CBS4 News: Focus on South Florida - Wellness Programs

CBS4 reporter Jawan Strader talks with Tori Gabriel, Director of Education and Prevention at the Florida Heart Research Institute and Kirstie Settas-Jones, Director of Corporate Health Management and Wellness Services at Seitlin to find out why employers in South Florida are implementing Worksite Wellness Programs to promote healthy habits among their employees and improve their bottom line.

http://miami.cbslocal.com/2012/02/28/focus-on-south-florida-worksite-wellness-awards/

The Consortium for a Healthier Miami-Dade, the Florida Heart Research Institute and Seitlin invite employers in South Florida, from Orlando all the way down to Key West, to attend their fourth annual Worksite Wellness Forum and Awards event on Friday, April 20th at the Miami Beach Resort and Spa.

MORNING WORKSHOPS

3 CHES or HR Credits Available
8:00 am - 8:30 am Workshops Registration & Breakfast
8:30 am - 10:00 am "Selling Wellness to your CFO", Jim Wachtel, National Sales Director, HealthCheck360
10:00 am - 11:30 am "Legal Dos and Don'ts of Workplace Wellness", Peter J. Marathas, Esq., Partner, Proskauer Rose

$65.00 INCLUDES HEALTHY BREAKFAST, MORNING WORKSHOPS WITH EDUCATIONAL CREDITS AND PARKING

AWARDS LUNCHEON WITH KEYNOTE SPEAKER

"Financial Benefits to Worksite Wellness"
Michael O'Donnell, PhD, Founder & Editor
American Journal of Health Promotion
Cynthia Demos, CBS-4 Anchor as Emcee
11:30 am - 12:30 pm Registration, Networking & Exhibitors
12:30 pm - 1:15 pm Healthy Lunch & Opening Remarks
1:15 pm - 2:00 pm Keynote Address
2:00 pm - 2:30 pm Awards Presentation

$65.00 INCLUDES AWARDS LUNCHEON AND PARKING
ATTEND BOTH MORNING WORKSHOPS AND LUNCHEON FOR $110.00

To register for the event, go to www.worksitewellnessawards.org and click “Online Event Registration”.

2012 South Florida Worksite Wellness Forum and Awards – April 20, 2012

Seitlin invites you to the fourth annual South Florida Worksite Wellness Forum and Awards hosted by the Florida Heart Research Institute and the Consortium for a Healthier Miami-Dade. Don’t miss the opportunity to hear national leaders in the field speak about what you need to know about worksite wellness programs and meet local businesses already working to foster loyal employees and reduce their bottom line through worksite wellness.

FRIDAY, APRIL 20th, 2012

MORNING WORKSHOPS

“Selling Wellness to your CFO”

Jim Wachtel, National Sales Director, HealthCheck360

8:30am – 10:00am

"Legal Dos and Don'ts of Workplace Wellness"

Peter J. Marathas, Esq., Partner, Proskauer

10:00am – 11:30am

*Total of 3 CHES and HR Credits

AWARDS LUNCHEON WITH KEYNOTE SPEAKER

“Financial Benefits to Worksite Wellness”

Michael O'Donnell, PhD, Founder & Editor

American Journal of Health Promotion

11:30am – 2:30pm

Miami Beach Resort and Spa

4833 Collins Avenue

Miami Beach, FL 33140

For more information about the event including registration, nominations and partnership packages go to http://www.worksitewellnessawards.org/.

After the Storm - Post-Hurricane Activities

You’ve sustained a major loss, perhaps as a result of a fire or hurricane. Now what?

• Give the insurer prompt notice of the loss or damage; include a description of the property involved.  One of your first calls after the loss occurs should be a report of claim to the insurer, either direct to the insurer or via Seitlin. Don’t wait for perfect information; the insurer will work with you to fill in any gaps. Instead, report what you know now.

• As soon as possible, give the insurer a description of how, when and where the loss or damage occurred. This information can be provided as part of the first report if available, or as it becomes available. Again, the key is to get the information to the insurer as soon as you can.

• The policy requires the insured to try to prevent further loss or damage: “Take all reasonable steps to protect the Covered Property from further damage, and keep a record of your expenses necessary to protect the Covered Property, for consideration in the settlement of the claim.”  In a nutshell, you must do what you reasonably can, as quickly as you can, to protect the property from further damage. This might include temporary repairs, e.g. boarding up broken windows, or beginning cleanup, e.g. drying out wet carpet and drywall, or moving undamaged property to a secure location out of harm’s way. DO NOT make permanent repairs to your damaged property unless the adjuster has reviewed your claim and given you permission to proceed. 

• Have you identified and made arrangements with localcontractors, including restoration contractors, to begin cleanup, make temporary repairs, and salvage equipment and other property that can be saved? This could include "drying out" the premises, moving salvageable property to another location, and separating out property that is a total loss.  Do what you can prior to the loss to be prepared to discharge your duties after the loss. Remember too that Insurers tend to pay these post-loss, mitigation-related expenses as incurred as long as they aren’t exorbitant in light of the circumstances. Keep good records of your expenditures and present them to the insurer early on. An “advance payment” in reimbursement of the expenses is likely.

