This is a question that I hear a lot. My response, be nice.

Once a worker is injured, they begin a journey that is usually a new one. They have many questions as to what will happen to them.
Will I lose my job?
How much will I have to pay for medical treatment?
How will I get by if I am not being paid for time off the job?
Who will help me get through this?

There are several places that the injured worker can go to for answers to these questions.
They can go to a friend, who has been through the process before.
They can contact a lawyer, whose advertisement they just saw on TV.

The best answer is if the employer has an open, supportive, and honest discussion with the injured worker. In most cases, if an injured worker is talked to and treated as “part of the work family” they will do their part to return to work without seeking to extend the duration of the claim.

It is also very important to stay in touch with the worker while he/she is away from work.
See how they are feeling.
Let them know that they are missed.
Ask if there is anything you can do to help them.
When appropriate, let them know that you would be happy to provide light duty/early return to work for them.

These steps may seem unimportant to you, but they can mean the difference between closing a claim early and having one litigated and linger on for years. Remember, the more the insurance carrier pays for claims, the more you pay for insurance.

I have instructed several of my business partners to take these steps and have seen very encouraging results. After seeing the positive results, one of my clients now sends get well cards, signed by all the co-workers to any worker whose injury keeps them away from work.

Another client offers to provide transportation to and from doctor’s visits as a means of showing how much the injured worker is missed.

If you treat an injured worker in this manner, they will understand that they are missed, needed and important. It will be much more difficult for them to take a course of action that would take advantage of the employer who cares about them.

Insurance Companies are there to pay the bills, not to help workers. You hired the employee. It is up to you to help them get back. Keep them informed, let them know that you care and that they are missed and you will see positive results. That will help minimize your cost of Insurance.

Brian Booth
Vice President/Dental Program Manager
bbooth@vanbeurden.com
Kingsburg • (559) 634-7165
Bbooth@vanbeurden.com

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This is an important issue that needs to be revisited. It has been my experience that most owners of a business opt to exclude themselves from Workers Compensation coverage. The two most common reasons are (1) I would never turn in a claim against myself and (2) Why would I pay for coverage I don’t need?

For years, most agents have accepted, even encouraged the concept of owners excluding themselves from Work Comp coverage to save a few dollars in premium. The problem is, by excluding yourself from Work Comp you may be putting yourself in danger of having your Health Care provider deny coverage for an injury that took place at work.

As Workers Compensation is the sole remedy for all injuries that take place while at work, it is the first place considered for paying medical bills resulting from a work place injury. It is a little known fact that most Health Insurance policies have wording that specifically excludes coverage for injuries that take place at work if the injured person could have been covered by a Workers Compensation policy.

This means that if you, the owner of a business, are hurt during work, your Health Insurance provider can direct the payment for your treatment towards the Workers Compensation policy you have purchased. If you chose to exclude yourself from Work Comp coverage, who may have to pay the medical bills? The answer is you.

For years, we did not see Health Care providers denying these work related claims, but that is changing. Now, many Health Care providers are asking where the injury took place. They are trying to redirect medical payments to the Work Comp carriers. Recently, we had talked to a business owner who had this very thing happen. When the owner said he was injured at work, the Health Care provider noted that in on the chart and coverage was denied by the Health Care Provider. Because the owner had decided to opt out of Work Comp coverage, he was left with a $50,000+ bill that he was personally responsible for.

The Workers Comp system makes it less painful to include the owners for coverage than you may think. Because owners payroll has a maximum of just over $100,000, the end cost to cover the owner of a dental practice is not very costly when you consider the potential loss due to uncovered medical care.

If you are interested in talking to me about this or any other aspect of your insurance needs, please email me at Bbooth@vanbeurden.com or contact me on my direct line at (559)634-7140.

Brian Booth
Vice President/Dental Program Manager
bbooth@vanbeurden.com
Kingsburg • (559) 634-7165
Bbooth@vanbeurden.com

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This last year, I experienced something that caused me to take a serious look at something most of us don’t like to think about, Life Insurance.

Last summer I took my family to Aruba for what I expected to be a very special vacation. We had a great time especially in and around the beautiful clear water there. On one afternoon, my son and I rented WaveRunners. We had a great time right up to when we ran into each other. He was fine and I was left with a sore knee. We left the next day to return to California dreading the 8 hour flights.

A few weeks after we returned, I started experiencing shortness of breath. When it continued I went to my family doctor, he ran several tests and I was sent to the Hospital. Evidently, the WaveRunner accident followed by the long air flight had caused my leg to develop Blood Clots which ended up in both of my lungs. I was lucky, the situation was caught early enough to treat but it was a very scary event. While lying in the hospital for a week, I couldn’t help but think about my mortality and what would have happened to my family if I had not been as lucky. I have Life Insurance, but honestly I bought it years ago when my life and finances were very different.

