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You’re single and have many things on your mind—moving up the ladder in your career, investing for the future, relationships, and the list goes on. Something that you might not be thinking about, but should be, is life insurance.

If you’re like many single people, you likely assume that life insurance is for married couples and those with kids. While it is true that not all single people need life insurance, here are six reasons why life insurance could make good sense for you:

1. Student loan debt
   While it’s true that student loans through the federal government are discharged if you were to die, personal loans that have a cosigner are usually not. If your parents co-signed your loan through a bank, they would be responsible for paying the rest of the loan if something happened to you. The bank may even call for the loan to be paid in full immediately after a death, leaving your parents to deal with grief and loan payments.
   
   
2. Living with your significant other
   Living together means sharing the financial responsibilities. You probably need two incomes to pay the rent (or mortgage), utilities, taxes, and other living expenses. Think ahead to the possibility of one of you dying prematurely. Would the other partner be able to maintain a similar lifestyle on one paycheck? Or would the apartment have to be abandoned or the house sold? Life insurance may be the only way to create an estate immediately, offering an easy answer to those questions.
   
   
3. Lock in a low price now
   You’re young and healthy. Your age and your health will mostly determine how much you’ll pay for life insurance. It makes good financial sense to lock in a low price if you have both of these right now. A healthy 30-year-old non-smoker can get a 20-year $250,000 term life insurance policy for about $20 a month. Remember, if you wait until you believe life insurance is a necessity, your age and any health issues that have developed will make the insurance more expensive—or impossible - to get.
   
   
4. Lock in your insurability now
   You plan on having kids in the future. Statistically, it costs nearly $250,000 to raise a child to age 18. And that’s not factoring in the cost of college. You may not be thinking about this right now, but when the kids arrive, they bring with them additional bills and expenses. Purchasing life insurance now means you have coverage in place for when you do have a child, and you have protected your insurability for the future.
   
   
5. Others may need your support
   You know now you’ll be taking care of family members in the future. You may need to provide financial support to aging parents or a special-needs sibling. Think about what would happen if your support disappeared with your death. Life insurance can ensure that there is money in place to fund those needs into the future. In cases like these, permanent life insurance, as opposed to term insurance, might be a better choice. Talk to an agent for details on the difference between the two policies.
   
   
6. It can pay for your funeral
   With the average cost of a funeral at over $7,000, you don’t want to leave the burden of paying for it to your parents, partner, or other family members. No one, especially young and single adults, likes to think about such things, but the truth is if you die without life insurance, someone you care about will likely end up paying for your funeral.

We Make Life Insurance Easy - Just Click or Call! 

Getting life insurance doesn’t have to be an overwhelming process. Contact American Insuring Group online or call us at (800) 947-1270 or (610) 775-3848, and we’ll walk you through your options—at no cost to you.

Our independent agents will compare plans from competing life insurance providers to craft a quality life insurance plan at the right price. Contact us today to get started!

Many workers’ compensation insurance claims are filed as a result of back injuries, and the majority of these injuries come about because employees are not using the correct techniques for lifting.

Proper lifting methods could eliminate most, if not all, of the workers compinsurance claims associated with back injuries. Teaching these techniques needs to be part of any company’s safety program.

6 Lifting Mistakes to Avoid

Here are six of the most common mistakes your workers might be making while lifting objects and suggestions for lifting them safely:

1. Bending the back.
   Employees who lift with their back bent and their legs straight are inviting a back injury. In fact, this common mistake in lifting is actually the exact opposite of the correct method. Proper lifting is done with a straight back and bent knees, allowing the body to be closer to the object. In this way the worker is using the strength of the legs instead of straining a bent back to lift the object.
   
2. Holding the object away from the body.
   If what they are attempting to lift is dirty or greasy, employees may hold the object away from their body in order to keep themselves clean. This may make sense for their appearance, but it is a sure recipe for a back injury. Workers must be trained to keep the object they are lifting close to the body—even if it is not very heavy—to avoid straining the back.
   
