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Specialty Lines
How is it possible that it is September, and budget season? Does it feel to you that we do the same thing, year after year, in the same way? I hope not. While there is a comfort in the known, there is also opportunity. I like to encourage myself and others to make it even better this time around. Let's discover new ways to help our members, or to make the process better. That may mean making it easier, or updating things to recognize new realities. It also helps to involve some new people - don't be afraid they will upset your finely tuned applecart - maybe that's for the best. Other perspectives can often provide the stimulation to build on the great process you already have in place.
This year we have lots of new commissioners, council members and county staff, and it will be their first time through the wonders of the county budget process. Help them out, and hear them out.
Here are my thoughts about insurance related costs for your budget. This is always a tough call, as what really matters most is how your county is doing compared to prior years. Do you have more property, employees, vehicles, work comp claims, etc.? Take that into consideration. If you've had a good run of low claims, that will help. We are headed into the annual pricing meetings for PComp and the UC Trust. I suspect overall prices will remain flat, or very close to flat. For PComp there could be a slight rate increase as claims continue to roll in. For the UC Trust you can safely bet on pricing being the same. For both, keep in mind your payroll will go up for 2017, so increase your budget line for the insurance accordingly.
PCoRP renews June 1, so that is a tougher call. After several years of flat rates, I would not be surprised to see a small rate increase. PELICAN's addition of 21 new members brings some financial certainty to the program, and I think the PELICAN rates, which take effect March 1, will remain flat.
Health insurance costs, as always, are the biggest challenge. The CCAP Health Alliance is doing well, adding new members, and the DVHT trust which administers the pool is also seeing steady results. Depending on which article you read, it looks like general health insurance premiums (non-ACA coverage) will average between nine and 11 percent increases, but prescription drug costs could go up as much as 18 percent. We do not yet have the info needed for an estimate of the Health Alliance member's rates for 2017, but will pass that information along to you as soon as possible. Dividends should continue from PCoRP, PComp and the UC Trust. PComp's will be announced soon, once the state reviews our request, and then distributed in late September or early October. PCoRP's will be announced in November at the annual meeting of the members, and distributed in early December. The UC Trust already issued dividends in May of this year, and will probably do so again in May 2017. The CCAP Health Alliance has just announced year end credits to its members. Hope this all helps with your budget process for 2017! Make sure you contact us when you need help with something,
John Sallade |
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The New Realities of County Risk Management
The September/October issue of CCAP's County News magazine will be out soon, and the theme is county risk management. This issue contains articles on drones, what risk managers do, historic property coverage, child welfare issues in a post-Sandusky world, claims reporting, safety committees, health insurance trends and much more! The magazine will be sent to all counties, and also will be posted on the CCAP website.
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PELICAN Grant Dollars at Work
As result of PELICAN grant funds, DuBois Nursing Home was able to install new flooring to assist with better mobility for the residents.
Photos provided couresy of Becky Nesbit, MS NHA, DuBois Nursing Home.
Showcase the projects your county has completed with the assistance of PCoRP, PComp and PELICAN grant money. Email us at insurance@pacounties.org. Please include photo(s) and a short write up and we will feature it in the next edition of Insurance Matters.
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What is in your Wellness Program?
By: Jean Henry, RN, Risk Control Wellness Nurse Wellness programs have grown to be more than just offering the annual flu shot. They supplement traditional health insurance benefits, offering a variety of ways for employees to take responsibility and ownership of their health by adopting a healthier lifestyle while ultimately chipping away at health care costs. Most programs focus on prevention, management and early detection.
Prevention and Management Programs
Obesity rates are on the rise and a primary risk factor for heart disease, hypertension, diabetes and musculoskeletal problems. People hate to hear this, but losing weight, even ten pounds, is beneficial in the prevention and management of these health issues. Therefore, many wellness prevention programs target weight loss and management and increased physical activity to help employees manage or prevent these health issues. And yes, still offer that free annual flu shot.
Early Detection Programs
These work with prevention and management programs to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Employees are encouraged to get annual health, cancer, heart and stroke screenings. Often, a medical condition, such as cancer or high blood pressure, is detected early with regular medical check-ups. Early detection and diagnosis decreases the chance of further damage and increases the chance of a full recovery.
It is up to the county to decide what types of individual programs are the right fit for their employees and their county to encourage participation and adoption of better, healthier habits to promote overall well-being and employee engagement. Many programs have little or no cost such as weekly lunch time walks that promote physical activity, changing the snack selections in the vending machines or bringing a farmer's market to the parking lot every Friday. Some health insurance carriers provide lunch and learns with health educators speaking on topics such as nutrition, exercise, heart health and diabetes. They might also offer incentives to join health clubs or weight management programs with discounts and reimbursements. Don't miss out on free opportunities.
