PIANH submits testimony on anti-rebating bill

One of PIANH’s legislative priorities this year is the tracking of a proposed change to New Hampshire’s anti-rebating law. Recently an amendment, H.B.1177, was proposed that would exclude insurers from the 12-month $1,000 cumulative cap on contests, sweepstakes, raffles or drawings. PIANH believes that if passed, this amendment would create an uneven playing field in the New Hampshire insurance market. Insurers would be able to offer and entice customers with prizes that the independent insurance agent could not. To that end, PIANH will be submitting testimony in front of the Senate Commerce Committee opposing H.B.1177 in its current form. PIANH will also be advancing its own amendment to the anti-rebating statute, one that will ensure that insurers and agents are playing by the same rules. For more on this issue, click here and see the next edition of the Reporter.  

PIA lobbies Congress

Hundreds of PIA members from around the nation participated in the 2014 PIA Federal Legislative Summit on March 26-27, in Washington, D.C. Your PIANH delegation visited the offices of their members of Congress to let them know firsthand the major issues facing the independent agent community. PIANH’s representative for FLS was National Director, past President and New Hampshire Rep. Donald M. Flanders, CPCU, CIC, Belknap-3. Flanders has been attending FLS for more than 20 years and enjoys a good relationship with New Hampshire’s elected officials. For a full write-up of the event see the next issue of the Reporter and the June issue of PIA magazine. More ...   

Fewer people are uninsured under PPACA while N.H. premiums skyrocket

Two surveys, both funded by nonpartisan organizations, show different snapshots of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and the effects the act has had on New Hampshire constituents. According to a Morgan-Stanley survey, New Hampshire was among the top 10 states showing the highest increase in premiums sold to consumers on the HealthCare.gov exchange. Those surveyed directly reported an average premium increase of 90 percent. Further, a Gallup poll released the same day, indicated that the uninsured rate has consistently fallen since the close of 2013, dropping from 16.2 percent in January to 14.7 percent at the end of March. More …  

N.H. gets failing grade for access to health-care costs

On last year’s national report card measuring consumer access to health-care cost information, New Hampshire was one of two states to receive an "A." This year, the state received an "F," most likely due to the New Hampshire Insurance Department’s marketplace website, which has been defunct since the beginning of the year. More …  

Anthem hearing on Frisbie postponed

New Hampshire Insurance Commissioner Roger Sevigny issued an order to postpone an adjudicative hearing set for a Frisbie Memorial Hospital patient has been postponed. The hearing, originally set for April 9, would address the patient’s claim that Anthem’s narrow network of plans sold through the HealthCare.gov exchange is inadequate unless Frisbie Hospital is allowed to join. Currently, the hearing is rescheduled for April 22, 2014. More …  

N.H. debates banning phones while driving

At a Senate panel hearing April 1, safety officials argued that hand-held cell-phone use should be treated like drunk driving and it should be banned in New Hampshire. As an alternative, Assistant Safety Commissioner Earl Sweeney said drivers still could use hands-free phones, devices built into the vehicle and two-way radios. Sweeney continued, saying that the government has a responsibility to pass and enforce laws that protect people who are driving impaired. More …  

Scott Brown to announce run for Senate Thursday

Republican Scott Brown is set to formally announce his candidacy for the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate, representing New Hampshire, this Thursday, April 10, 2014, at an event at the Portsmouth Harborside Hotel. The former Massachusetts senator recently moved into his family’s summer home in Rye. More …   

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FEMA explains the 2014 Homeowner Flood Insurance Affordability Act

The Federal Emergency Management Agency has provided an overview on the Homeowner Flood Insurance Affordability Act of 2014. This law repeals and modifies certain provisions of the Biggert-Waters Flood Insurance Reform Act of 2012 and makes additional program changes to other aspects of the program not covered by that act. Many provisions of the Biggert-Waters Flood Insurance Reform Act remain and still are being implemented. While FEMA actively works to implement the new law, policyholders are encouraged to maintain and keep current flood insurance policies. Canceling policies now will leave policyholders unprotected during spring flooding and may cause policyholders to lose important discounts on their rate if they reinstate in the future. PIA’s Flood Insurance Tool Kit helps members navigate through this complicated realm of flood insurance.  

PIA offers free Webinar on Floodbroker.com

Do your clients know that everyone lives in a flood zone? It’s up to you to show them why they need critical flood coverage … PIA has the tool you need. Register now for a free Webinar to learn all about Floodbroker.com and what it can do for your agency. The Webinar will be held Tuesday, April 22, 2014, at 11 a.m. Evan Spindelman, Floodbroker.com president, will discuss the Floodbroker.com program interface and illustrate how easy it is to quote flood—and sell more policies—right on an agency’s own website. The Webinar will conclude with an open Q&A session. For more information, or to register, click here.  