   
3. Twisting while lifting.
   When lifting something from the floor to a higher level, employees will many times position themselves parallel to the shelf or table on which they will place it. This forces them to twist their body in order to set it down after they have lifted it. Using a safer technique, the worker would turn to face the higher level before attempting to lift the object, allowing the object to be lifted and placed without any twisting.
   
   
4. Losing balance while lifting.
   Workers can lose their balance in a number of ways. Having the feet too close together, picking up something that is too heavy, or attempting to lift an irregular shaped object are just a few of the causes that lead to loss of balance. Workers must be trained to place their feet at least shoulder width apart and to seek help when lifting heavy or awkward objects.
   
   
5. Contorting the body in cluttered areas.
   Sometimes the load to be lifted is surrounded by other objects that prevent the worker from making a safe and proper lift. Workers who contort the body to make a lift under these conditions are asking for a back injury. Workers should be taught to move the surrounding objects away before attempting to lift their object. A clear pathway and surrounding area are essential to a safe lift.
   
   
6. Failure to coordinate the lift with others.
   If two or more employees are attempting to lift an object when a forklift is not an option, clear communication is needed. Make sure everyone involved in the lift knows where they will be grasping the object, its intended destination, and exactly when they will lift to object. Not only can this prevent back injuries, but smashed toes and pinched fingers may be avoided as well.

Avoid Workers Comp Claims with Our Lifting Techniques Checklist

Remember, you can keep your workers safe and avoid workers’ compensation claims by training them to use proper lifting techniques including:

1. Keep the back straight during a lift
2. Bend the knees
3. Place the feet at least shoulder width apart
4. Keep the load close to the body
5. Avoid twisting the body during the lift
6. Ask for help when it’s obviously needed 

Keeping these techniques in mind will keep your workers safe and minimize back injuries; thereby, saving you on the cost of workers’ compensation insurance.

Get the Right PA Workers Compensation Insurance

For more information about workers compensation insurance, contact American Insuring Group online or call us at (800) 947-1270 or (610) 775-3848. We offer plans from competing providers, so we're positioned to help you find the right insurance and the right price. Contact us today to get started.

Opioid use and misuse by workers has become a major concern for employers and their workers’ compensation managers.

An increasing number of injured workers are being prescribed these powerful and addictive drugs to alleviate pain, but frequently the opioid use results in extended disability and additional medical issues for claimants. The overuse of these prescription painkillers is burdening the workers’ compensation system by increasing the cost of each insurance claim. 

These startling workers compensation insurance statistics attest to this:

• Average cost of a claim without opioids: $13,000
• Average cost of a claim with a short-acting opioid, such as Percocet: $39,000 (I.e., triple)
• Average cost of a claim with long-acting narcotic, like OxyContin: $117,000 (I.e., 10x)

Adding to the costs, workers’ compensation insurers are now being compelled to pay for prescriptions of buprenorphine and naltrexone, two drugs that are used to wean workers off these addictive opioids.

Opiod Abuse: A Growing Problem

State governments, insurers, and an assortment of workers’ comp stakeholders have been obliged to contend with the issue of opioid usage by injured workers in varying degrees through myriad methods. But pinning down the problem has proved to be as difficult as correcting the problem of opioid abuse itself.

Utilization of statewide databases that track opioid prescriptions, finding and punishing overprescribing doctors, and stricter controls in management provider networks are some of the solutions states have adopted - or are considering - to tackle this complex problem.

And, as opioid abuse continues to grow, it’s gotten the attention of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 

“It’s a big problem, and it’s a growing problem,” said Dr. Leonard J. Paulozzi, a medical epidemiologist with CDC’s National Center for Injury Prevention & Control, which has been studying the impact of opioid overdoses, and the problem of overuse. Paulozzi views the drug problem as being potentially more prevalent among the injured worker population.