• If feasible, set the damaged property aside and in the best possible order for examination.  In addition, take photographs of all damaged property, real and personal, right after the loss to the extent possible with safety foremost in mind. This will enhance the presentation of your claim and assist the adjuster in his or her investigation.

• Generally, an insured has the burden to establish coverage under the policy and the amount of the covered loss. Seitlin personnel will help you to establish coverage but providing sufficient documentation in support of the claim is something the insured should be prepared to do. This will likely be the most time consuming and difficult part of the process.

• Do youback up data,including business and accounting records,regularly and maintain the back up data in a secure offsite location?  It should now be clear that your business records will be invaluable in expediting the settlement of your claim. Spending some time before a loss occurs with your post-loss Duties in mind will facilitate the discharge of those duties.

• Finally, cooperate with us in the investigation or settlement of the claim.  You must cooperate with the insurer, e.g. by providing the documentation and access they are entitled to. If you don’t, the settlement process will grind to a halt. The vast majority of insurers want to work with their insuredsto arrive at a fair settlement as quickly as possible. However, insurers are very willing to wait indefinitely to get information they are reasonably entitled to.

We encourage our clients to take the path of least resistance, i.e. work with, not against the insurer.  Please remember to contact your Seitlin Claim Consultant with any questions you may have.

Hurricane Preparedness Strategies

A prompt, fair settlement of a first party property insurance claim primarily depends on two things; sufficient insurance coverage and sufficient documentation to establish the amount of the loss.

Coverage is fixed; there is nothing you can do to change it to your benefit after a loss occurs. Therefore, you should focus on the things you can influence or control, e.g. avoidance, mitigation and documentation as more fully described below, to enhance the final outcome after a claim is submitted.

It’s especially important to do what you can “pre-loss” to be prepared to move forward quickly after a loss occurs, including discharge of your duties under the policy.

 

Are you prepared to move forward in the optimal manner after a loss? The answers to the following questions may help you to determine your state of readiness. “No” answers are not the ideal and may indicate a “preparedness gap.” We recommend taking action as follows to close the gap before a loss occurs.

 

1. Avoiding a loss is the best strategy. Have you done everything you can do to avoid or minimize a loss, e.g. alarms, sprinklers,hurricane shutters orimpact resistant glass, upgrading structures to meet the current building code?

 

2. Do your contracts include a clause that shields you from liability for damages if you are unable to perform your contractual obligations as a result of events or forces beyond your control?

 

3. Have you assigned internal responsibility for handling the claim with the insurer and communicating with corporate management, especially if multiple locations are involved?

 

4. Do you keep a list of relevant insurance policies and related information including:

• Contact information for your Seitlin agent
• Insurer names, policy numbers, policy periods, deductibles and coverage limits
• Instructions for contacting insurers directly if your Seitlin agent is unavailable

You should keep a copy of your completed list both on and off premises.In addition, provide your Seitlin agent with contact information for your key personnel.

5. Do you have contingency plansfor securing essential services at your current location if services are disrupted? Will a generator be available? Can you obtain internet and phone service by satellite or other means? Have you secured access to fuel for your fleet?

 

6. Assuming you can't continue operating at your current location, have you made arrangements to operateatanother location?

 

7. Have you identifiedequipment dealers or leasing companieswho can provide necessary equipment to keep your business going in the short term and provide replacement equipment going forward?

 

8. Have you identified and made arrangements with local contractors, including restoration contractors,tobegin cleanup, make temporary repairs, and salvage equipment and other propertythat can be saved? This could include "drying out" the premises to avoid mold, moving salvageable property to another location, and separating out property that is a total loss.

 

9. Do you maintain a continuously updated inventory of all your business personal property, including documentation [receipts, photos, video records] to prove the existence of the property?

 

10. Have you identified the best sources for replacement of your business personal property?

 

11. Do you back up data,including business and accounting records,regularly and maintain the back up data in a secure offsite location?

 

Seitlin personnel are ready to assist you with pre-loss preparation. Please contact Seitlin with any questions or concerns you may have.

Worksite Wellness. Health Management. Employee Health Promotion.

It really doesn’t matter what you choose to call it – you either “get it” or you don’t; if you don’t, you will have to at some point. Healthcare in the United States is making this concept a necessity.

 

Our employees are not the healthiest, but yet up to 75% of illness are preventable. Out of 100 employees…

 

• 25 have cardiovascular disease
• 12 are asthmatic
• 6 are diabetic
• 26 have high blood pressure
• 30 have high cholesterol
• 38 are overweight
• 21 smoke
• 31 use alcohol excessively
• 20 don’t wear seatbelts
• 24 don’t exercise
• 44 suffer from stress or depression

Source: Department of Health and Human Services, 2007

 

Why implement a comprehensive workplace wellness initiative?

