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Specialty Lines
Little things do mean a lot. When you are selecting a gift for someone you really care about, you invest time and creativity to make it special, striving for the perfect gift. The same is true about customer service - if you really want to do it well, you are constantly seeking ways to do it better and knock the socks off your customers. And you live for those moments when that special person is so pleased with the gift you chose, or a customer notices your extra effort and comments on it.
These examples are of the single variety, when you focus your time and energy on one thing and make it special. What is harder to do is the constant messages we send to our family, friends and colleagues. These daily and sometimes hourly interactions also build up an impression, one which can either be positive or negative, and they can impact every reaction you receive from others.
If you are frequently negative, or overly critical, or just pessimistic, do you really think your ideas, suggestions and even directives will be well received? If you are kind, positive and helpful I'm betting the responses you get will be much different.
One of my pet peeves is when someone constantly lets you down, for example, not responding to requests for information, or returning phone calls or emails, and being late or last minute about everything, or even not delivering what they promised at all. And I really beat myself up when I slip up and do any of this, even by accident. When we do this, it makes it very hard for others to value our contributions. The message we send when we don't honor our commitments is that the person we are letting down is not valued.
Honor those promises you make, and in doing so you will honor the person you made them to.
Make sure you contact us when you need help with something,
John Sallade
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New Vermont Manager for PELICAN and COMCARE PRO
By: John Sallade, Managing Director, Insurance Programs
At their meetings last week in Vermont, both the PELICAN and the COMCARE PRO SACs (boards of directors) accepted a committee recommendation to appoint AIG's Vermont Captive Management office as the new captive manager for PELICAN and PRO. This change takes effect December 31, 2016, and will be for a three year contract.
Faced with significant proposed increases in costs from the incumbent captive manager, SRS, the two SACs asked staff to develop an RFP and solicit proposals for captive management services. Three members of the PELICAN SAC (including CCAP staff member Kelly Andrisano), one from the COMCARE PRO SAC and staff members Dave Harman, Desiree Nguyen and myself also served on the committee. We invited the top three finalists from the last RFP process from three years ago to submit proposals, along with SRS. The committee interviewed all four companies on Monday, August 22 in Burlington. The committee unanimously agreed that AIG was the best written and oral presentation, and a very competitive price. Other firms (USA Risk and Amethyst) were very close to AIG in price, and SRS reduced their proposed price slightly, but remained much more expensive.
I want to thank Dave Harman for his great work organizing and executing this project. Rusty Young, Vermont counsel to PELICAN and PRO, was very helpful.
I also want to emphasize that this change was solely about price. Service from SRS was excellent, and they have received the news of the decision very professionally and have committed to a smooth transition. AIG is very excited about their new clients, and is making plans to visit the CCAP office to meet our staff and begin the planning transition.
To be clear - we will continue to work with SRS through the end of 2016. In your interactions with them, it would be appropriate to thank them for the fine work they did for PELICAN and PRO.
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PCoRP 2017 Board Nomination Announced
The Nominating Committee of the Pennsylvania Counties Risk Pool (PCoRP) met in October to consider the nominations made by the PCoRP members for the six Board of Director positions up for election for 2017.
The nominations process was completed via an email notice to all members, and email submission of nominations, which were then reviewed by the Nominating Committee. The members of the Nominating Committee are the appointed members of the PCoRP Board:, Erick Coolidge, Tioga County commissioner and chair of the committee, Jamie Wolgemuth, Lebanon County chief clerk; Frank Staudenmeier, Schuylkill County commissioner; Bill Gaylord, Wyoming County chief clerk; Paul Crooks, Bedford County commissioner and Paul Conklin, Clinton County commissioner.
The committee received five nominations for the six positions. There was no nomination received for the 2A & 3rd Class Counties Representative, so that position becomes an At Large position as per the PCoRP Bylaws. The elected positions are two year terms (January 1, 2017 - December 31, 2018).
The PCoRP Nominating Committee has selected the following slate for election for 2017. As required by the PCoRP Bylaws, one name is submitted to the Delegates for each open position:
4th and 5th Class Counties Representative
Krista Davis (Centre County Risk Management Coordinator)
6th Class Counties Representative
Mark Sather (Huntingdon County Commissioner)
7th and 8th Class Counties Representative
Norm Wimer (Forest County Commissioner)
At Large Representatives
Dee Robinson (Union County Chief Clerk)
Mark Partner (Juniata County Commissioner)
After the annual membership meeting, the membership will once again be contacted seeking a representative to fill the At Large position.
Questions about the nomination process should be directed to
John Sallade.