“There’s an awful lot of back injuries in the workers’ comp population and subsequent surgery related to back problems, and back pain is one of the most common indications now of use of opioids in the United States,” he said. “And it’s being used frequently for back pain and it’s being used long-term for back pain.” 

Education and communication are essential

Workers’ compensation managers are fighting a prescription drug epidemic, and the stakes are high. Failure to wage an effective battle can lead to unfortunate consequences:

• Increased costs from protracted disability, medical care, and treatment
• Increased case valuation and settlement costs, which deplete financial reserves
• Increased possibility of deaths and drug overdoses

In order for claims managers to be effective in controlling costs that result in higher workers compensation insurance premiums, they may need to seek outside help. Many are now forming partnerships with various Pharmacy Benefits Management companies that have specific expertise in effecting change. Communication is the first step:

• Educate the injured workers directly about the importance of safe treatment
• Communicate with physicians, explaining all concerns regarding opioid-based prescription drugs
• Post bulletins warning of the dangers of prescription painkillers

Good communication yields encouraging results

Results from companies that have used this system of communication have been encouraging. One pharmaceutical company saw a reduction of almost 11% in opioid usage among their workers’ compensation clients. In addition, the percentage of injured workers using long-term opioids decreased by 2.6% during the same period.

The effort makes financial sense

All studies and efforts to curb opioid usage should have a positive effect on the all-important bottom line, since the medical portion of a workers’ comp claim may be open for several years and could be open for the lifetime of the injured worker. The claims management teams need to be proactive and willing to cooperate and collaborate with the pharmacy industry in educating everyone on this crucial issue.

Contact Us for Help in Getting the Right Workers Comp Insurance 

To learn more about workers compensation insurance, and to get the right insurance at very competitive prices, contact us online or call us at (800) 947-1270 or (610) 775-3848. 

Imagine: you’ve just finished one of the most successful sales in your store’s history. As you’re closing and preparing to take your receipts to the bank for deposit, an armed robber confronts you and leaves with all of your cash. All of your hard work and thousands of dollars leave with him.

After the shock of the armed robbery subsides, you wonder if the loss is covered by your commercial property insurance policy. Unfortunately, if your policy does not include Money and Securities coverage, the answer is no. 

What is included in money and securities insurance coverage?

Money refers to currency, coins and bank notes but also includes regular checks, traveler’s checks, and money orders. Securities are instruments or contracts that represent money or property. Examples of securities are certificates of deposit, tickets, tokens and stamps. These would likely be excluded on a typical commercial property policy. So, if you own or operate a business in which you handle a significant amount of money each day, Money and Securities coverage is vital.

Money and securities coverage: inside and outside the premises

Inside coverage applies to loss of money and securities that occurs within your premises or a bank. Loss must result directly from theft committed by someone who is inside your business or the bank. The loss must result directly from disappearance or destruction.

Some examples:

• A customer in your store steals cash and money orders from a cash drawer
• A thief breaks into your office, smashes open a safe, and steals $5,000 in cash
• A fire in your bank destroys a safe deposit box you rent that contains $1,000

In the second example, both the damage to the safe and the loss of cash would be covered by a commercial property insurance policy with inside coverage. Vaults, cash registers, cash boxes and cash drawers located inside the premises would also be covered if damaged or stolen.

Outside coverage applies to money and securities that are lost outside your premises. The loss must occur while the items are in the custody of a messenger or an armored motor vehicle company. In addition, the loss must result directly from theft, disappearance or destruction. Messengers are any employees that have care and custody of property outside the premises. This also means you, a relative of yours, or any of your partners. 

Some examples of outside coverage:

• An employee of yours is mugged on the way to your bank to deposit $5,000 in cash. The mugger gets away with the cash.
• One of your partners is robbed of a company laptop after leaving his office. The loss of the laptop, but not the loss of programs and data on the laptop, will be covered.
• Two armored car drivers are entering their truck when they are ordered out of the vehicle by three armed robbers. The robbers drive off with the truck, which contains $10,000 of your money.