Employee buy in and participation are key to a successful wellness program. Ideas to increase attendance and to promote your program include:
- Survey employees regularly regarding participation and programming
- Make programming convenient, such as over the lunch hour
- Bring smoking cessation, weight, stress and financial management programs to the office for individual or group sessions
- Promote health insurance provider financial incentives, such as gym membership discounts
- Utilize posters and electronic notifications for events, importance of health screenings, special discounts and reimbursement programs
- Offer affordable incentives, such as wellness or dress down days, or logo water bottles
- When able, include family members
- Make it fun - tournaments, contests, prizes and pot lucks are always a hit
Healthy employees cost you less. Active program participation will improve worker productivity and morale, reduce absenteeism and turnover, reduce stress, decrease prescription drug usage and over time, reduce individual health care costs and insurance premiums. For assistance with your wellness programming, please contact PComp Risk Control Wellness Nurse, Jeanie Henry at jhenry@pacounties.org. |
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Fall Workshop Season is Coming Soon!
By: Linda Rosito, Insurance Training Director The fall workshop season is finally here. We have a great training season lined up for the Fall. Topics include measuring your stress, dealing with difficult people, interest arbitration, risk transfer, defensive driving and our always popular Excellent Supervisor Seminars and Prison Personnel Workshop. As a reminder, most of the workshops are FREE to attend if your county is a member of the sponsoring Insurance Programs. To check if your county is a member of the sponsoring program, please refer to Glimpse Online and CCAP Insurance Programs Member Listing. The CCAP Insurance Programs continues to collaborate with the Academy for Excellence in County Government. Please refer to our website for additional information on co-sponsored events. These workshops are FREE to current Academy participants. In addition to the partnership with the Academy the CCAP Insurance Programs is also working with our affiliate, the Juvenile Detention Centers and Alternative Programs (JDCAP), to offer a session on the Prison Rape Elimination Act. We are also working with the Technology Department at CCAP to offer a session on Cyber Security. Here is a quick look at the upcoming fall workshop season. Mark your calendars!
| SEPTEMBER | | 8 | Defensive Driving Course - Lewisburg | | 8 | Excellent Supervisor Seminar - Cranberry Twp. | | 13 | Defensive Driving Course - Scranton | | 14 | Excellent Supervisor Seminar - Scranton | | 15 | KEYS: Measuring Your Stress - CCAP | | 20 | KEYS: Collective Bargaining and Interest Arbitration - Cranberry Twp. | | 21 | Excellent Supervisor Seminar - State College | | 27 | KEYS: Measuring Your Stress - Lewisburg | | 28 | Prison Medical Management - CCAP |
| OCTOBER | | 4 | KEYS: Measuring Your Stress - Scranton | | 5 | Dealing with Customer Service Challenges - CCAP | | 6 | Safety Workshop | | 11 | PREA Workshop | | 12 | KEYS: Measuring Your Stress - Cranberry Twp. | | 13 | Defensive Driving Course - State College | | 13 | Dealing with Customer Service Challenges - State College | | 17 | Cyber Security Forum - CCAP | | 18 | KEYS: Collective Bargaining and Interest Arbitration - CCAP | | 20 | Dealing with Customer Service Challenges - Lewisburg | | 25 | Dealing with Customer Service Challenges - Scranton | | 27 | Annual Producers Meeting - CCAP | | 28 | County Risk Managers Council - CCAP |
| NOVEMBER | | 3 | Prison Personnel Workshop - CCAP | | 10 | KEYS: Risk Transfer Workshop | | 16 | County Risk Managers Council - Cranberry Twp. |
If you need additional copies, please let us know.As always, if you have any questions, please feel free to contact Linda Rosito at (800) 895-9039 x 3328. We hope to see you this fall!
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CCAP Fall Workshops Hosted by the Academy for Excellence in County GovernmentBy: 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 September 15 and 16 at the Ramada Conference Center in State College, PA and open to all county elected officials and staff. On Thursday, September 15, 2016, join us for the "Personnel and Labor Relations" session with speaker Christopher Gabriel, Attorney at Law, Campbell Durrant Beatty Palombo & Miller, P.C. Topics of discussion include: fundamentals of public sector bargaining; managing requests for medical leave; handling employees who are absent due to medical issues; fundamentals of employee discipline for counties; and, more. This course is scheduled from 9:30 a.m. until 3:30 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 Personnel and Labor Relations core/required course upon their full participation at the event. The course has also been approved for five CLE credits with the Pennsylvania Continuing Legal Education Board. Friday, September 16, 2016, features the "Financial Management" session with speakersJohn Molloy, CFA, Managing Director, PFM; Brian Sanker, Senior Managing Consultant, PFM; Carolyn Barth Sylvan, Senior Managing Consultant, PFM; and, Seth Williams, Senior Managing Consultant, PFM. Topics of discussion include: economic update; infrastructure financing trends; challenges and opportunities in child welfare finance; the budget case for criminal justice systems reviews; employee retirement plans; and, rising interest rate environments. The course will run from 9 a.m. to 3 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 Financial Management core/required 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 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:
Housing back on track
Weekly Economic Review and Outlook
By: Nationwide Retirement SolutionsWeek in ReviewOverall inflation readings were tepid in July as the Consumer Price Index (CPI) was unchanged for the month primarily due to declining energy prices. The 12-month trend inflation rate ticked down to 0.8 percent - the slowest pace of the year and little changed since February.
