CALL TO ACTION: Write Cuomo to help pass certificates reform law

PIANY asked its members to contact their state legislators to ask them to weigh-in with the governor’s office on our top-priority certificates of insurance reform bill (A.9590 Morelle/S.6545-A Seward) last week. Your calls have worked. According to reports, the telephone lines were active in the legislative office building in response to your association’s call for action. But that was just the first phase of the plan, and PIANY needs to continue to rely on its members to help get this bill signed into law. Representatives from Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo’s office have said that they do not believe that certificates of insurance pose a major problem for producers. We need members to convince them otherwise. Please write the Gov. Cuomo a letter on your agency’s letterhead and help PIANY show strong, broad-based support for this important bill. More …  

Register now: Hudson Valley RAP, Nov. 6

If you live, work or have business on either side of the Tappan Zee Bridge (or anywhere in the Hudson Valley), you won’t want to miss this year’s locally focused, industry-specific Hudson Valley Regional Awareness Program, Thursday, Nov. 6, 2014, at the Doubletree Hotel, Tarrytown. Keynote speaker Rockland County Executive Ed Day will discuss how insurance policies are taking a part in the Hudson Valley’s biggest reconstruction project of the century. Meet markets and vendors that will help your business and earn continuing-education credits that will keep you up to date on Labor Law 240/241a and your errors-and-omissions exposures when covering construction projects. For more information or to register, click here.  

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Warwick Resource Group wins PIA National social media award

PIANY member Warwick Resource Group was awarded the Excellence in Social Media award at PIA National’s Fall Governance Meetings in San Antonio, Texas, Sept. 19. The annual PIA National Excellence in Social Media award, inaugurated in 2010, is given to honor a PIA-member insurance agency for excellence in the use of social media in a business setting. Photo: (LEFT to RIGHT) Keith A. Savino, CPIA, and Richard A. Savino, CIC, CPIA, with Warwick’s award. More …  

Heffner Agency wins PIA National general agency award

PIANY member Heffner Agency was awarded the Managing General Agency of the Year award at PIA National’s Fall Governance Meetings in San Antonio, Texas, Sept. 19. The annual award recognizes the outstanding achievement in furthering the interests of agents, a commitment to the agency system and successful efforts to create a better business environment for independent, professional insurance agents. Photo: PIA Executive Director Kelly Norris, CAE (LEFT), accepts the Managing General Agency of the Year award on behalf of the Heffner Agency. More …  

Lawsky: Focus on cyber security

Department of Financial Services Superintendent Benjamin Lawsky said his agency will focus on cyber security over the next year. "It is impossible to take it seriously enough," he said, citing recent cyberterror attacks on major retailers such as Home Depot—which, this month, revealed some 56 million payment cards were likely compromised—and Target. More …  

NYCIRB revises the manual

In R.C. Bulletin 2374, the New York Compensation Insurance Rating Board has amended the New York Workers Compensation and Employers Liability Manual pertaining to the Classification Code phraseologies for Class Codes 7999 and 8025, Bicycle Store—Wholesale and Retail, respectively. The clarifications made to the phraseologies of each code make clear the distinction on whether a risk is considered wholesale versus retail. This revision is implemented with an effective date of Jan. 1, 2015. In R.C. Bulletin 2375, the manual has been amended to clarify payroll associated with volunteers working at for-profit organizations. Coverage for volunteer workers in a for-profit company is required under the Workers’ Compensation Law. Up to this point, the manual has been silent on the issue. Therefore, this change, introduces a new entry in the Digest of Rulings Interpretations section of the manual, Page D-5, clarifying how payroll is determined for these volunteers. Additionally, language was added regarding volunteers in hospitals, who are covered regardless of whether the hospital is a for-profit or nonprofit entity. This revision is implemented with an effective date of Oct. 1, 2014.  

HealthCare.gov given overhaul

Federal health officials said Monday that the Obama administration plans to redesign the HealthCare.gov website, and that 70 percent of consumers will be able to use a shorter, simpler online application to purchase health insurance. The second-annual open enrollment period begins in mid-November. More …  

Fireman’s Fund commercial-lines business to become part of Allianz

The Fireman’s Fund commercial property/casualty business will be integrated into Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty, the global corporate insurance company of Allianz. The integration further strengthens the Allianz brand in its U.S. commercial P&C business. More …  

Sending out privacy notices? Think PIA first

Under the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act, professional, independent insurance agents are required to develop and distribute privacy policies to their clients each year. PIA Creative Services makes complying with this requirement easy. Through PIA Creative Services you can send personal- and commercial-lines newsletters that can be mailed to your clients. This is a perfect way to get your privacy notice to your insureds. Contact Mike Lee at mlee@pia.org or call (800) 424-4244 for more information. For more information on privacy policies, access QS31195 in the PIA QuickSource library.  

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Ask PIA: NYAIP: Inexperienced operator surcharge

Q. My insured is an 18-year-old inexperienced operator in the New York Automobile Insurance Plan. He owns two cars. Should his rates for both cars be surcharged as an inexperienced operator, or only the vehicle he usually drives? A. If he is the principal operator of both vehicles, then both vehicles' rates must be surcharged. The NYAIP Manual Rule 28.C states, "If there is only one operator of a multi-car risk, and that operator is inexperienced, the inexperienced operator surcharge shall apply separately to each vehicle under the policy." For a more 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.  

PIA’s Market Transition Tool Kit

PIA offers information to help educate your clients and agency staff on the changing market. Through PIA’s Market Transition Tool Kit, association members have access to: information on market cycles (definitions of hard and soft markets, etc.); latest market news (industry information and survey results assessing the changing market); markets/expert information to assist clients; customer-education resources (e.g., sample letters and articles); policyholder protection laws/regulations; and excess-line market rules.  

PIANY offers Webinar on agency appraisals

Agency managers: Annual review time is just around the corner, and compensation is the single biggest expense in an agency. Do you have competent staff and appropriate job descriptions? When it comes time to evaluate your staff's performance, is it something you enjoy or something you dread? Do you know how to seek good CSR candidates to hire? PIANY will hold Agency Staffing, Performance and Job Evaluations on Thursday, Oct. 2, from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Led by Jonathan Persky, CPA, CIC, PHR, this course is not applicable for continuing-education credit. To register, click here. Can't make the live Webinar? No problem! Sign up and RSVP anyway and you will automatically get the replay.  

Additional upcoming PIANY Webinars

In addition to the Webinar on agency staffing, PIANY will offer the following Webinars in the next few months: E&O Hotspots … 2014 and Beyond^{^FF^UM} (Thursday, Oct. 16, from 10 a.m.-1 p.m., NYCE: 3 BR, C3, LB, C1, LSB, LA, PC, PA); Top Ten Personal Lines Endorsements (Tuesday, Oct. 21, from 10-11 a.m., NYCE: 1 BR, C3, PC, PA); and Ethics—Something Worth Pursuing (Tuesday, Dec. 2, from 10 a.m.-1 p.m., NYCE: 3BR, C1, C3, LA, LB, LSB, PA, PC). ^{^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.  

Workers’ compensation benefits booklet available

The New York State Workers’ Compensation Board offers a comprehensive guide for employers that explains the Workers’ Compensation Law, including who is covered, exemptions and gives an overview of the benefits under the law. Commonly asked questions also are addressed. To get your copy, access QS31215 in PIA’s QuickSource library.  

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