This coverage also applies to loss of or damage to other property outside the premises in the care and custody of a messenger or an armored vehicle company resulting directly from an actual or attempted robbery. Other property means property other than money or securities, not including computer programs or electronic data.

Exclusions to Money and Security Insurance Coverage

Money and Security coverage does not apply to losses resulting from theft by you, your company principles, or your employees. Thefts committed by employees can be insured under separate Employee Theft Coverage. Also excluded are losses resulting from voluntary parting with property or any money operated devices.

Contact Us for Help with Money and Securities Coverage Within a Commercial Property Insurance Policy

You’ve worked hard to make your business successful. Be sure to protect it thoroughly by including Money and Securities coverage. Contact us online or give us a call at (800) 947-1270 or (610) 775-3848 for more details.

Extreme sports can make it difficult or even impossible for you to get life insurance. Surprised?

Statistically, a coin collector will likely live longer than someone who enjoys bungee jumping. So, if you thrive on the adrenaline rushes that only extreme sports can give you, be aware that your chance of getting life insurance at preferred rates (or maybe at all) will be diminished if you engage in certain pastimes.

Whether you get your thrills on earth, water, snow, ice or air, insurers will take into account your risky hobbies and your level of competence when determining premiums or even if they want to accept the risk of taking you on as a customer.

Life Insurance Red Flag Activities

While there are many ways to push your fun to the limit—mountain climbing, skydiving and scuba diving will always raise red flags—there are some sports that push right on by those limits and create a risk that few insurers will be willing to take on.

Here are a few others you’ll want to avoid if affordable life insurance coverage is important to you:

Ice-climbing: Self-inflicted puncture wounds from crampons, those metal plates with spikes fixed to the bottom of the hiking boot, are not the only danger from this sport. There is always the threat of cracked ice breaking free and taking the unlucky climber with it.

Cliff diving: Think about the consequences of diving from a ledge that is 80 or 90 feet above the sea. Even if you survive the jarring impact from a perfect dive, you may have to contend with rocks below the surface. And this assumes that you didn’t hit the side of the cliff before you reached the water. Or maybe you weren’t able to execute the dive and have hit the water awkwardly, breaking bones or injuring your spine. It’s no mystery why insurers frown on this activity.

Freerunning: An acrobatic and athletic discipline, freerunning is an urban activity in which participants leap from roof to roof, negotiating any obstacles, at maximum velocity. No parachutes, no ropes, no nets—and, understandably, no insurance!

Street luge: Street luge was created when downhill skateboarders found they could reach higher speeds by lying down on their skateboards. Riders on street luge boards can reportedly top out at 70 to 80 mph, making it almost impossible to get life insurance if you choose to participate in this extreme sport.

Heli-skiing: This type of downhill skiing is done at remote locations accessible by helicopter only. Skiers board the helicopter and are carried to a landing zone on the mountain. Risks include those of any back country skiing, including avalanches, tree wells, and the inherent risks of helicopter flight. Not surprisingly, this sport is banned in Germany and France. 

Huge-wave surfing: Every surfer dreams of catching and riding that 50-foot monster wave. Many are willing to journey to the ends of the earth to find one. Unfortunately, they may find more than they hoped for—broken bones, shark bites, drowning, and life insurance denial can also be part of this adventure.

Base jumping: Parachuting or wingsuit flying from a fixed structure or cliff is known as base jumping. It’s also known as a surefire way to be denied life insurance. Because of the lower altitudes of the jumps, base jumping is significantly more dangerous than skydiving from a plane. Base jumping is prohibited in many locations, including the United States. So, if you decide to try it anyway, you stand to lose your life insurance and your freedom! 

It Doesn't Pay to Cheat on Your Life Insurance Questionnaire!