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Calling all PCoRP Members
Membership Meeting, November 20, Hotel Hershey
Register now for the PCoRP Membership Meeting, the Sunday night of the CCAP Fall Conference. The dinner begins at 6 p.m. in the Castilian Room of the Hotel Hershey, and after dinner a brief membership meeting will be held, including election of board members, a review of the audit and the annual awards presentations.
Commissioners, Chief Clerks and Solicitors and their home rule county equivalents from PCoRP member counties are invited to attend, and bring a guest. Representatives of County Related Entities covered by PCoRP are also invited to attend, as are risk managers and other staff who work with PCoRP and PCoRP local insurance producers.
There is no charge to attend, but preregistration is required.
Click here to send us an email, and let us know who is attending, and their titles. *
Please RSVP by November 10, 2016.*
If you have any questions about the PCoRP Delegates Dinner Meeting, please contact
John Sallade.
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PIMCC Welcomes Mifflin County
By: Desiree J. Nguyen, Deputy Director, Insurance Pool Operations
A warm welcome to Mifflin County, who will be joining the CCAP PIMCC Program effective November 1. This brings PIMCC membership to 17 counties.
PIMCC is CCAP's medical cost management and educational program, dedicated to assisting county prisons with the containment of all costs relating to prison inmate medical expenses. Members include: Bradford, Carbon, Clarion, Columbia, Elk, Greene, Huntingdon, Lycoming, McKean, Montour, Perry, Potter, Susquehanna Tioga, Union and Wayne Counties.
To learn more about the PIMCC Program, contact Desiree Nguyen at (717) 736-4779 or
dnguyen@pacounties.org.
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PIMCC Board Meeting Update:
Rates for 2017 will remain unchanged!
The Board of Directors of the Prison Inmate Medical Cost Containment (PIMCC) Program met on October 14 at the CCAP office. The board received financial, operational and other updates.
The Board approved the 2017 operating budget and is pleased to report the rates and fees to counties for Act 22 and PIMCC Services will remain the same for 2017.
Questions regarding the PIMCC Program should be directed to
Desiree Nguyen at (717) 736-4779.
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PComp Introduces New Program - First Fill
By: Jean Henry, Risk Control Wellness Nurse
PComp introduced a new program, the
First Fill Program, in August 2016 to serve our members more efficiently.
The First Fill Program is a temporary pharmacy card used by the injured worker to fill their first prescriptions after a workplace injury or illness occurs. It allows the injured worker to simply present the CorVel First Fill Prescription Form to a participating pharmacy. There are no more out of pocket expenses or co-pays to the injured worker as long as they use their temporary pharmacy card to fill their first prescriptions within 30 calendar days from the reported date of injury.
The benefits of the program include:
- Only up to a 14-day supply of medication is dispensed, so you are not paying for extra medication.
- The injured worker must pick up their prescription before midnight on the day the card is activated, which means medications are started promptly and timely.
- Participating pharmacies dispense medications from an approved formulary.
- There are over 30 participating pharmacy chains.
- It allows PComp representatives time to contact the claimant to determine if they need a permanent prescription card for future needs.
- It is simple to use.
- The employee has no receipts or out of pocket expenses to deal with.
For questions or assistance, please contact your PComp representative or Risk Control Wellness Nurse.
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CCAP UC Trust Update:
2017 rates will decrease an average of 9.2%
The Board of Directors of the CCAP Unemployment Compensation Trust met on October 7 at the CCAP office. The board received financial, operational and other updates. As a result of continued overall decreases in unemployment benefit charges and general economic improvement compared to the last several years, the Board approved the actuary's recommendation for a 9.2 percent decrease in the total average contributions to the Trust.
The Board also renewed the contract with Mazzitti & Sullivan to continue providing the Employee Assistance Program for all Trust members, and approved the 2017 operating budget. The Board encourages all members to continue their education in risk management through onsite programs through CCAP, online training through Equifax and Local GovU.
Questions regarding the UC Trust and related training should be directed to Desiree Nguyen at (717) 736-4779 or
dnguyen@pacounties.org or Linda Rosito at (717) 736-4728 or
lrosito@pacounties.org.
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PELICAN Insurance Welcomes Two More Members: Membership up to 43 facilities
PELICAN Insurance RRG is very pleased to welcome its two newest members. On September 12, 2016, Loyalhanna Health Care Associates and on October 3, 2016, William Penn Health Care Associates joined. These two facilities are the first two for-profit facilities that PELICAN has written that are not strictly assisted-living facilities.
With the addition of these two facilities, this brings PELICAN's membership to 43!!! Welcome to both Loyalhanna and William Penn PELICAN is excited to have you.
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PELICAN Grant Project
A recently completed PELICAN grant project at
Pocopson Home in Chester County. The nursing home purchased an intercom system. This state of the art system adds another layer of security by allowing their employees to see and communicate with visitors before entering closed doors.
