed rate at $350 per bed for the fourth year in a row. The SAC also declared another $500,000 dividend for its membership as well as agreeing to continue to fund the highly successful Risk Control Prevention Grant project and offering another $5,000 to all of its members for safety improvement projects.
The first of the two major changes involves PELICAN's reinsurance. Since its inception in 2003, PELICAN has purchased excess insurance from Lloyd's of London. This partnership has been beneficial to both parties for a long time. However, with the recent changes PELICAN has been experiencing, it became evident that PELICAN needed to explore other options to continue to provide its customers a great product at an affordable price and also attract new business. To that end, the SAC agreed to end its relationship with Lloyd's and partner with MedPro. MedPro Group is Berkshire Hathaway's dedicated healthcare liability solution, and the nation's highest-rated medical malpractice carrier with an A.M. Best A++ rating. MedPro has always written hospitals and physicians, but they have recently gotten into the long term care business and have been busy building this book of business. MedPro's attractive rates and their ability to provide competitive rates (40% less than what PELICAN is currently charging) over the $1 million of primary coverage that PELICAN provides, made this a safe, reasonable decision for the SAC to make.
The other big decision that the SAC made was that it raised the self-insured retention (SIR) of the program from $250,000 to $500,000. The cost savings of raising the SIR to this level, compared to the additional exposure that this change would bring, made this an easy decision. Throughout its history, PELICAN has had a strong history of having very low claims experience, in terms of costs and number of losses, so absorbing the extra risk was not an issue for the SAC. And it helped to keep the bed rate at its current, competitive rate.
For more information on PELICAN or to inquire about a quote, contact Dave Harman, PELICAN Program Manager, by phone (717) 736-4731 or email dharman@pacounties.org.
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March is Workshop Season Time!
By Linda Rosito, Risk Management Training Director
The CCAP Insurance Programs will be offering a full slate of excellent training opportunities starting in March. This season we are offering sessions on reasonable drug suspicion, communication (Verbal Judo), prison risk management, workers' compensation as well as our new Safety Committee Workshop. For more information, please refer to the Glimpse Online portion of the CCAP website.
For a complete listing of our risk management trainings, dates and location, please see the chart below:
You should have already received your copy of the spring Glimpse training catalog. If you would like additional copies, please contact Linda Rosito.
We continue to collaborate with The Academy for Excellence in County Government and offer additional opportunities to fulfill your personal development required course as well as some elective credits.
As always, if you have any questions, please feel free to contact Linda Rosito, Risk Management Training Director at (717) 736-4728.
Thank you for your continued support of the CCAP Insurance Programs trainings! We look forward to seeing you this spring!
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Academy for Excellence Workshops
By: Mandi Glantz, Director of Member and Vendor Relations
The County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania (CCAP) and the CCAP Academy for
Excellence in County Government is pleased to announce two workshops being held April 21 - 22
at the CCAP Office in Harrisburg and open to all county elected officials and staff.
On Thursday, April 21, join us for the "Legal Issues" session with speakers Marie Milie Jones and
Jeffrey Cohen of JonesPassodelis, PLLC. Topics of discussion include: the litigation process;
employment issues; civil rights; municipal liability; and, more. This course is scheduled from 9
a.m. until 4 p.m. with lunch included. Participants in the CCAP Academy for Excellence in County
Government attend at no cost and will earn credit for the Legal Issues core course upon their full
participation at the event.
Friday, April 22, features the "Risk Management" session with speaker John Sallade, CRM, Managing Director, CCAP Insurance Programs. Topics of discussion include: contracts; claims; governmental immunity; safety, bonding and risk management; workers' compensation; unemployment compensation; and, controlling employee lawsuits. The course will run from 9 a.m. to noon. Lunch is not included. Participants in the CCAP Academy for Excellence in County Government attend at no cost and will earn credit for the Risk Management core course upon their full participation at the event.
The workshops are open to all county officials and staff. Associate members and other CCAP vendors are also invited to attend. Registered Academy participants may attend at no cost. The costs for non-Academy participants (CCAP members) vary. Other fees may apply for Academy graduates, associate members and other vendors. There is a multi-day discount available. The workshop fee includes refreshment breaks, lunch on Thursday only, and session materials on each day.
Seating is limited - please review the workshop details and register online or contact Mandi Glantz, Director of Member and Vendor Relations, by phone (717) 736 -4739 or email mglantz@pacounties.org.
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Nationwide Economics
Weekly Economic Review and Outlook
By: Nationwide
Still not seeing eye to eye
Inflation readings in January were higher than financial markets were expecting in a sign of further tightening of labor and products markets. The overall Consumer Price Index (CPI) was flat for the month, but the 12-month trend rate moved up to 1.4 percent as oil driven declines from a year ago were larger than more recent drops. More importantly, core CPI was up by 0.3 percent in January - pushing up the 12-month trend rate to 2.2 percent, the fastest pace since 2012. The uptrend in core inflation is consistent with the strong readings from the labor market(especially the recent uptick in wage growth) and tighter product markets in services. Furthermore, the January data show little sign of any downward pressure from falling crude oil prices on the underlying pace of inflation.