Honesty is the best policy—especially when it’s a life insurance policy. Be honest about your extreme sports hobby when you apply and be prepared to pay a higher premium if you engage in extreme sports. The most common reason life insurers deny a death claim is because of "material misrepresentation" on an insurance application. If you should be killed in an extreme sport accident, your loved ones might be hurt. That’s a risk you should not take.

Why We're the Right Choice for All Your Life Insurance Needs

Because we're independent insurance agents we're free to shop among competing insurance providers to find you the right life insurance at the right price. It also helps us find a company who may be willing to insure you despite your extreme sports activities.

For more information about life insurance, contact us online or call us at (800) 947-1270 or (610) 775-3848.

A recent study on distracted driving from in-car data collection and analysis showed that drivers spend more than half their time focused on things other than driving.

There are a variety of activities that count as distractions, and it’s estimated that these distractions contribute to more than 5,000 traffic fatalities each year. 

Here are some of the most common driving distractions, any of which can result in higher workers compensation insurance rates if they occur while on the job:

• Talking on a cell phone
• Texting
• Eating and drinking
• Attending to child passengers
• Grooming
• Reading, including maps
• Using a navigation system
• Watching a video
• Adjusting a radio, CD, MP3 or temperature controls

Your Business and Your Workers Comp Insurance Rates

When your workers are behind the wheel on your company’s behalf, their safety is your business. And since texting takes your drivers’ attention away from the road for almost five seconds (the equivalent of driving the length of a football field at 55 mph blindfolded), it is important that you prohibit them from texting in your commercial vehicles.

“It is well recognized that texting while driving dramatically increases the risk of a motor vehicle injury or fatality.” Explains David Michaels, Assistant Secretary at Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). “We are asking employers to send a clear message to workers and supervisors that your company neither requires nor condones texting while driving.”

Your Legal Responsibility to Safeguard Drivers at Work

As a business owner or manager, your legal responsibility under OSHA is to safeguard drivers at work. And it makes no difference whether they drive full-time or only occasionally to carry out their work, or whether they drive a company vehicle or their own. When OSHA receives a plausible complaint that an employer requires texting while driving or organizes work so that texting is a necessity, they will investigate and issue citations and penalties where necessary.

Your cooperation can minimize the danger to your business

Building a workplace culture of safety requires clear, explicit policies and sound practices. OSHA, which enforces worker safety laws, has joined with the Transportation Department, other agencies, key associations and organizations to enlist the help and cooperation of businesses of all sizes in a nationwide outreach, education, and enforcement effort to stop the dangerous practice of texting while driving.

Here are a few of the recommendations for employers to follow:

• Prohibit texting while driving. OSHA encourages employers to declare their vehicles “text-free zones.” Also, emphasize that commitment to their workers, customers, and communities.
• Establish work procedures and rules that do not make it necessary for workers to text while driving in order to carry out their duties.
• Set up clear procedures, times, and places for drivers’ safe use of texting and other technologies for communicating with managers, customers, and others.
• Incorporate safe communications practices into worker orientation and training.
• Eliminate financial and other incentive systems that encourage workers to text while driving.

Millions of Americans drive on the job every day, and this deadly behavior, texting while driving, has put them at risk. And that risk continues to grow as texting becomes more widespread. OSHA believes that by improving our understanding of how mental and physical distractions impair your company drivers and by educating them about avoiding distractions, we can eliminate these needless deaths and make our businesses safer while lowering commercial vehicle insurance and workers compensation insurance costs.

For more information about safe driving, commercial vehicle insurance, and workers comp insurance, contact us online or call (800) 947-1270 or (610) 775-3848.

Problems can occur when workers covered by Medicare Advantage Plans sustain workers compensation injuries and use the plan to pay for medical care.    

Congress created the original Medicare program (Parts A and B) in 1965. It was designed to offer older and disabled Americans access to affordable health insurance. With the Balanced Budget Act of 1997, Medicare Part C was born with the intention of giving beneficiaries a choice: opt for original Medicare or choose the newly created Part C plans, better known as Medicare Advantage Plans (MAP).