NCCI releases its 2014 Issues Report

The 2014 Workers Compensation Issues Report from the National Council on Compensation Insurance is now available, including the following articles: Early Prognostication: Positive or Negative Workers Comp Market in 2014?; Legislative and Regulatory Outlook; Future of Terrorism Insurance Backstop; The Affordable Care Act and Workers Compensation: Our Experts Weigh In; Workers Compensation and Group Health Hospital Outpatient Payments: A Comparison; Why the Underwriting Cycle is Unavoidable; High Times in Workers Comp: The Impact of Medical Marijuana; and Five Legal Briefs.  

Bills aim to increase consumer access to PPACA resources

Recently, two bills aimed at increasing PPACA consumer access to agents and brokers were introduced in the Senate: S.2173 and S.2175, both introduced by Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-La., would amend the PPACA to allow for more direct access to agents and brokers. Both bills were referred to the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions for consideration. More …  

PIA calls on Congress to prioritize reauthorization of TRIA

With flood reform legislation in the rearview mirror, Congress should turn its focus to working on a long-term Terrorism Risk Insurance Act reauthorization bill. Currently, there are several bills sitting in the House that would extend TRIA for a period of between five and 10 years. There are no similar Senate bills; however, it is anticipated that one will be released within the next several weeks. Currently, TRIA is set to sunset on Dec. 31, 2014. Failure to reauthorize TRIA in a timely fashion could have dire consequences on the nation’s economy and ability to rebound from a terrorist attack: Already, PIA has heard that the uncertain future of TRIA has led to businesses being denied bank loans and has contributed to rate hikes for workers’ compensation coverage.  

Governors defend state-based insurance regulation

In a March 28 letter to Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew, the National Governors Association expressed concern about December’s Federal Insurance Office’s regulatory modernization report and the role it plays in the larger, ongoing state vs. federal regulation debate. In the letter, the bipartisan NGA expresses strong support for state-based regulation, calling it a "world-class" system. The FIO report, though, called for a hybrid system, in which both state and federal regulators assume roles based on their respective strengths. PIA continues to fight for state-based insurance regulation, and lauds the NGA for taking a stance opposing the FIO’s report.  

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Ask PIA: Condominiums—primacy of coverage

Q. If the New Hampshire law is silent on whether the association policy is primary, how do I know how a claim will be settled? A. The standard ISO association policy states that its coverage is primary and the standard HO-6 policy states that its coverage is excess. It is very unlikely that the NHID would approve any deviation from these policy provisions. For a comprehensive answer to this question, click here. To access our entire Ask PIA library of frequently asked questions and expert answers by PIA’s technical staff, click here.  

PIANH offers E&O assistance to members

Your PIANH membership gives you access to an industry expert on errors-and-omissions questions. E&O issues are of utmost importance to your day-to-day agency operation—don’t let these critical questions keep you up at night. Let PIA’s E&O Consultant Robert Sullivan, Esq., who has expertise in the defense of insurance agents and brokers in professional liability and complex insurance litigation, help you. To pose a question, email resourcecenter@pia.org or fax your inquiry to the PIA Industry Resource Center at (888) 225-6935. Additionally, your association also offers quality E&O insurance coverage for insurance agents and brokers. For an immediate, no-obligation quote, click here. To see a listing of PIANH’s E&O-related courses, many of which offer a discount on your E&O coverage, click here.  

Upcoming Webinars

Additional upcoming Webinars include the following: E&O Hotspots … 2014 and Beyond^{^UM^FF} (Tuesday, April 15, from 10 a.m.-1 p.m., NHCEU: 3 GEN PRO); Understanding the National Flood Insurance Program 2013 (Wednesday, April 16, from 10 a.m.-1 p.m., NHCEU: 3 FEMA Flood Producer); Top Ten Personal Lines Endorsements (Tuesday, May 6, from 10-11 a.m., NHCEU: TBA); and Long-Term Care Insurance (Tuesday, May 13, from 10-11 a.m., NHCEU: 1 GEN PRO). ^{^FF^UM}—This course has been approved for E&O loss-prevention credit by Fireman’s Fund and Utica Mutual. Call the PIA E&O Department for details at (800) 424-4244. For more information or to register, click here.   

Looking to value your agency?

PIA’s Circle of Consultants Program offers access to several consultants dealing in agency valuations and many offer association members a free phone consultation or discount on their hourly rate. The Circle Program also offers access to numerous other consultants specializing in areas including, but not limited to, agency planning; technology; ethics; environmental assessment; financial planning; legal; marketing; personnel management; jewelry/fine arts appraisals; risk management; risk retention and sales management. To learn more about this program or to receive a listing of referrals for a particular topic/issue, complete our online form or fax a request to PIA’s Industry Resource Center at (888) 225-6935. Also, for additional resources, review our QuickSource library materials on agency valuation.  

Telephone tips

Of all the office tools professional, independent insurance agents have, the telephone may be the one that’s endured the longest. Wouldn’t you think you’d know how to use it properly? This goes beyond voicemail, automated answering systems or even cell phones. Rather, proper telephone etiquette starts with sitting at your desk and answering the ringing phone in a professional manner. PIANH offers two QuickSource documents that offer a few tips to enhance your professionalism and productivity using the office telephone. For more information, access QS90365 or QS90651.  

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