Most estimates at the start of the year expected inflation to trend higher in 2016 as year-over-year comparisons of energy prices turned increasingly upward and a tighter labor market spurred stronger wage growth. Instead, energy prices have fluctuated within a narrow price band while food prices have pulled back. As a result, the upward momentum in the core CPI (which excludes the food and energy components) has been much stronger than headline inflation. While the monthly gain in the core CPI slowed in July to 0.1 percent, the 12-month trend core inflation rate has been at or above 2.0 percent each month since November 2015 and trending higher. The minutes from the July FOMC meeting implied a split amongst committee members regarding trends in inflation. One camp views core inflation as steadily firming amid growing wage pressure and reduced trickle-down effects from lower energy costs. This stance would encourage sooner rate hikes to avoid overshooting on price growth.
The Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland's median CPI (which reduces the inherent monthly volatility of the
overall index without ignoring the impact of food and energy prices) also shows a stronger pace of underlying inflation - rising to an expansion of 2.55 percent in July.
On the other side, wage growth remains below average for an expansion while downside risks to the forecast remain due to lower inflation expectations. This would support a "wait-and-see" approach to monetary policy, at least for the near term. Our expectation continues to be that the Fed will remain cautious, allowing inflation to run above their goal, if need be, to avoid disrupting the still-modest economic expansion.
In other economic news, housing starts were upbeat in July, rising to an annualized pace of 1.21 million units. Multifamily units have led growth the past two months after falling off sharply in the first quarter. Building permits, meanwhile, remain elevated and suggest further gains ahead for new home construction.
Growth in industrial production was strong in July. Manufacturing output expanded at the fastest pace in a year, signaling further improvement for the sector even as the strong dollar remains a drag on exports.
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Nationwide Workshops
Nationwide Retirement Plans has partnered with counties in Pennsylvania to provide educational workshops in helping employees plan for retirement!
On Tuesday, August 23, Erie County hosted a "Women & Retirement" workshop for their female employees. During the workshop, attendees gained valuable information and insights on financial matters that impact women. The workshop reviewed information regarding: Social Security Benefits, Understanding Investing, Deferred Compensation Program and Planning for Retirement.
If you are interested in providing this workshop or other workshops (see attachment) for your employees, please contact your local representative or Emanuel Mahand, Program Director, by phone at (609) 923-8859 or by email at mahande@nationwide.com.
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Upcoming Events
September 8-9, 2016
Valley Forge Casino Resort
PCoRP Board Meeting
September 9, 2016
Bedford Springs Hotel, Bedford
PComp Renewal Meeting
September 23, 2016
CCAP Office
COMCARE PRO Subscribers' Meeting
September 29, 2016
CCAP Office
UC Trustees Board Meeting
October 7, 2016
CCAP Office PIMCC Board Meeting October 14, 2016 CCAP Office Annual Producers Meeting October 27, 2016 CCAP Office
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HOT TOPICS: Claims ReportingIn the upcoming issue of CCAP's County News there is a good article by Ethan Nicholson and the CCAP claims staff on the value of timely claims reporting. He provides a chart showing the added cost of claims which are reported late, and it is pretty compelling. The sooner we know about a lawsuit, work comp claim or any other incident which could be a claim, the sooner we can start assessing the situation and determining next steps. We often get asked, "should I report this?" I can tell you that the answer is hardly ever no. There just is no downside to reporting something, even if you are not sure it will ever result in a claim, and the added costs or delays if you don't report the matter promptly, far outweigh the effort needed to report the claim, especially with a quick online claims submission. And there is no cost to report something which could become a claim, and it does not impact your insurance costs until it becomes a claim. In other words, it is fine to have lots of "incident only" claims on your loss run reports! In fact, it shows that you are paying attention! It will also make your loss runs much more valuable to your risk manager and safety committee. If you can spot trends of incident only reports - for example everyone seems to be slipping on the parking lot next to the administration building - you might be able to fix a problem before a costly claim occurs. For more information, contact Karen Cohen at CCAP.
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Quote of the Month
"My biggest fear is mindlessly and stupidly repeating myself."
-John Lydon
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