These plans, with coverage provided by private insurers, cover all Medicare services and offer additional benefits such as prescription coverage, dental, and vision. However, problems can occur when workers covered by these plans sustain workers’ compensation injuries and use the plan to pay for medical care.    

                                                  

Medicare and Workers' Compensation Insurance

If a worker is receiving Medicare benefits and is hurt on the job, workers’ compensation insurance (WC) is the primary payer. An insurer or workers’ compensation plan cannot, by contract or otherwise, supersede federal law--for instance by alleging its coverage is supplemental to Medicare.

WC is always the primary payer for Medicare beneficiaries’ work-related illnesses or injuries, and Medicare beneficiaries are required to apply for all applicable WC benefits. If a Medicare beneficiary has WC coverage, providers, physicians, and other suppliers must bill WC first.

In situations in which Medicare has paid for WC-claim-related care before the beneficiary has obtained a settlement, judgment, award, or other payment, those Medicare payments are referred to as “conditional payments.” They are considered conditional payments because Medicare pays under the condition that it is reimbursed when the beneficiary gets a WC settlement, judgment, award, or other payment.

Do Medicare Advantage Plans have the same right of recovery as original Medicare?

This an evolving issue in the courts, and it continues to be discussed and debated. Courts have ruled both ways on this issue. Here are some examples:

• In a Third U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals case in 2013, Humana Insurance Company, a MAP, demanded reimbursement from GlaxoSmithKline for payments Humana had made. The Court held that Medicare Secondary Payer regulations “unambiguously provide[s] Humana with a private cause of action.” Consequently, Humana’s payments were subject to reimbursement.
  
  
• The U.S. Supreme Court subsequently denied Glaxo’s petition for review, supporting the argument that MAP’s have the same right of recovery as does traditional Medicare—at least in the Third Circuit Court jurisdiction, which is New Jersey, Delaware, Pennsylvania, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
  
  
• Later in 2013, a Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals case ruled the other way. Here, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals held that a Medicare Part C Plan--PacifiCare of Arizona--did not have the right, under federal law, to pursue a reimbursement claim.
  
  
• In a recent case in Florida, Humana Insurance Company sued Western Heritage for recovery of double damages. Humana argued that as a MAP they have the same right of recovery as does traditional Medicare, including recovery of double damages. The District Court ruled in Humana’s favor.

Recent rulings have created some uncertainty for employers

There is still uncertainty among insurers and employers when settling cases with Medicare beneficiaries who have ever received benefits from a MAP. Claim management departments need to consider the recovery rights of MAP’s when settling claims. The logical starting point would involve confirming the type of Medicare coverage at issue. Determine if the claimant is a beneficiary under traditional Medicare or under a MA plan.

We Can Help

For help meeting your compliance obligations, or to obtain quality worker's comp insurance at the right price, call us at (800) 947-1270 or (610) 775-3848 or contact us onlilne.

Return-To-Work programs are instrumental in enticing employees out on a workers’ compensation claim to come back to work. Many employers struggle to manage and fill the void that is left behind when a worker is out; however, a solid Return-To-Work program will encourage employees to return to work quickly (once they are cleared to do so by a medical professional of-course), thereby contributing to lower workers compensation insurance costs.

It is extremely important that the return-to-work program is well-known and understood throughout the company. It needs to be an indispensable part of the corporate culture understood by owners, managers, and employees. If you want employees to return quickly and efficiently, it needs to be a system that everyone can follow and understand.

Five Essential Elements of a Successful Return-To-Work Program:

#1) Offer employees a transitional position

Present them with a temporary job that will ease them back into the workplace while still making them feel as though they are making a difference. If their job usually requires heavy lifting, consider offering a light-duty job instead. Make sure the job makes sense for both the employee and the company, otherwise you run the risk of further loss.

