Archive for category: Blog

Do you know how we get paid? Have you ever thought about that? Are you reading this but aren’t OUR client? Then you REALLY should pay attention. Insurance brokers are paid a percentage of the premium you pay. Think about that for a minute… The commission rate is set and isn’t typically negotiable with the insurance carriers. For example, for a general liability policy, the typical broker commission is 10%. If the annual premium is $13,000 then the insured will have to pay $13,000 and the insurance broker will receive $1,300 of that $13,000.

Consider this scenario: Lil Rugrats Football Club needs to purchase a general liability policy and finds themselves at May B. Covered Agency asking for help. May B. Covered Agency runs quotes and receives back quotes at $8120, $12,200 and $9,500 from three separate insurance companies.

Which quote do you think May B. Covered Agency is going to present to the Lil Rugrats Football Club? If they are only thinking about their own wallet, they will tell the football club that their general liability premium will be $12,200 for the year. Why? Because May B. Covered Agency will be paid $1,220, rather than $812 if he had sold the lowest premium policy. Now, keep in mind, not all insurance companies are equal. Some are better than others, so there are other factors than JUST price that dictates one quote being recommended over another. All too often, however, when we do free reviews of business insurance policies, we see them falling prey to similar situations.

How does an insurance agency give back to their community? How does an insurance agency gain trust and a great reputation? BY FINDING THE BEST SOLUTIONS AT THE MOST AFFORDABLE PRICES AVAILABLE! We pride ourselves in doing this for our clients! In fact, we CELEBRATE when we have been able to lower premiums for our clients. Yes, this means we are paid less but it all comes around. Happy clients refer their friends which turns into more business in the end.

What is the motive of an insurance broker to find you lower premiums? Well, it should be to help their community in general and to build a trusting relationship with their clients. Padding their own pocket should not be their motive.

At ANI, our goal is to give back to our community. One way we do this is by helping find lower premiums for our clients, if at all possible! We offer FREE policy reviews. Don’t hesitate to take us up on this – it is another way we are giving back!

Did you know we give our business clients an HR Benefit Admin/Enrollment platform for FREE? No cost. Zippo – none!  How DOES an insurance agency give back to the community?  This is one of the ways – by providing free technology tools to put an end to the paper chase and allow companies to administer all things HR from one convenient, organized location.

Employee benefits can be complicated, but enrollment doesn’t have to be.  Our platform guides employees through the hiring process and benefits enrollment process, which makes picking a benefit plan more like online shopping.

Got a new hire?  How do you handle that now?  Do you hand them a thick stack of paperwork that they have to fill out, repeatedly filling in the same information and signing form after form?  Our system is easy.  The employee logs in, types in their name, address, etc. ONCE and then electronically signs.  BOOM SHOCKA LOCKA – done!  Even better is when the employee clicks submit…all interested parties are emailed a copy of the completed paperwork and benefit elections.  Imagine if your HR dept, payroll dept. and benefits broker all were simultaneously emailed the same information?  No need to imagine – we offer this platform as our way of giving back!

Imagine this scenario:  You own a roofing company.  It is constantly a point of frustration trying to track down your crew for their open enrollment benefit elections, or their signature on the latest safety protocol you want to follow.  And let’s not even begin to discuss how difficult it is to read their handwriting when you finally do get back some paperwork.  What if each roofer could just log into a website where you could track who has, and who has not, completed their forms?  It’s here, waiting for you to use through your partnership with ANI.

Need to terminate that one roofer who would rather play in their garden over showing up for work?  No problem.  With our HR Benefit Admin system, all you have to do is log in, click their name, type in their last date of hire and BOOM – all departments are sent an email to terminate the employee.

We know every business uses technology differently.  Whether your employees are office-based or out on the job, our HR software solution is easy to use, no matter where you are, or what kind of work you do. Complete onboarding documents, view benefit elections, review & sign notices, and more.

Put an end to the paper chase.  A single all-in-one HR software solution means everything works together like it should – that’s better for business and better for your employees!