Future prices suggest that financial markets are expecting no further tightening moves by the Fed this year - presumably based on nonaccelerating inflation (perhaps even deflation) and an expectation of worse economic conditions (perhaps even a recession). However the inflation data clearly show an uptrend
while other recent reports suggest that growth is accelerating again in the first quarter. A continuation of these trends would pressure the Fed to tighten further, confounding current market expectations.
In other economic data, housing starts slipped to start 2016, falling modestly in January. Authorized permits, however, remained elevated and suggested a faster pace of building in coming months as the weather improves. The NAHB/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index dropped in January as well, as poor winter weather reduced homebuyer traffic. Still, with mortgage rates trending down again amid the uncertainty in financial markets, housing affordability remains high - likely supporting stronger housing sector growth later this year.
Equity markets moved higher last week, but are still down modestly so far in February. Treasury rates and crude oil were little changed for the week and are only slightly above recent lows.
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PA Department of Labor and Industry's Annual Workers' Compensation Conference
By: Jaime Deimler, PA Department of Labor and Industry, Bureau of Workers' Compensation
Pennsylvania's 15th Annual Workers' Compensation Conference will be held on May 16-17, 2016 at the Hershey Lodge and Convention Center.
Announcing Keynote Speakers, State Senators Mike Folmer and Daylin Leach on Medical Marijuana.
Experts in the field of workers' compensation, including representatives from the Bureau of Workers' Compensation, the Office of Adjudication, the Workers' Compensation Appeal Board, the insurance industry, employers, claimant and defense counsels, labor and the health care industry come together to share their knowledge and experience with the workers' compensation community. There were over 1,400 people in attendance at the 2015 conference. Each year's event includes knowledgeable and experienced speakers, respected in their field, who provide the latest information on Pennsylvania's workers' compensation program. Attendees may also visit with 100 vendors in the exhibit hall to learn about their workers' compensation-related goods and services.
Conference information, registration and a detailed agenda can be found by clicking here. |
Upcoming Events
2016 CCAP Spring Conference March 13-15, 2016 Harrisburg Hilton, Harrisburg Defensive Driving Course Workshop March 23, 2016, 8:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Best Western/Country Cupboard - Lewisburg
Controlling Workers' Compensation Costs Workshop March 24, 2016, 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. The Penn Stater Conference Center Hotel, State College
KEYS: Verbal Judo - Learning How to Create Results NOT Regrets Workshop March 29, 2016, 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. CCAP Office, Harrisburg
Safety Committee Workshop March 31, 2016, 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. CCAP Office, Harrisburg
Reasonable Drug Suspicion Workshop April 5, 2016, 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. Radisson Lackawanna Station Hotel
KEYS: Verbal Judo - Learning How to Create Results NOT Regrets Workshop April 5, 2016, 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. The Regional Learning Alliance (RLA) - Cranberry Township
CCAP Health Alliance Board Meeting April 8, 2016 CCAP Office, Harrisburg
Defensive Driving Course Workshop
April 12, 2016, 8:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. The Penn Stater Conference Center Hotel, State College
Reasonable Drug Suspicion Workshop April 12, 2016, 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. The Penn Stater Conference Center Hotel, State College
PCoRP Risk Management Workshop April 15, 2016, 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. CCAP Office, Harrisburg
Defensive Driving Course Workshop April 19, 2016, 8:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. The Regional Learning Alliance (RLA) - Cranberry Township
Reasonable Drug Suspicion Workshop
April 20, 2016, 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Best Western/Country Cupboard - Lewisburg
Academy Workshop - Legal Issues April 21, 2016 CCAP Office, Harrisburg
Academy Workshop - Risk Management
April 22, 2016
CCAP Office, Harrisburg
KEYS: Verbal Judo - Learning How to Create Results NOT Regrets Workshop
April 27, 2016, 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
CCAP Office, Harrisburg
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HOT TOPIC
Magisterial District Judges (MDJ) Bonds Several recent questions arose about the required bonds for Magisterial District Judges (MDJ's). The Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts (AOPC) has advised us that Rule 110 requires the bond, and the county pays for the bond. The cost is not reimbursed by AOPC. Additionally, the Rule requires the bond to name the individual MDJ. AOPC has advised us they will accept a blanket bond which would cover all the county's MDJ's but the bond needs to list the names of the MDJ's.
We have also received a question about whether a lack of a bond would strip the MDJ of authority or jurisdiction. We have been advised there does not appear to be authority indicating the bond (or lack thereof) impacts the MDJ's authority to sit on the bench. However, lack of a bond would raise audit issues.
For more information, contact Karen Cohen at CCAP.
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| Quote of the Month
"Progress is impossible without change,
and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything."
- George Bernard Shaw
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