R&R Insurance Blog

The WEA trust is bringing a proven, best-in-class wellness solution to municipalities through their League Health Plan with Vitality.  Vitality is an interactive rewards based wellness program that engages its members through education and coaching to improve their health and lives.  It helps members realize how lifestyle choices impact health, and how activity and exercise can enhance their lives. 

A well implemented wellness plan can drive a handful of improvements for you as the employer as well.  A more active and healthy workforce improves productivity and lowers risk factors that drive your health claims.  Additionally, creating a wellness program provides opportunities for leadership among your employees who participate on a wellness committee, and can help brand your organization and make you an employer of choice in your community. 

Here are some of the key elements of the Vitality Wellness program through WEA and the League Health Plan:

• Biometric Screenings – Your employees will ‘know their numbers’ for blood pressure, blood sugar, cholesterol, triglycerides etc.
• Vitality Health Review – This is a health risk assessment that helps bring lifestyle into the mix of your biometrics results and paints a picture of overall health.
• Vitality Bucks – Employees earn points for the Biometric Screening, the Health Review, and also for tracking activities through a phone, smart watch or pedometer. Earning bucks allows you to buy rewards like movie passes, make charitable donations, gift cards.  Points do not expire!
• Goal Setting – Vitality will set goals for activities like steps per day, workouts per week and provides motivation to improve results of the health screening. These goals are attached to bucks, so the more you participate the more you can gifts you can purchase.
• Coaching – Vitality provides health content, articles and provides goals for improving the health of your whole organization

There are two levels of the program available.  Activate is the base level, and Elevate is a ‘buy up’ option that includes more involvement with spouses, higher levels of engagement with the program and some additional resources to help you build your wellness platform. 

If you have any questions or would like to discuss how this wellness plan can be implemented into your organization, contact me.  We have our own Certified Wellness Specialist on staff, and I would be happy to help you improve the lives and health of your employees!

Leading up to the 2015 budget decision regarding the LGPIF, below is a list of common Q&As provided by the LWMMI. Our knowledge brokers have been following the issue closely and understand the business, the coverage forms, and the insurance markets that would replace the LGPIF if needed.

What is the Local Government Property Insurance Fund?
The Fund is established by Chapter 605, Wis. Stat. The purpose of the Fund is to make property insurance available for local government units. The Commissioner of Insurance by law is designated as the Fund’s manager.

Why is the Governor considering discontinuing the Fund?
Based on wording within the proposed State Budget, property insurance is an area that the Governor believes is best handled by the private sector. The Fund’s surplus is currently in a deficit position, so the move is not an attempt by the State to take money from the Fund for use in the General Fund.

Will Fund Coverage Pricing Change?
According to the OCI and ASU, coverage will remain the same. Pricing could change based on each insured’s experience and the experience for all municipalities in the Fund.

When will I know whether the Fund is being changed or discontinued?
The proposal to close the Fund is part of the State Budget Proposal, which is currently being considered by the State Legislature. The process of reviewing, amending, and adopting the budget typically takes until June. We will continue to provide information and updates to you as they become available.

What if I have been contacted by an agent that said I have to get bids?
With access to unlimited markets, working with R&R can save you time and the headache of working with multiple agencies.

Please contact one of our knowledge brokers if you have additional questions. Or, join our webinar on March 23 at 3 p.m. to learn more about “What Happens if the LGPIF Closes.”

Assume for a minute a disaster strikes your community – a tornado – maybe a major ice storm – an industrial explosion – or a fire in a water/sewer facility.

What is your next step to keep your municipal operations functional?

Take a look at this heart wrenching video of Kentucky Mayors reliving the January 2009 Ice Storm – the largest to ever hit the state.

What do your residents want?

1. Toilets that flush.
2. Water pressure in faucets.
3. Communication and information on what’s happening.
4. Police and fire services.

The League of Wisconsin Municipalities Insurance Trust (Trust) has purchased a service (no cost to your community) that will do the following:

• Arrange for priority delivery of emergency generators, communication equipment and temporary office space
• Assistance in orchestrating logistics and connecting the equipment
• All within 24 – 48 hours of the event

Yes – You may already have a contingency or disaster plan – but, does it include information on generator hook ups and vendors that guarantee equipment, fuel and service for you?

Yes – You have access to the County Emergency Disaster Coordinator – so do all the other county municipalities, schools and private businesses.

The Trust has teamed with a nationally recognized Disaster Recovery Service: AGILITY RECOVERY, which provides the assets and resources to service Wisconsin LWMMI Insureds, including generators, satellite voice and data connectivity, computers and portable office units. Maybe even more important, Agility will help your staff create or enhance your existing Disaster Plan, thereby ensuring the right pieces of the puzzle are in place during the chaos of a disaster.

What do you need to do? Direct your staff to contact Sandy Hagen or Dennis Tweedale at 608-833-9595 or sandra@lwmmi.org for more information. If you are not part of the LWMMI Trust program, contact knowledgebroker Rick Kalscheuer for more information.

The Trustees thank you for participating in the LWMMI Insurance Program. Our mission is to work together, ensuring Wisconsin Municipalities provide the quality services our residents expect.

More images from the 2009 Kentucky Ice Storms

The Local Government Property Insurance Fund (LGPIF) has implemented a number of coverage changes to the property insurance coverage form. These changes include:

• Restrictions on Flood Coverage
• Restrictions on Surface Water Coverage
• Reduction in Ordinance and Law Coverage
• Addition of an Anti-Concurrent Causation Coverage Restriction

In addition to these coverage restrictions, we have been seeing large property rate increases. The combination of these changes now enables other insurance carriers to be price and coverage competitive.

For more information please contact knowledgebroker Scott Brookes.