Did you know your health insurance offers preventative services for FREE – that’s right! There is a whole list of preventative services that you can get for FREE as long as you are seeing a provider who is contracted with your insurance carrier (in-network).

What are these services? The list is extensive. Check with your insurance carrier, or read through your medical policy (Say WHAT? Yes, you really should). Health insurance is expensive, no doubt, but medical services are even more costly. Taking good care of yourself is essential! How often do you take your car in for its regular maintenance, oil changes, tire rotation, etc.  You are more important than your car! Don’t neglect yourself but instead, take advantage of services designed to keep you healthy!

Here is a short list of what services are considered preventive for adults and are covered at 100%.

Abdominal aortic aneurysm one-time screening for men of specified ages who have ever smoked

Alcohol misuse screening and counseling

Aspirin use to prevent cardiovascular disease and colorectal cancer for adults 50 to 59 years with a high cardiovascular risk

Blood pressure screening

Cholesterol screening for adults of certain ages or at higher risk

Colorectal cancer screening for adults 50 to 75

Depression screening

Diabetes (Type 2) screening for adults 40 to 70 years who are overweight or obese

Diet counseling for adults at higher risk for chronic disease

Falls prevention (with exercise or physical therapy and vitamin D use) for adults 65 years and over, living in a community setting

Hepatitis B screening

Hepatitis C screening for adults at increased risk, and one time for everyone born 1945–1965

HIV screening for everyone ages 15 to 65, and other ages at increased risk

Immunization vaccines for adults — doses, recommended ages, and recommended populations vary:
Diphtheria
Hepatitis A
Hepatitis B
Herpes Zoster
Human Papillomavirus (HPV)
Influenza (flu shot)
Measles
Meningococcal
Mumps
Pertussis
Pneumococcal
Rubella
Tetanus
Varicella (Chickenpox)

Lung cancer screening

Obesity screening and counseling

Sexually transmitted infection (STI) prevention counseling for adults at higher risk

Statin preventive medication for adults 40 to 75 at high risk

Syphilis screening for adults at higher risk

Tobacco use screening for all adults and cessation interventions for tobacco users

Tuberculosis screening for certain adults without symptoms at high risk

WHEW – and there are other lists for children and specific to women! Time to take advantage of your FREE preventative medical screenings!

What is “Replacement Cost”?

One of the most important distinctions you’ll need to know as a homeowner is the difference between replacement cost and market value. Why? Because if you insure your home based on its market value – i.e., its selling price – you may be insuring it for just a fraction of what it would cost to rebuild.

A replacement cost takes into account many of the same factors as the market value – age, size, condition and location – but adds in other factors such as debris removal, contractors’ fees and architects’ fees. Insuring your home to its replacement cost is the only way to guarantee the kind of full protection and peace of mind that an investment of this size requires.

For more information on insuring your home at its replacement cost, contact us ~ 907-562-3020

No POOL for you! The Assigned Risk Pool was established by each state to make sure employers could obtain workers compensation insurance even if standard market insurance companies were not willing to provide coverage for their business. Assigned Risk Pool rates are HIGHER than those for the same classification codes in the standard market. Assigned Risk Pool Plans are generally the market of last resort. You DO NOT want to be in THIS pool! You will pay more just to dip your toes here.

You’ll find that somewhere around 10% of all insured employers found within NCCI governed states are swimming in the pool! A significant number of insureds!

Why are you in the “Pool”?

Possibly you are a high-risk industry such as oil drilling operations or roofing;
Maybe because you have significant past work comp losses and are no longer acceptable to insurers who operate in the standard market place;
Or you are a new business and not considered acceptable in the standard market and are thus forced to secure workers comp coverage through the Assigned Risk Pool.

Sadly, we also find sometimes employers are in the “Pool” because their broker doesn’t have access to standard markets for them, or didn’t move them out once they were no longer considered a new business.

We have GREAT work comp carriers who LOVE to insure high risk markets. Let us hand you a virtual towel and get you out of the “Pool”! Call ANI 907-562-3020.