With the evolving and significant changes happening in the world around the
coronavirus and its impact on commercial insureds, we have received a number of questions from our clients regarding business income coverage. Designed to protect a business in the event of an interruption in operations caused by a physical loss that results in financial downturn, business income coverage serves to cover the period of time it takes to rebuild, repair or replace damaged property. Requirements for the coverage to trigger vary across insurance carriers. Additionally, each state has its own department of insurance that governs what is acceptable insurance language which can cause variations from state to state. Most insurance companies policy forms incorporate approved Insurance Services Office (ISO) policy terms and conditions. Following ISO, the business income insuring agreement requires a covered cause of loss that causes direct physical loss of, or damage to, the property at the described premises. The cause of loss must also cause a necessary interruption of operations that results in business income loss. Without a direct physical loss, business income coverage will not be triggered. There will also not be a period of restoration of property to determine business income loss. In addition to the terms of business income coverage, policies include Exclusion of Loss Due To Virus or Bacteria (form numbers CP0140 or CP7140), which exclude commercial property losses resulting from any virus, bacterium or other microorganism that induces or is capable of inducing physical distress, illness or disease. Form number CP0140 is found on newer Insurance policies. Form number CP7140 appears on older policies. These endorsements have been used since they were issued and filed by ISO several years ago. With any claim, policy wording and the specific trigger driving losses determine the applicability of coverage. If a formal property business income claim is filed, it will be adjusted on the applicable policy wording and specific details driving the loss. Theodore & Associates is committed to supporting you through the challenges of the coronavirus. We will continue to monitor the evolving situation and work with you through this uncertain time.
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The holiday shopping season will be here before you know it. But there’s an even more important shopping period to think about first: Open Enrollment.
Whether you’re buying your own health insurance for the first time or are considering switching plans, Open Enrollment may seem like a confusing, stress-inducing event. But it doesn’t have to be. Here’s everything you need to conquer this year’s health insurance signup process. What is Open Enrollment? Open Enrollment is the annual period of time when everyone gets a chance to sign up for health insurance for the coming year. This year, you may have heard the approaching enrollment period referred to as “Open Enrollment 2020”. Employers that offer health benefits also have an annual enrollment period to allow employees to switch plans. While most companies kick off their signup process toward the end of the year (usually October or November), the start date and enrollment window vary from business to business. Why is Open Enrollment a thing? Before the Affordable Care Act (ACA) was passed in 2010, signing up for individual health insurance was often a challenge. If you had a pre-existing health condition, or had a family history of certain types of diseases, insurers could deny you coverage or charge you much higher rates than healthy people. These practices prevented people from gaming the system by only signing up for insurance after they developed a health issue. But they also kept many consumers from getting coverage, either because they were denied insurance or because they couldn’t afford it. After the ACA was passed, new consumer protections were put in place to ensure everyone can get health insurance, regardless of health history. It also provided subsidies to help lower-income people pay for coverage. But these new policies removed the check in place to prevent people from getting insurance only when they really needed it. And thus, Open Enrollment was born. Under normal circumstances, Open Enrollment is your once-a-year chance to sign up for health insurance. If you miss this window, you have to wait until the next Open Enrollment period to get a new plan (with some exceptions – more on that later). By restricting signups to a limited time frame, insurers are protected from people dropping in and out of plans, paying for coverage only when they have an active health issue. What’s changed for this year’s Open Enrollment? For the most part, this year’s Open Enrollment will look a lot like last year. The signup dates are the same. The state and federal Marketplaces still exist, and are one of several ways you can purchase a health insurance plan for 2020. Subsidies will still be available for those that qualify for financial assistance. Looking for new health insurance for 2020? Start a free quote here. When is Open Enrollment?For health insurance plans beginning in 2020, Open Enrollment starts on November 1, 2019 and ends on December 15, 2019. But some states have extended the Open Enrollment period until January to give people more time to sign up. What information do I need to collect for Open Enrollment? In order to sign up for a plan during Open Enrollment, you’ll need a few key pieces of information, including:
Can I sign up for insurance outside of Open Enrollment? If you don’t sign up for a health insurance plan during Open Enrollment, and your life circumstances remain the same, you’ll have to wait until next November for your next chance to enroll. However, if your life circumstances do change, you may be able to get insured during a Special Enrollment period. Special Enrollment is a 60-day enrollment window that happens when you experience a qualifying life event – a fancy phrase for a significant change that impacts your status. Qualifying life events include things like:
Contact our Benefits Department today to learn more and get covered! Hurricanes are strong storms that cause life and property threatening hazards such as flooding, storm surge, high winds and tornadoes. Preparation is the best protection against the dangers of a hurricane. As forecasters track a hurricane the terms “hurricane watch” and “hurricane warning” will be used often. It is important to know the difference:
What Should I Do?
What Supplies Do I Need?
What Do I Do After A Hurricane?
Let Your Family Know You Are Safe! If your community experiences a hurricane or any disaster, register on the American Red Cross Safe and Well website available through RedCross.org/SafeandWell to let your family and friends know about your welfare. If you do not have Internet access, call 1-866-GET-INFO to register yourself and your family. Click here to download a Hurricane Safety Checklist provided by the Red Cross. Click Here for How To Prepare for Hurricane Safety! 3 Steps Homeowners Can Take to Stay Safe This Holiday Season
The holiday season is the most wonderful time of the year, but it’s also one of the most dangerous. The United States Fire Administration reported that structure fires, and the dollar loss per fire, is nearly one-third higher between December 1 and January 7. On Christmas Day alone, the incidence of fires caused by candles quadruples compared to any other day of the year. The holidays can also be a peak time of year for home burglaries as many police departments across the country list the week after Christmas as the highest burglary caseload. You can escape these worst-case scenarios with common sense and a little forethought. To keep your home safe and secure this holiday season, here are three simple rules. 1. Don’t Leave the Kitchen Unattended One of the leading causes of fires during the holidays isn’t Christmas trees or Christmas lights—it’s cooking. While cooking-related fires are most common on Thanksgiving, Christmas Day and Christmas Eve aren’t far behind. Home fires occur in the kitchen more than any other room in the house. Make sure that you have a smoke alarm near the kitchen and that the batteries are in working order before you begin your holiday meal preparations. If you follow the rule of never leaving the stove or oven unattended, you can avoid a potentially dangerous situation. Distractions are inevitable when your extended family arrives for Christmas Day festivities. Adding an extra set of hands to assist with cooking can help mitigate the risk of a potential fire hazard. 2. Mind Your Festive Lights Even if you follow all instructions, like making sure that the base of your Christmas tree is always submerged in water, you are still at risk for a fire if you don’t manage your Christmas lights safely. To lower your risk of a fire, always follow these light-safety tips:
Outdoor lights are a little more complex—and just as dangerous. Keep these basic guidelines in mind when setting up your display:
3. Don’t Leave Your Home (and Gifts) Vulnerable Leaving your house clearly unattended is an open invitation for burglars. If you plan on going out of town, even for a day or two, follow these simple rules:
Even if you’re staying home this holiday season, you still need to take steps to defend your home against burglars:
Get Peace of Mind This Holiday Season from Auto-Owners Insurance This holiday season is the perfect time to check with your insurance agent to confirm that you are protected against everything that could go wrong. The independent agents are experts at seeing gaps in your home insurance coverage that could leave you and your home vulnerable. For example, what if gifts are stolen from the trunk of your car while it’s parked in your driveway? Is that covered? Your insurance agent can answer all these home insurance questions and give you the peace of mind that comes with knowing that your home and your presents are protected this holiday season. for more information, please visit Auto-Owners' blog. |
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