The LGPIF form now excludes loss from Flood, water below ground, back up of sewers and drains outside of the building.

Coverage is now excluded:

• If you are in a flood zone as defined by FEMA, National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) – Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRM)
• If water below ground exerts pressure on or flows into your facility
• If sewer, septic system, and storm or sewer drains outside your building overflow and the water enters your building from a source other than your drains

At R&R Insurance, we have the ability to help you evaluate your exposure. We know how to research and read the NFIP – FIRM data. We can help you understand your exposure and offer alternative solutions. Please contact me to see if your building is in a flood zone.

• Restrictions on Surface Water Coverage
• Reduction in Ordinance and Law Coverage
• Addition of an Anti-Concurrent Causation Coverage Restriction

The LGPIF now restricts surface water to $1,500,000. Previously, coverage was provided up to the total values on the policy.

The number and severity of summer storms has been increasing. With this increase, the amount of rain water has also increased leading to the inundation / overflow of the current storm drain systems. This runoff is considered surface water and is now restricted.

If you are in an area that is prone to inadequate storm water drainage, in an area that storm drains have not been updated to today’s standards, or in an area that cannot handle heavy rain flow, then you may be susceptible to Surface Water loss.

At R&R Insurance, we have the ability to help you evaluate your exposure. We know how to research and read the NFIP – FIRM data. We can help you understand your exposure and offer alternative solutions. Please contact me to discuss your exposure.

• Restrictions on Flood Coverage
• Reduction in Ordinance and Law Coverage
• Addition of an Anti-Concurrent Causation Coverage Restriction

If you have an older building that is not up to the current building codes and a covered cause of loss occurs, you may have to provide upgrades to your facility to comply with the current building codes. The building codes could require you to install a fire sprinkler and alarm system, update electrical and plumbing, install elevators, remove asbestos, and make your building ADA compliant.

Ordinance and Law coverage is designed to provides insurance coverage to a facility in the event of these code changes.

Coverage under the LGPIF form has been reduced to $2,000,000. Previously, coverage was provided up to the total values on the policy.

At R&R Insurance, we have the ability to help you evaluate your exposure. We know how to research and read the NFIP – FIRM data. We can help you understand your exposure and offer alternative solutions. Contact me today to ensure your facility is properly insured.

• Restrictions on Flood Coverage
• Restrictions on Surface Water Coverage
• Addition of an Anti-Concurrent Causation Coverage Restriction

From the LGPIF notice:

• "Anti-concurrent causation language now applies to certain losses that are excluded in Section VI of the policy. The language applies to exclusions related to nuclear; fungus; virus; flood and surface water; war; and excluded water losses such as those that arise from water pressure below the surface of the ground. Anti-concurrent causation language means that these losses are excluded even if another covered peril contributes to a loss arising from these excluded perils."

Example – Flood is now excluded under the policy. If your loss comes from flood, then the resultant loss from the flood – MOLD, is now excluded.

At R&R Insurance, we have the ability to help you evaluate your exposure. We know how to research and read the NFIP – FIRM data. We can help you understand your exposure and offer alternative solutions.

To get the latest information on updates to the LFPIF form, please contact me.

• Restrictions on Flood Coverage
• Restrictions on Surface Water Coverage
• Reduction in Ordinance and Law Coverage

R&R Insurance announces the date for the new Cyber Liability seminar, which will cover how a business can protect itself against cyber crime, will be Wednesday, October 5, 2011, 8:00am - 11:30am, held at the MRA conference Center in Waukesha, WI.

Companies receive an average of 4 million attacks against their networks on a daily basis. Sure, companies can employ the best IT talent around, but that’s no guarantee that your network won’t be compromised, or that your data won’t be breached. No system is 100% secure!

How can a business protect itself against a costly data breach or a business-halting compromise to their network?

Attend our free Cyber Liability Seminar. Learn this and a whole lot more...

Recent news about data breaches and losses sustained due to lack of insurance coverage for cyber crime:

UWM: 75,000 records breached!
Texas Spends $1.8 Million on Data Breach As Lawsuits Loom
WellPoint Fined $100k for Failing to Report Data Breach
Losing the War on IT Security
Sony Laid Off Employees Before Data Breach Lawsuit
RockYou Data Breach Lawsuit Moves Forward
Data breaches may lurk in office copiers and printers
Michael's Department Store Breach 4 Suspects Sought
Average cost of a corporate data breach is $7.2 million
Class slams Michaels for Data Breach

357 People Affected by Data Breach at North Carolina's Wake Forest Baptist
Nurse Accused of Accessing 2,500 Medical Records at Memorial Hospital in Colorado
Walgreens.com site exposed patients’ pharmacy records to other patients?
Hospital employee and three others accused of stealing patients’ identities
An unintended exposure leads to a mea culpa from an online psychiatry journal
Personal Info Stolen From Patients At DeKalb Medical
Drug, paternity test records exposed
Morgan Stanley loses 34k customer records on unencrypted CDs
Groupon loses 300,000 user details
SEGA hacked, records exposed
Eight million health records lost on NHS laptop

Recently one of our LWMMI (League of Wisconsin Municipalities) insureds asked this question, "Are municipalities (and related entities) covered by OSHA?" and an issue of The Municipality, confirmed a response we initially provided...

"Local governments are not subject to state regulations, which are at least as stringent as OSHA, does not have jurisdiction over the state or local governments because the definition of "employer" under the OSHA Act of 1970 specifically excludes states and any political subdivision of a state."

"Instead, the State of Wisconsin has jurisdiction and the Wisconsin Statutes requires that the Department of Commerce adopt, by administrative rule, standards to protect the safety and health of public employees. These standards must provide protection at least equal to that provided to private sector employees under OSHA standards." - The Municipality (a publication of the League of Wisconsin Municipalities)