Small Business Update On March 27, 2020, President Trump signed the “Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act,” also known as the CARES Act. Included in this unprecedented economic relief package is the Paycheck Protection Program that provides $350 billion of assistance to small businesses to help them keep their employees on payroll and cover important expenses through a forgivable loan program. Here are some of the highlights: · Companies with fewer than 500 employees can obtain loans of up to $10 million, with the size of the loan based on a business’s average monthly payroll for 2.5 months. ·…
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Cyber Security – COVID-19 Scams Cybercriminals have been extorting businesses, organizations and individuals since the creation of the Internet. Preying on the average person’s inexperience with IT, cybercriminals continue to adapt in their quest to trick and deceive. Although there has been substantial threat for the past few decades, the recent and on-going COVID-19 pandemic has chummed the waters for the hungry hackers. The effects from COVID-19 have fashioned a brand new, easily penetrable niche for cybercriminals. These groups and individuals are using the fear, uncertainty, and lack of education about the virus as ammunition and bait. Understanding the…
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In accordance with recommended procedures and guidelines from the CDC, NCDHHS, and other government agencies, Insurance People is practicing social distancing by transitioning agency operations to Work From Home. Insurance People will continue to operate at normal hours and provide the same unparalleled customer service. With this being said, we ask that you please be patient during this transition as technical difficulties may arise. We hold our clients to the utmost importance. During these times of uncertainty, we want to reassure our clients that Insurance People will continue to go above and beyond to meet their needs. At Insurance…
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Insurance People of North Carolina partnered with the Institute of WorkComp Professionals to train our agents to become leaders in the field of Workers’ Compensation insurance. Armed with the knowledge and skills that go beyond insurance coverage procurement, our team members earned the title of Certified Work Comp Advisor (CWCA). Today, there are currently more than 800 certified members across the country. The entire goal of a CWCA is to help frustrated employers take back control of their Workers’ Compensation insurance. Employers are frustrated because their premiums are skyrocketing, their process isn’t in control, and their coverage confuses them. Due…
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INSURED - Trucking Company SITUATION - High rate and large number of employee injuries – $800,000 premium ASSESSMENT - No return-to-work program. Analyzed claims and showed employer the true cost of the insurance company paying indemnity to injured employees. SOLUTION - After reviewing the return-to-work options, the trucking company decided to no longer outsource its security guard function, but make it a “transitional duty” job. Injured workers sit in the booth and collect paper work from incoming trucks. Another light duty job involves scanning the bar codes of boxes as they pass on a conveyor belt. By putting a chair…
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INSURED - The business is a local hauler that handles towing risks. It has 25 employees and does approximately $1.5 million per year in business. SITUATION - Following an audit of the insured’s Workers’ Comp policy, the company was charged an additional premium of $46,000. The company paid the first installment of the additional premium – $26,000 – and was now being called upon to make the second installment of $20,000. ASSESSMENT - A CWCA who has been working with the insured for a number of years reviewed his client’s coverage and performed his own audit of the policy. He…
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INSURED - A large multi-state owner/developer of residential and commercial property. SITUATION - The company was using a large insurance agency/broker who was having difficulty managing the company’s claims in a multi-state environment. This complexity requires expertise as well as the time and resources to provide an adequate service level. Unable to get a handle on the Mod credits, the Experience Mod was beginning to climb. ASSESSMENT - CWCAs conducted an analysis and discovered numerous errors in the reporting of the data to the various state rating boards that were not being closely monitored. The company signed a BOR agreement…
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INSURED - This printing company employs 85-90 people and has revenues estimated at $15 million. SITUATION - The employer was witnessing an increase in its Experience Mod and annual premiums. ASSESSMENT - The employer became increasingly dissatisfied with their current carrier because they felt their audits were incorrect. Recognizing the need to have an expert review of the audit, the employer turned to CWCAs. The CWCAs discovered that not only were employees misclassified, but the business itself was misclassified. They also had a higher than average number of injuries despite a formal safety program that even met state certification and…
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INSURED - The insured is a residential plumbing contractor with 265 employees. SITUATION - The company was in a transitional stage causing a higher-than-average claims activity. The result was a large number of open claims that included indemnity and an Experience Mod of .98 and rising. ASSESSMENT - CWCAs reviewed the situation and realized that the Experience Mod was being driven up not only by the number of claims, but also by the number of malingering claims that were not successfully closed. In fact, because there was no injury management process in place, 80% of the lingering claims included indemnity.…
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INSURED - The insured is a large oil company making deliveries to area businesses, including five convenient stores/service stations that it owns. The company has 40 employees and estimated annual revenues in excess of $50 million. SITUATION - Following an audit, the insurance company attempted to charge the company for higher job classifications even though the number of employees nor the type of work had not changed. ASSESSMENT - CWCAs reviewed all audit worksheets. After a careful review and discussion of the situation with the head of the company, it was determined that there were two employees who had been…
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