 

• Encourages employees to take responsibility in maintaining their health, as well as their families health 
• Health risks in a population translate into increased health care costs in the future
• 50 -75% of health claims are lifestyle related and are CONTROLLABLE
• Properly implemented workplace wellness programs have a favorable impact on organizations through:  Employee engagement, Worker absenteeism and morale, Productivity, “Employer of Choice” culture. 
• Improve the quality of life for our employees and their families.

Below is a Seitlin Wellness Client comment made by the Director of Human Resources of a major law firm during a recent meeting, because it truly inspires us to keep doing what we’re doing and drives us to keep working harder so that every client we service will realize the same benefits.

 

“Despite the fact the firm had experienced two years of increased premiums at renewal, I am happy to announce that not only will our premiums NOT increase this year, but they will actually decrease. The programs brought in by (the Wellness Department of) Seitlin Benefits have impacted the lifestyle choices made by staff and this change has increased not just productivity and moral, but discounted the amount of overall healthcare claims". L.T.

 

For more information, please contact:

Kirstie Settas-Jones

Director of Wellness Services

Tel:  954.903.1629

Email: ksettas@seitlin.com

Health Reform Law Seminar on September 27, 2011

Experts Address What Employers Need to Be Doing Now to Prepare for the Future

Health Reform Law is now over one year old. It’s future is still uncertain, but employers must understand the Law’s requirements and prepare for future changes.

Seitlin invites you to join us for a panel discussion with national health care leaders to address the latest developments under Health Reform Law and discuss strategies for responding to the Law’s many changes. The following experts have been invited as presenters:

Proskauer Rose Peter J. Marathas, Jr. Esq., Compliance and ERISA Attorney

Nathanson + Hauck Melanie Nathanson and Megan Hauck, Lobbyists

Aetna, Inc. Mohit M. Ghose, Vice President of Public Affairs

Humana, Inc. Paul Herrington, Associate General Counsel

National Association of Health Underwriters Janet Trautwein, CEO

 

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Fort Lauderdale

Nova Southeastern University

Carl DeSantis Building

3301 College Avenue

Fort Lauderdale - Davie, FL 33314

Breakfast from 7:30 a.m. - 8:00 a.m.

Seminar from 8:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m.

Parking pass will be provided

Miami

The Hilton Miami Airport

5101 Blue Lagoon Dr.

Miami, FL 33126

Lunch from 11:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

Seminar from 12:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.

Parking will be validated

 

This program has been approved for:

 

• 2 Strategic Business recertification credit hours toward PHR, SPHR, and GPHR re-certification through the Human Resource Certification Institute (HRCI)
• 2 Technical Business CPE credits

 

There is no charge to attend this event. If you wish to attend, please RSVP for a session by contacting Theresa Dutko at tdutko@seitlin.com by Tuesday, September 13, 2011.

 

For more information about the event and presenter biographies, click here.

 

We regret that we cannot accept reservations from Insurance Agencies, Benefit Consultants or other benefits vendors due to limited seating.

 

What Can I Do To Protect My High Value Possessions During Hurricane Season?

As we approach the peak of Hurricane season, it is important that we understand how to better protect our assets. Damage to your home and surrounding areas during a storm are inevitable but what can you do to help reduce the exposure of your high value personal property and/or make the claims experience a good one? A little bit of organization and due diligence can go a long way in protecting your personal property and make for a much more efficient claims experience should the need for a claim arise.

To help prevent a loss during hurricane season or make sure a claim on your personal property goes smoothly we suggest the following strategies and best practices to help safeguard your possessions:

• Regular review- You should meet with your agent at least once per year to make sure that your policies are up to date and are ready to respond if and when a storm approaches.
• Update your inventory- Keep a comprehensive list of your possessions and update it regularly in order to receive fair compensation. It is advisable to keep any important documents in a safe deposit box.
• Make sure you have flood coverage- Many people are under the impression that flood insurance is covered by their homeowners or windstorm policy. That is not the case and the only way to get flood coverage is to make sure you have a proper primary and excess flood policy in place.
• Video walkthrough- We suggest that you take a video walkthrough of your home or condo showing all the rooms and what contents are inside of each room.  Include a dated newspaper in the video to verify the date the video was taken. This and any receipts you have will go a long way in making sure the claim goes smoothly and in your favor. 
• Take advantage of carrier provided services- Some luxury carriers offer a complete array of services that are meant to help you protect your most valuable assets. These include services such as, pre and post hurricane assessments, onsite evaluations, as well as fine art retrieval and removal services should damage occur. Some offer vulnerability assessments which will provide useful information regarding the placement, protection, and maintenance of high value art.
• Storage facilities- If you are uncomfortable or unsure about leaving certain high value items in your home during a storm, there are storage facilities that cater to high priced valuables such as cars, jewelry, and fine art. Some of these are category 5 hurricane rated so you can rest assured that your valuables will be protected when the wind blows or the water rises.

When choosing a trusted insurance advisor, make sure they understand your complex needs and the perils that come along with owning high valued possessions. Are you prepared?

For more information, please contact:

 

Chad Rustici

AVP - Seitlin Private Client Services

Tel:  954.267.8574

Email:  crustici@seitlin.com