As soon as I left the hospital, I called our Life Insurance expert Brad Knerr and set up a meeting to see if my family would be properly taken care of going forward. We had a very open and through discussion and made some adjustments to my existing plan.

I know that Life Insurance discussions are not the highlight of most of our days, but it is something that all of us need to seriously address. Brad made the process very easy and stress free. Now that I have done this myself, I am much more comfortable. Perhaps not comfortable enough to ride a WaveRunner in Aruba again, but I am comfortable that if something unexpected should happen, I will not be leaving my family in a financial hole.

I would urge all of you to take the time to consider your own situation. Does your current plan provide the financial protection for your family you want? Are you sure? If not, please contact Brad Knerr and discuss it with him. Brad can be reached at 805-503-4719, or you can email him at Bknerr@vanbeurden.com.

Brian Booth
Vice President/Dental Program Manager
bbooth@vanbeurden.com
Kingsburg • (559) 634-7165
Bbooth@vanbeurden.com

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Everyone likes to have choices.

Dentists have many choices when it comes to how they run their practice. One area where dentists have had very limited choices was in their options for Professional Liability Insurance.

For instance, another large Malpractice Insurer in California sells a product that gives the insured dentist no voice in when a claim is settled. Though settling a claim can be good for the insurance company, it could be detrimental to the dentist’s reputation and also have financial consequences. Wouldn’t you want a choice in how a claim against you is handled?

We now have a solution for this: the new Pacific Preferred Dental Association’s Professional Liability policy for dentists! We originally developed this program by working with dentists to see what they wanted it to include. By starting the process this way, we were able to create a Professional Liability policy that not only meets the needs and wants of dentists, but also allows each dentist to customize coverage to his or her own practice.

Some of the features that each dentist will be able to choose from are:
* Choice of when to settle a claim
* Choice of Liability Limits
* Choice of who is covered
You can cover yourself, your practice, an associate or any combination.
This program also includes important additional coverage such as:
* HIPPA violation coverage
* Sexual Misconduct or Physical Abuse coverage
* Medical Waste Reimbursement coverage
* Defense Coverage for Administrative Disciplinary Action
In additional to all these coverage choices, you also receive one other option. You can get more and pay less! We are seeing many dentists saving more than 15% while adding more protection to their practice.

We have also made it very simple to see how much you can save while improving your protection. Just contact me at Bbooth@vanbeurden.com and I will get you an easy to fill out application. You can also call me on my direct line at (559)634-7140.

Now you really do have choices when it comes to your Professional Liability.

Brian Booth
Vice President/Dental Program Manager
bbooth@vanbeurden.com
Kingsburg • (559) 634-7165
Bbooth@vanbeurden.com

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Forbes Magazine

J. Brad Knerr
Life and Health Insurance
bknerr@vanbeurden.com
Los Osos • (805) 503-4719

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The Insurance Journal posted an article about the lack of education for the Affordable Care Act, which has Mandatory Coverage coming into affect in less than 8 months. You may find the article here: Insurance Journal Article.

Loyal readers of my blogs allready know that most Americans, including most business owners are not aware of the laws important provisions and their responsibilities. Now, legislators are finally starting to realize that this lack of education will cause problems. The Democrats, who are for the Affordable Care Act, and the Republicans, who are against the Affordable Care Act (ACA) have conflicting interests in educating people about the ACA. Democrats need to fund and promote education, while Republicans appear to have cut education funding. A poorly educated American public fits perfectly into Republican goals of trying to see “ObamaCare” fail.

My desire is to have as many people as possible have affordable access to Privately Insured Healthcare. Our current system of the 33 Million Uninsured getting their Primary Healthcare from the Emergency Room is a Moral and Financial mistake. While the Affordable Care Act may not be perfect, I believe it is a step in the right direction toward getting All Americans Health Care and participating in a Private Insurance sytem, instead of reactionary, expensive emergency room health services from a Hospital.

Chris Van Beurden
chrisvb@vanbeurden.com


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The Insurance Journal has just published a new report about where Americans get their Health Insurance coverage. The article may be found on this link.

Over the last 10 years, less workers, who are not subject to Medicare, are purchasing health care coverage from their workplace. This means that they are either uninsured or purchasing insurance privately. The vast majority of these people are uninsured. This is discouraging news on many levels. As the United States does not deny medical care to anyone, all of these uninsureds are now receiving medical attention through a Hospital Emergency Room. Emergency room visits for the uninsured is not the best way to administer health care.

With the Affordable Health Care Act provision that every US Citizen purchase Health Insurance becoming effective in less than 8 months, the increasing ranks of the uninsured will force even more people to face either a new penalty tax, apply for benefits through the California Exchange, called Covered California, or get coverage through their workplace.