#2) Make the cost of workers’ compensation very clear to all employees

Each employee, regardless of their current position, should understand how expensive workers’ compensation claims are and how it affects the organization. Most employees have absolutely no idea that companies pay a large deductible each time an employee goes out on a claim and assume the insurance company is the only one paying. Employees may feel differently if they know it is coming directly from their employer’s pocket!

#3) Remain in constant contact with the employee

Never underestimate the power of a “get well” card! There will be many outside sources, such as friends, families, lawyers, etc., trying to tell your employee what to do. Make sure you call to check in with them frequently and keep them posted on any updates or changes within the company. In most states, the company is able to direct medical care for an employee as well, which allows them to check-in with healthcare professionals to ensure that the employee is following protocol and is not being dishonest about their care or their return to work date.

#4) Make necessary arrangements to “speed up” return time, if possible within four days

90% of all workers out on a workers’ compensation claim can return back to work within four days. Whether they are returning to a transitional job or their actual position, the quicker they return to the workplace, the less expensive it is for the employer. These four days are considered the waiting period and if you bring an employee back before the waiting period ends, the company’s workers’ compensation company may not have to pay indemnity or lost wage payments, which in turn saves the company from having to pay the claim deductible.

#5) Keep employees updated on company “happenings” while they are out

Even though an employee is unable to perform their regular duties, they may be able to continue attending trainings and meetings. If they are unable to attend these sessions in person, the company may be able to skype them in, or at the very least can provide them with a PowerPoint deck or notes from the meetings. Keeping them in the loop can encourage them to return quicker and will allow them to transition back into their position more easily when they do return.

One of the keys to keeping the cost of workers’ compensation in check, is to get employees back into their position as quickly as possible. This doesn’t happen by accident; it’s important for companies to take a proactive approach.

We'll Help You Save on Workers Compensation Insurance

For more information about saving on workers’ compensation costs, contact us online or give our experienced agents a call at (800) 947-1270 or (610) 775-3848. 

The National Council on Compensation Insurance (NCCI), a national insurance rating and data collection bureau, specializes in workers’ comp data. Annually, it collects statistics covering over four million workers compensation insurance claims and two million policies. It uses this information to provide, among other things, information on trends in workers’ compensation throughout various industries, which enables them to make insurance rate and loss cost recommendations.

A favorable outlook for workers’ compensation insurance rates

The results so far from this fiscal year’s rate filing cycle, which began in July 2015 and will continue through June 2016, indicate that there could be a good pattern for policyholders moving forward. Of the 32 filings from the NCCI, 23 have been for decreases, 8 have been for increases and one—Illinois—was amenable to a no filing. 

The Federal Reserve’s policies are contributing to lower insurance rates

Although these numbers have not been fully validated, many in the field of workers’ compensation believe that if these numbers hold, results similar to the 2015-2016 filing cycle can be expected for 2016-2017. According to a recent NCCI report, “The economic recovery in the United States remains on track, and continues to progress much as it has for the past several years. In our view, the Fed’s decision to stand pat on the federal funds rate was motivated first by the absence of observed inflation in the US economy, and, second, by a desire not to commit prematurely to interest rate tightening while there remains the possibility of international economic contraction instigated by China and while important sectors of the US economy remain soft, particularly the residential housing market.”

Workplace accidents have been less frequent and less severe

At its last annual meeting in 2015, NCCI offered its opinion that conditions have improved in the workers comp environment with premiums growing nationally in the workers’ compensation systems. Insurance executive Donna Urben says: “This is approximately the third-plus year of consecutive loss cost decrease, for a majority of the states,” and the accompanying lower rates “are driven by frequency and severity trends.” Overall, losses have been moderate and frequency trends have been in decline for several years.

The economy is aiding workers’ comp insurance pricing

Because payroll is used as the exposure base, the economy has a significant effect on workers’ comp pricing. As the economy continues to improve, more people are employed, resulting in more premiums for workers compensation carriers. Add to that an abundant capacity among these carriers to write workers’ comp policies, and it becomes evident that there is a competitive atmosphere, which will give options to consumers, policyholders and insured.