Thank you Jackie McKenna (Administrator of Popcopson Home) for sharing!
Photos provided couresy of Jackie McKenna, RD, LDN, NHA, Administrator of Popcopson 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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UC Trust Electronic Payment Requirement beginning January 1, 2017
ATTENTION Members of the CCAP UC Trust - this important information applies to you!
Pursuant to the
attached document from the Department of Labor & Industry, effective with the first 2017 quarterly benefit charge period, there is a new requirement to pay unemployment compensation contributions and reimbursement Statement of Accounts electronically. While we recognize the document requires these payments be submitted electronically if the total liability owed equals or exceeds $5,000 for a payment period, the Trust highly recommends that you submit payments electronically regardless of the payment amount. By doing so, UC Trust members will not need to track when the threshold amount of $5,000 is reached.
It is important to note, the Department of Labor & Industry can impose a penalty for failure to comply of ten percent of the payment, up to a maximum of $500 and a minimum of $25 per occurrence. Therefore, we strongly encourage you to comply with this upcoming requirement.
The Department of Labor & Industry has informed the UC Trust that this document will be mailed or emailed to the contact point you have designated with them, which in many cases will be Equifax. Therefore, please take the time to review the document, and as noted, should questions arise, contact the UC Employer Contact Center at (866) 403-6163 weekdays from 8:00 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. Eastern Standard Time. Additionally, questions related to any information you submit to CCAP should be directed to Sara Hazelton at (717) 736-4772 or
shazelton@pacounties.org.
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New FAA Drone Regulations - Part 107
At the end of October, 2016, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) released new regulations concerning Unmanned Aircraft Systems, also known as drones. These revisions typically apply to "civil" operations, but interpretations by the FAA will allow counties to operate under the changes in most instances.
The most significant revision is the inclusion of Part 107. This allows pilots (operators) and counties to forego the cumbersome and lengthy process of obtaining a Certificate of Waiver (COA). Individuals are now permitted to take an aeronautical proficiency exam in lieu of a COA provided they are at least 16 years old. The exam consists of 60 questions and a minimum passing grade is 70%. Testing is conducted at a FAA approved center and costs $150.00. After successful completion of the exam, the "pilot" must then apply to the FAA for a Remote Pilot in Charge certificate. The certificate is usually issued one week to ten days after submission. The certificate is good for two years and then the pilot must go through the process again.
My previous articles addressed the COA process, which outlines aircraft and pilot restrictions (55 pound weight limit, daylight operations, etc.). These restrictions remain in place and apply equally to Part 107. If there is any deviation from those restrictions, then a COA is must be obtained before flight operations.
There are advantages and disadvantages to both the COA and Part 107.
Under the COA, which typically takes three to six months to obtain, the county is issued permission to fly and self-certifies their pilots. So if a pilot leaves the county, the county may self-certify another pilot.
Under Part 107, once the exam is passed, the certificate is usually issued within seven to ten business days. However, the Remote Pilot in Charge certificate stays with the pilot. If the pilot leaves the county, no one is permitted to fly until another certificate is issued.
Law enforcement use of drones is a major grey area. Law enforcement typically cannot be considered a "civil" operation. Therefore, it appears a COA must be obtained for these types of operations.
The FAA is planning on releasing more revisions to their regulations in the near future. Supposedly, they are considering allowing nighttime flights and operations over populated areas under limited circumstances. We will keep you informed of these changes as they are released.
In the meantime, if you have any questions regarding drone regulations, please contact the CCAP Risk Control Department at (800)-895-9039; or email us at:
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Keith Wentz,
Risk Management & Underwriting Manager
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kwentz@pacounties.org
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Maureen McMahon, Risk Control Specialist
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Andrew Smith, Risk Control Specialist
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Dennis Cutler, Senior Risk Control Specialist
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dcutler@pacounties.org
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Fall is here and the leaves are changing, but is your organization prepared for the winter?
With U.S. Communities, you can immediately utilize our competitively-solicited contracts to start preparing for the snow, ice and freezing conditions. Look no further, take advantage of U.S.
Communities' cold weather solutions and be prepared for the cold weather ahead.
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Nationwide Partners with York County
By: Emanuel Mahand, Nationwide Program Director
Making a sound decision about Social Security benefits is critical for ensuring your employees financial security in retirement. Additionally, increasing healthcare costs are becoming a greater concern for employees in planning for retirement. Nationwide Retirement Plans is partnering with counties in Pennsylvania to provide education and information regarding Social Security and healthcare.
