Agent News

3CU is excited to announce the addition of agribusiness to our appetite. This decision comes in response to the consistent feedback we have received from our agents about expanding our reach, and careful examination of our book of business and the marketplace.

“The growth of profitable niche business is key to our success,” said Marguerite Dixen, president of Third Coast Underwriters. “We are proud of the historic success of our unique approach to business and will work hard to bring that same focus and market differentiation to this new segment for our organization and all of our trusted agent partners.”

Agribusiness covers commercial operations from the farm through the first processor, including supporting input and output providers. To learn about the variety of operations we look forward to writing with you, check out 3CU’s new Agribusiness Segment Guide.

To support this expansion, we are excited to announce the hiring of Bill Simonson, the new Regional Director of Agribusiness. Simonson has a long history of building a profitable, diverse book of business and cultivating long-standing business relationships. In addition to his expertise and technical knowledge in this segment, he has also received his Agribusiness Farm Insurance Specialist (AFIS) and Certified Insurance Counselor (CIC) designations.

We look forward to our continued partnership with you as we provide your customers expert knowledge and service across our core segments. If you have a tough piece of business to write in a specific market, please visit our Segment Leaders Knowledge Center to locate our expert in that area, or contact your underwriter to discuss any questions or concerns you have about coverage.

At 3CU, we focus on customers with complex operations and challenging exposures that require unique workers’ compensation solutions.

To make our core business segments easier to find on our website, we have now added a “Segments” header to the toolbar on 3CU.com and re-designed our Segments pages so that each one now has its own dedicated page. These new pages offer:

• Detailed lists of the operation that we write
• Email links to the dedicated Segment Leader for each segment for easy contact
• A link to our video library
• The ability to download and print segment-specific marketing fliers

You can find a list of our targeted business segments for workers’ compensation below. Please note that the minimum premium for eligible operations is $150,000.

Agribusiness

We write commercial agribusiness operations from the farm through the first processor, including supporting input and output providers.

Construction

3CU’s clients in this segment represent most trades within the industry.

Emerging Markets

We’re experienced in workers’ compensation for new and emerging markets, including waste reduction, recycling, scrap or alternative energy business.

Energy (Gas & Oil)

With an average 19 years of expertise in servicing the needs of the oil and gas industry, our underwriting, loss control and claims teams work together to produce positive outcomes for your customers’ operations.

Mergers and Acquisitions

3CU’s expert underwriting team can help design a program that covers your clients’ needs with flexibility and confidentiality.

Specialty Transportation

3CU concentrates on select aspects of the transportation industry that can benefit from a specialty approach.

USL&H

Our experts review accounts thoroughly to design programs that deliver optimal outcomes and ensure USL&H exposures are managed and controlled.

Citing a need to conduct additional outreach as well as provide educational materials and guidance for employers, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration has postponed the enforcement date of the anti-retaliation provisions of its new injury and illness tracking rule. Enforcement will begin on Nov. 1, 2016, instead of the originally scheduled date, Aug. 10, 2016.

From the OSHA press release announcing the delay: “Under the rule, employers are required to inform workers of their right to report work-related injuries and illnesses without fear of retaliation; implement procedures for reporting injuries and illnesses that are reasonable and do not deter workers from reporting; and incorporate the existing statutory prohibition on retaliating against workers for reporting injuries and illnesses.”

Please encourage your policyholders to familiarize themselves with this new rule, and to learn what types of businesses the standard impacts and when the submission deadlines go into effect, by reading our updated article on this topic.

Third Coast Underwriters is using social media to provide a greater connection to value-added services, training, industry news and much more. We’d love to connect with you in this space! Here’s a quick review of our social channels:

LinkedIn

Our LinkedIn company page is a convenient way to network with those you interact with at 3CU as well as other business partners within the industry. You’ll find links to 3CU and industry news, notices of new marketing materials and other buzz-worthy news. Follow us now on LinkedIn.

Twitter

Enjoy your news in smaller doses? Then, follow us on Twitter at @ThirdCoast3CU. You’ll find similar news and updates that we share elsewhere, with plenty of links to additional information.

Facebook

On Facebook, you’ll find the latest 3CU news, great tools for you and your policyholders to use, philanthropic events that we’re supporting and plenty of links to worthwhile industry content. If your agency is on Facebook and you have events or information that you’d like to cross-promote, send us a message and we’ll get the word out. “Like” us now at Facebook.com/ThirdCoastUnderwriters.

These sites won’t replace any of the ways we currently communicate with you, they simply offer more ways to stay in touch with and connected to 3CU!

Starting this quarter, we’ll be including information and tips on cyber security in an effort to keep your business safe – and ours!  In this edition, we want to share a few scams to be aware of.

First, whether on a personal device or a work-provided one, it’s important to be mindful of the kinds of apps you’re downloading. One recent example is the Pokémon Go app, which is wildly popular. Researchers have discovered that many “online tutorials” for the app are linked to malicious software. There is malicious software that specifically targets Android devices, while some will target iOS devices. Learn more here.

Next, there are several social media scams to be aware of, including fake accounts, comments, discounts, surveys and more. Read about the top five social media-related scams here.

Lastly, and perhaps most disturbing, many online scammers are preying on the public’s empathy for tragedies like the Orlando club shooting by running fake charity scams. Click here for a few tips to keep in mind when helping out.

When in doubt, Google the latest cyber scams before clicking on an unfamiliar link.

We hope these tips will help keep your agency digitally safe. For more useful information, click here for the Department of Homeland Security’s “Stop.Think.Connect.” Toolkit.