Low inflation, fewer and less severe work accidents, and a relatively strong economy, with falling unemployment and modest wage inflation, all point to a competitive workers’ compensation environment in 2016.

Contact Us For All Your Workers Comp Insurance Needs

It’s a buyer’s market for businesses shopping for workers’ compensation coverage—at least for the foreseeable future. For a competitive quote, contact us online or call (800) 947-1270 or (610) 775-3848.

Hearing loss may be a compensable work injury leading to increased workers compensation insurance costs. Taking steps to reduce the risk of hearing loss is easier than you might think.

Loud noises in the workplace can damage your employees’ hearing. It’s estimated that 22 million workers are exposed to potentially hazardous noise levels at work. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) recommends that workers should not be exposed to noise at a level that amounts to more than 85 decibels for 8 hours. In an effort to create a safer workplace by reducing noise levels, NIOSH suggests an approach that implements controls based on a hierarchy of effectiveness.

Control Workers Comp Premiums by Adopting the Hierarchy of Hazard Controls

Occupational health and safety professionals apply the following actions, listed from most effective to least effective, to reduce or remove a noise hazard:

1. Elimination: Physically remove the hazard
2. Substitution: Replace the hazard
3. Engineering Controls: Isolate workers from the hazard
4. Administrative Controls: Change the way employees work
5. Personal Protective Equipment: Protect workers with special clothing and equipment

Low-Noise Tools

Purchasing low-noise tools and machinery, reducing vibration where possible, providing barriers to isolate workers or loud equipment, and maintaining machinery with proper lubrication are effective methods for reducing noise in the workplace.

In addition, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) requires employers in general industry to maintain a hearing conservation program whenever noise exposure meets or exceeds the eight hour time-weighted average of 85 decibels. Baseline and annual audiograms, employee training, and hearing protection must all be included in the program.

But even with controls and programs in place to eliminate or reduce noise hazard on the job, some employees will experience work-related hearing loss resulting in a compensable work injury resulting in a workers compensation insurance claim.

Hearing loss may be a compensable work injury

The Workers’ Compensation Act provides for benefits for loss of hearing related to exposure to noise while at work, and it’s estimated that $242 million is spent annually on workers’ compensation for hearing loss disabilities.

While most states recognize hearing loss as compensable, the specifics of the law may vary (for instance, in some states the employee must have hearing loss of at least ten percent in both ears in order to be entitled to benefits). The employee must be evaluated by a physician who specializes in hearing problems to determine the percentage of hearing loss, and the worker must show that there was exposure to hazardous noise in the workplace.

The difficulty for any workers’ compensation adjuster will be determining what portion of hearing loss is work-related and what part of the loss is age-related or is due to non-work related activities (shooting a gun for sport or using a chainsaw on weekends). Another issue that the adjuster may face is finding a previous audiogram from which to compare the present test to get a true measure of hearing loss.

Protect your business against hearing loss claims

There are steps that employers can take to eliminate or reduce the size of a hearing loss workers comp claim, and in the process lower your long-term workers compensation insurance costs:

• New employees who will be exposed to excessive noise should have an audiogram completed as part their hiring requirements. This will provide the baseline for any future hearing loss claim.
• Do a risk assessment by having the decibel level of your plant checked. Any noise level above 85 decibels can then be addressed.
• If a worker is constantly exposed to tools and machinery that reach more than 85 decibels, an audiogram should be completed annually.
• The mandatory use of hearing protection (earplugs or earmuffs) should apply to all employees who work in areas of excessive noise.
• All employees should be provided with safety materials that address the importance of hearing protection at work and in non-work related activities that create high noise levels.

Occupational hearing loss is one of the most common work-related illnesses. Safeguard your workers and minimize the costs to your business by effecting and maintaining these essential controls and programs.

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