On September 14, 2016, York County hosted a Social Security workshop for their employees with approximately 75 employees in attendance. "Nationwide Retirement Institute" provides dedicated consultants who are specialized in Social Security and healthcare (to include Medicare) in helping individuals gain a better understanding regarding Social Security's: lifetime retirement income, payments indexed for inflation, certain spousal and survival benefits, and preferential tax treatment.
If you are interested in providing a social security or healthcare workshop for your employees, please contact your local Nationwide Retirement Specialist or Emanuel Mahand (Program Director) at (609) 923-8859 or
mahande@nationwide.com.
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New CCAP Associate Members
Please join us in welcoming the following new associate members to CCAP.
Conrad Siegel is a full service employee benefits firm largely focused on retirement plan operations, health and welfare plans, and postretirement medical plans. We specialize in all facets of plan design, funding and accounting analysis, risk analysis, compliance and reporting, plan benefit administration, and investment advisory services. We offer customized employee communication tools to help participants access their benefits and progress toward a more secure retirement.
Law
Margolis Edelstein has been serving the interests of individuals, insurers and commercial enterprises for over 50 years. With nine offices serving all of Delaware, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and West Virginia, the firm has represented parties regionally and nationally in virtually every aspect of the law including liability, toxic torts, transportation, labor, surety and professional exposures. Our firm has earned the Martindale-Hubble legal ability rating of AV, signifying "very high to preeminent," the highest rating available. Members of the firm have participated and presented in many CLM events as well as other industry associations including the Defense Research Institute (DRI), the Federation of Defense & Corporate Counsel (FDDC) and the Professional Liability Underwriting Society (PLUS). We welcome your inquiry.
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2017 Center for Excellence in County Leadership (CEL)
CCAP is pleased to present the 2017
Center for Excellence in County Leadership (CEL) program to help county officials develop a professional culture for county government. Strong leadership is essential to county success and future growth. The CEL Program offers county commissioners or council members, chief clerks, county administrators and solicitors in Pennsylvania's 67 counties the opportunity to be immersed in an intensive leadership curriculum which will enhance personal and professional growth. The program features curriculum including managerial versatility, interpersonal dynamics, crisis communication, media management, problem solving, decision making and more.
The two and a half-day intensive program will be held at the CCAP office in Harrisburg on June 14 - 16, 2017. We invite you to explore this exciting educational opportunity offered exclusively by the
County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania (CCAP). Participation is available to one eligible person per county per year, with a maximum of 16 participants per year. Application is required by January 15, 2017 to be considered for participation in the June 2017 session.
More detailed information and an application are available on the
CEL homepage or
brochure and application.
We invite you to be involved in this exciting program!
Please feel free to contact CCAP directly with questions.
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Upcoming Events
CCAP Deferred Compensation Advisory Committee Meeting
November 17, 2016
CCAP Office, Harrisburg
2016 CCAP Fall Conference
November 20-22, 2016
The Hotel Hershey, Hershey
Annual PCoRP Delegates Dinner
November 20, 2016
The Hotel Hershey, Hershey
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Annual Local Government Day
On April 12, 2017, the Department of Community & Economic Development will hold their annual Local Government Day celebration to present the Governor's Awards for Local Government Excellence.
Attached you will find a "postcard" for parties interested in submitting a nomination for consideration.
For more information about this event email Joann M. Flanagan.
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HOT TOPICS: Annual Applications
It is that time of year, when the county gets applications for renewal of insurance coverages which take effect in 2017. For example, the PCoRP application (property and liability insurance) will be sent to members and their local producers in November. We've tried to keep our application as compact as possible, and it can be almost completely filled out electronically. But we wanted to remind you why applications are important.
Overall, the application is really how you "sell" your county to the insurer. The better information you provide, the more accurate your pricing will be.
But the key point is that everything you need to have insured needs to be on the application! If you have a program, board, special project, new building or renovated building, make sure the insurer knows about it on the application. Don't try to save money by not including something, or undervaluing it - because if a claim occurs, you might find yourself with not enough insurance coverage.
For example, the PCoRP application contains a detailed section about agencies, boards and commissions (the ABC form). We want to know what entities you would like to have covered as part of the county's operations. Some are easy - the prison board, pension board and other boards that are composed of county employees and officials. But every county does things a little differently. Some want coverage for the Conservation District, because the district's employees are county employees, and in other counties the district is a separate entity and is not part of the county's insurance.
Make sure you work on the application with your local insurance producer. They can help explain the insurance terminology you might not be familiar with, things such as coverage for business interruption and extra expense.
For more information, contact
Karen Cohen at CCAP.
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Quote of the Month
"Put your heart, mind, and soul into even your smallest acts. This is the secret of success."
-SWAMI SIVANANDA
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