Industry News
Author, David J. Garcia, A.A.I, CRIS, President, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.
As we approach 2019, there will be several changes in the experience modification formula that directly affects the calculation of an employer's 2019 Experience Modification Rate (EMR).
Part 1 of this article describes the Primary Threshold and Expected Loss Rate. Read Part 1 of this article. Part 2 provides an overview of the changes to the EMR calculation.
Author, David J. Garcia, A.A.I, CRIS, President, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.
As we approach 2019, there will be several changes in the experience modification formula that directly affects the calculation of an employer's 2019 Experience Modification Rate (EMR). Sadly, most businesses are both unaware and unprepared.
Author, Casey Craig, Account Executive, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.
In an era where general contractors commonly require a Waiver of Subrogation from its sub-contractors before they are allowed to step foot on the jobsite, it is important to understand how a Waiver of Subrogation functions. Most companies simply tell their agent they need the waiver added to their contract, but what does this mean? How does it affect the policy?
Author, Chase Hixson, Account Executive, Human Services Group, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.
On August 3, 2018, the California Department of Insurance will hold a public hearing regarding the proposed changes to the 8868 Class Codes.
Author, Jeremy Hoolihan, Account Executive, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.
Workers’ Compensation costs continue to be one of the most costly expenses for business owners in California. With recent reform, California has maintained steady rate decreases in the workers’ compensation marketplace. Unfortunately California still maintains some of the highest rates in the country, often times two to three times the nations average.
Author, Dave Garcia, President, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.
The National Weather Service has issued heat warnings for many parts of California starting today, and excessive heat warnings for some other areas. Temperatures are expected to rise to 110ºF in some parts of the Sacramento Valley, for instance. In the desert areas of Imperial and San Diego counties, they will soar as high as 114ºF.
Author, David J. Garcia, AAI, CRIS, President, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.
With the recent ruling by the California Supreme Court concerning how 1099 employees (independent contractors) are defined, the construction industry's approach to utilizing these workers has changed significantly. The Court adopted a new test to determine whether the worker should be classified as an employee or independent contractor. The previous test to determine if a worker was an employee or independent contractor was whether the employer had the right to direct the manner and means by which the worker performed the services.
Author, Sam Clayton, Vice President, Construction Group, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.
An OSHA officer can show up to your facility or worksite for any number of reasons: employee complaints, accidents, programmed inspections, sweeps, follow-up or a drive-by observation. In order to ensure a smooth inspection, we suggest you prepare before OSHA appears at your door. Here are some key steps to take before, during and after an OSHA inspection.
Author, Chase Hixson, Account Executive, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.
The Workers' Compensation Insurance Rating Bureau of California (WCIRB) recently announced plans to reclassify the 8868 (i.e., professors, teachers or academic professional employees) and 9101 (i.e., all employees other than professors, teachers, or academic professional employees) class codes under the belief that there is significant disparity between the businesses that currently fall under these two classifications. These changes are planned to go into effect January 1, 2019.
Author, Sam Brown, Vice President, Human Services Group, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services.
When designing youth protection measures, many nonprofit leaders want to understand the industry’s “best practices” and incorporate what already works for others. Unfortunately, it is very difficult to identify one set of “best practices” or a universal checklist all organizations should adopt. As a result, it will benefit nonprofit leaders and their clients to tailor daily practices to the unique exposures and operations of the agency. When doing so, it’s best to consider four important factors when designing a youth protection program.
Author, Sam Clayton, Vice President, Construction Group, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.
For the first time in 20 years, the California Insurance Guarantee Association (CIGA) will not collect its annual assessment. As a result, California employers in the guaranteed cost workers' compensation insurance market will save 2% on their premium in 2019.
Author, Jeremy Hoolihan, Account Executive, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.
Workers’ Compensation is a form of insurance providing wage replacement and medical benefits to employees injured in the course of employment in exchange for mandatory relinquishment of the employee's right to sue their employer for the tort of negligence.
Author, Alyssa Burley, Client Services Coordinator, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.
The Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) now require certain employers to electronically submit their completed 2016 Form 300A. OSHA has created a website that allows employers to manually complete the information or upload a formatted CSV (comma-separated values) file
Author, Alyssa Burley, Client Services Coordinator, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.
The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) announced Monday, April 30, 2018 it has “taken action to correct an error that was made with regard to implementing the final rule” which required some employers to electronically submit their injuring and illness reports via the Injury Tracking Application (ITA) online.
Author, Chase Hixson, Account Executive, Human Services Group, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.
Organizations like nonprofits, schools, home health care facilities and other entities that rely on volunteers or frequently interact with the public, may be vulnerable to accidents not covered by workers' compensation insurance. These accidents can cause an unexpected financial burden on the organization if they don't have an accident policy.
Author, Yvonne Gallagher, Landscape Division Account Manager, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.
California State Capital Building.
State Bill 189 (SB 189) (Bradford) was recently enacted by the California State Legislature. It is intended to correct issues resulting from the passage of Assembly Bill 2883 (AB 2883) (Daly et. al) in 2017, which changed the requirements for business owners to exclude themselves from workers' compensation coverage.
Author, Sam Brown, Vice President, Human Services Group, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.
In response to the hundreds of mass shootings taking place each year, the insurance marketplace has produced new workplace violence products to help employers and employees recover from a crisis.
Author, Jim Malone, Claims Advocate, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.
When a work-related accident occurs, as a business owner or manager, it is our nature to want to analyze the situation in order to learn how to avoid it in the future. However, the reporting of the incident is equally as important. With the recent requirement to report first aid claims, timely reporting for all claims is recognized as being critical for a number of reasons.
Author, Chase Hixson, Account Executive, Human Services, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.
For many Home Health Care companies, conducting an in-home inspection on all new cases is standard practice. The intent of these inspections is to improve the quality of services offered; however, there is also an additional opportunity to improve the risk profile for those health care companies and thereby help them reduce their insurance costs.
Author, Alyssa Burley, Client Services Coordinator, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.
According to a recent memo, the State of California Department of Industrial Relations would like to remind employers that they are required to physically post their 2017 annual summaries of work-related injuries from February 1, 2018 through April 30, 2018.
Developing Solutions • Building Trust • Protecting Clients – ONE RELATIONSHIP AT A TIME.™