Many Californians and even more Americans do not know what to do or what their responsiblities are under the Affordable Care Act. Please contact your local insurance broker to help you and your business work through this situation before the ever increasing amount of uninsured all try and get coverage, once the mandate comes into affect.

Van Beurden Insurance Services, Inc. is ready to speak with you and help you find a solution.

Chris Van Beurden
chrisvb@vanbeurden.com


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Buying in a Competitive Market

Choose a good agent: When hiring an agent in a competitive environment, you want an individual who moves quickly, is responsive and is a skilled negotiator. Meet with a few realtors before choosing one to represent you.
 
Know what you want: Do your research. Identify the area or neighborhood you want to buy in, clarify what type of home you want, and think about what concessions you would be willing to make if the home was the right price in the right location.
 
Communicate: Be very clear with your agent about your expectations. You don’t want to waste your time or theirs looking at homes that aren’t a good option for you.
 
Come prepared: Make sure you are pre-approved for a mortgage and able to close quickly.

Selling in a Competitive Market

Create the perfect listing: Do your research on what features are desirable to today’s buyers and include those buzzwords in your listing.
 
Make sure your listing shows up in the right places: Your listing should show up on sites like Trulia and Zillow, as well as on mobile real estate apps. Check that the information for your property is correct.
 
Don’t be greedy: It may be a seller’s market, but if you price your home too high, you’ll miss out on the multiple offers and bidding wars those offers generate. Research comparables in your area and price your home accordingly.

Eric Charlson
Personal Insurance
echarlson@vanbeurden.com
Fresno • (559) 634-7164

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About 15% of policyholders did not carry adequate coverage to rebuild their homes according to a recent J.D. Power insurance survey conducted in 2012. The two biggest reasons for this are: half of homeowners think the real estate value of their home dictates the policy they need, and a third buy less insurance to save money.

The real estate value of your home doesn’t affect the amount of insurance needed to financially protect your home in the event of a fire or other disaster. Also, buying less insurance may cost your more in the long run. Here are four strategies to make sure you’re getting the coverage you need at a cost you can afford:

1. Increase your deductible. It will increase your upfront costs when you file a claim, but will lower your premiums. By increasing your deductible from $500 to $1000, you could save up to 25% on your premiums.
2. Take advantage of credits. Contact me and I can make sure you are getting all the credits you are eligible for. You can get credits for anything from safety features like central station alarm systems or gas leak monitors, to temperature monitors that can save you money in the long run.
3. Bundle your policies. By purchasing multiple insurance policies at once from the same provider, you can lower your insurance costs by up to 10%.
4. Look into guaranteed or extended replacement cost coverage. You may pay up to 10% more to buy a guaranteed policy, but can cover repairs or replacement of your home even if it exceeds the policy’s cost limits.

Consider reevaluating or reexamining what your policy covers with your insurance agent to make sure that your home is protected in the event of a real estate fluctuation, fire or other disaster

Eric Charlson
Personal Insurance
echarlson@vanbeurden.com
Fresno • (559) 634-7164

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Before buying a home, a proper inspection can save you a lot of money and strife. Typically, homeowners insurance covers the structure of your home, personal belongings, liability and other additional expenses. However, it will only pay for coverage after a covered event, not if the house has preexisting damage.

 An inspector can warn you of issues with your structural damage, which can help you negotiate the price of the home, or prepare for costs you may incur without help from your insurance.  

 Finding a reliable and thorough inspector is important to ensure you’re aware of any problems your new home may have. Here are some important steps to take and questions to ask when hiring an inspector:

 Don’t take the inspection report from your seller. They may mean well, but hiring an inspector that you’ve thoroughly evaluated is always more reliable.

 Ask to see certification. Inspectors are qualified as home inspectors through a few certifications and memberships including accreditation through the American Society of Home Inspectors and a membership at the National Association of Certified Home Inspectors.

 Do they have experience? Ask how long they’ve been in business and request references for their home inspection work.

 What does the inspection cover? Make sure the report will be comprehensive. Most inspectors can provide you a list of what will be looked at and how long and inspection would take. The average inspection should take as long as two to three hours.

 Do they have Errors and Omissions Insurance? Mistakes can happen. Ask your inspector if they carry errors and omissions coverage to cover any financial losses you may incur if something is overlooked.

 Be present for the inspection.  Ask a lot of questions and pay attention to what the inspector says while going through the home. You may also want to bring a camera to record and remember the location of problems.

 Read the inspection report.  Then read it again. You may get more information on problems found in the house, or discover issues they didn’t mention during the walk through.

 If you have any questions on the home inspection process, and what costs are and aren’t covered in your home insurance, send me an email, I’d be happy to answer them.

Eric Charlson
Personal Insurance
echarlson@vanbeurden.com
Fresno • (559) 634-7164

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