AF Group – through our brands, Accident Fund Insurance Company of America, United Heartland, CompWest and Third Coast Underwriters – is committed to providing the best experience possible for our customers. To assist us in this endeavor, we are conducting a customer experience survey in early October aimed at three key groups – you, our agents, policyholders and injured workers (non-litigated claims only). The responses we receive will help us identify areas to focus on and prioritize as we develop services, products, systems and processes across all our brands in the future.

To build excitement and increase participation, respondents will have the chance to win a $500 gift card! The survey will be available from Monday, Oct. 3 to Friday, Dec. 2, 2016. A link to the survey will be sent on Monday, Oct. 3, to agents via an Agent Alert and via email to those policyholders that we have email addresses for. Postcards containing survey information will be sent to policyholders and injured workers shortly after its launch. Most people will complete the survey in five to 10 minutes.

We especially encourage you to promote this survey with our policyholders so we can ensure we’re meeting their needs and providing the best experience possible. You are our best avenue of communication for many of these individuals and they trust your judgment.

We appreciate your partnership and your assistance with this important initiative. If your questions are not answered below, please reach out to your business development consultant or underwriter for more information.

Customer Experience Survey FAQs

What is this survey for?

This survey is designed to measure how our customers view their interactions with AF Group and our four insurance brands so our organization can develop strategies and direct future resources in response to their feedback.

How do you access the survey?

The survey will be available via web links that will be promoted via emails, postcards and on our customer phone lines. As part of the survey process, respondents will be asked to identify as an agent, policyholder or injured worker and then identify their brand affiliation.

When will the survey be available?

Monday, Oct. 3 to Friday, Dec. 2, 2016.

Is the survey anonymous?

Respondents can remain anonymous, but to be entered in the drawing for a chance to win a $500 gift card, a name and email address must be provided.

What if I’m an agent that writes with multiple AF Group brands?

In the survey, after you identify yourself as an agent, you will be asked: “Please select the brand you primarily do business with. You will be given a chance to review other brands later in the survey.” This will allow you to provide your customer experience feedback for all the brands you work with.

What if my customers or I have technical issues with the survey?

Send all technical questions to [email protected]. You can also contact your business development consultant or underwriter.

How will policyholders and injured workers (non-litigated claims only) be informed of the survey?

For policyholders and injured workers that we do have email addresses for, we will communicate to them electronically. We will also be sending postcards in the mail to policyholders and injured workers promoting the survey close to the survey start date. Customers calling into our brand phone lines will also hear a brief message at the beginning of each call directing them to the survey link. We hope to count on you as well to spread the word to your policyholders about our customer experience survey!

Will this customer experience survey replace the annual agent and customer satisfaction surveys?

While we have conducted different surveys to collect agent and policyholder feedback in the past, it is our intention to use this single survey to collect feedback from these key stakeholders in the future. The frequency of the survey’s distribution is still undetermined.

National

The National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) has produced a second draft of the data security model law, which would set standards for insurance companies, agencies and brokers about how and when to notify consumers when a security or data breach occurs. AF Group Government Affairs, in coordination with our Information Security team, remains engaged in the national cyber debate as an active participant in the American Insurance Association’s (AIA) Cyber Task Force. On a weekly basis, the task force of industry representatives and technology subject matter experts convenes to hear current events and developments taking place in the cyber arena.

At this time, the industry continues to highlight the priority concern of uniformity to NAIC. AF Group’s primary concern with NAIC’s model law pertains to uniformity and that NAIC should not make the current landscape more complicated for insurers by creating an additional layer of potentially conflicting security and breach requirements. We recognize a need to establish security standards for the industry, but we need a well-drafted law that gives insurers a clear path to compliance without imposing burdens that do not help consumers. We believe it is essential that any model adopted by the NAIC and enacted in the states reflects reasonable and practical breach response protocols, protect consumers, and be adopted uniformly throughout the country.  AF Group will continue to remain engaged nationally as cyber rules and regulations are developed.

Oklahoma

Oklahoma’s workers’ compensation alternative, the “Oklahoma Option”, which was established in the 2013 overhaul of the state’s workers’ comp system, has been ruled unconstitutional by the Oklahoma Supreme Court. The court ruled it was an unconstitutional “special law” that gave employers the ability to provide inequitable treatment for their injured workers.  The law had allowed employers to “opt-out” of the state’s workers’ compensation system by offering an alternative private plan. This decision ultimately leaves Texas as the only state that allows employers to not carry workers’ compensation insurance.

Although the industries opposition efforts of legislative opt-out proposals have been successful to date, we anticipate renewed challenges in 2017 from proponents in Tennessee, South Carolina, and potentially Wisconsin.  AF Group will continue to keep you informed as opt-out initiatives gain attention and momentum throughout the 2017 legislative cycle.

Missouri

The 2016 legislative session has brought a modification to the Missouri Workers’ Compensation Law. Under current Missouri law, the employer has the option to pay the entire medical cost associated with a medical-only claim (no lost-time benefits) that does not exceed $1,000. If the employer exercises this option, then the claim will not impact the calculation of the experience modification (though the employer maintains an obligation to report the injury). Under enacted law SB 700, as of Aug. 28, 2016, the maximum amount for a claim to be eligible for this option would be increased from $1,000 to 20% of the experience rating split point, or $3,200 based on the currently approved split point of $16,000 in Missouri. Since the split point may change annually due to inflation adjustments, the maximum amount for a claim to be eligible for this option would be expected to increase over time.

Click here to view the enacted legislation. The new language of significance is on pages four and five.

Sources:  NCCI, AIA, MIRS, WorkCompCentral