Winter Driving Tips

Lisa SpencerHome and Auto Insurance, Insurance, News, Personal Lines

Severe weather can be both frightening and dangerous for automobile travel. Motorists should know the safety rules for dealing with winter road emergencies. AAA reminds motorists to be cautious while driving in adverse weather. Avoid driving while you’re fatigued. Getting the proper amount of rest before taking on winter weather tasks reduces driving risks. Never warm up a vehicle in an enclosed area, such as a garage. Make certain your tires are properly inflated. Never mix radial tires with other tire types. Keep your gas tank at least half full to avoid gas line freeze-up. If possible, avoid using your parking brake in cold, rainy and snowy weather. Do not use cruise control when driving on any slippery surface (wet, …

IRS Issues Pay Or Play Enforcement Guidance

Matt PfeiffenbergerHealth Benefits, Large Group Benefits (100+), News

On Nov. 2, 2017, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) updated its Questions and Answers (Q&As) on the employer shared responsibility rules under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) to include information on enforcement. Specifically, these Q&As include guidance on: How an employer will know that it owes an employer shared responsibility penalty; Appealing a penalty assessment; and Procedures for paying any penalties owed. The IRS also maintains a website on understanding Letter 226-J, as well as a sample letter, which will be used to inform employers of their potential penalty liability. Action Steps – No penalties have been assessed under the employer shared responsibility rules at this time. However, employers subject to these rules are still responsible for compliance. These Q&As indicate …

Wisconsin Corn Milling Explosion Results in Fine

Courtney MeyerAgribusiness, News

The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has proposed $1,837,861 in fines against Didion Milling Inc. following a May 31, 2017, explosion that killed five workers and injured 12 others, including a 21-year-old employee who suffered a double leg amputation after being crushed by a railcar. OSHA found that the explosion likely resulted from Didion’s failures to correct the leakage and accumulation of highly combustible grain dust throughout the facility and to properly maintain equipment to control ignition sources. OSHA cited Didion’s Cambria facility with 14 willful – including eight willful per-instance egregious– and five serious citations, most involving fire and explosion hazards. The company has been placed in OSHA’s Severe Violator Enforcement Program. “Didion Milling …

Spotted Lanternfly Quarantine Zone Expanded

Courtney MeyerAgribusiness, News

The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture has expanded the quarantine zone, created to halt the spread of the invasive spotted lantern fly. With the latest expansion, the state has shifted to imposing quarantines at the county, rather than municipal, level and including areas where the insect’s presence has not yet been confirmed but there’s a high risk of spread. The quarantine area now covers 13 entire counties: Berks, Bucks, Chester, Carbon, Delaware, Lancaster, Lebanon, Lehigh, Monroe, Montgomery, Northampton, Philadelphia, and Schuylkill. “This invasive insect threatens to destroy $18 billion worth of agricultural commodities here like apples, grapes and hardwoods, inflicting a devastating impact on the livelihoods of our producers and businesses,” Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding said. Businesses in the quarantine area …

Sallie Honored With Prestigious Barnraiser Award

Courtney MeyerAgribusiness

Louis R. Sallie, retired Pennsylvania Farm Bureau Administrative Secretary, has been honored with the Barnraiser Award, becoming only the 14th recipient of PFB’s most prestigious recognition in the organization’s 67-year history. Sallie, who retired this year, was recognized during the PFB’s 67th Annual Meeting. The award recognizes individuals who have spent a lifetime in dedicated leadership to the agricultural community. As administrative secretary, Sallie ran the day-to-day operations of PFB and was directly responsible for providing timely and critical information to the State Board of Directors. He worked with grassroots members to grow the organization into what it is today and greatly expanded efforts to educate the non-farming public about agriculture. “During his career with Pennsylvania Farm Bureau, Lou was …

The Best-Kept Secret For Retirement Savings May Be Health Savings Accounts

Denise GillinHealth Benefits, News

A few years ago when my company offered the option of Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) instead of Flexible Spending Accounts, I thought “okay, fine.” I got another debit card and happily used it to spend pre-tax dollars on current medical expenses. Recently, though, I spoke with a financial advisor who opened my eyes to the fact that I’d been using my HSA all wrong. Now, I realize HSAs are one of the best options available for additional retirement savings. Read more here >>>

CVS-Aetna Merger Could Transform Health Care Industry

Denise GillinHealth Benefits, News

If approved, the $69 billion acquisition — $77 billion including debt — would drastically remap the health care industry. CVS Health (CVS) is a massive drugstore chain and prescription drug insurer, while Aetna (AET) is one of the nation’s largest health insurers. It would also go down as the largest health insurance deal in history, far exceeding Express Scripts (ESRX)’ $29 billion acquisition of Medco in 2012, the last record-holder. Tell me more >>>

Preventing Ice Dams

Lisa SpencerHome and Auto Insurance, Personal Lines

By Joe Hurst-Wajszczuk of “This Old House” magazine Take care of trouble spots and you will enjoy a winter free of icicles – and the damage they can do to your roof. Dam Busters Stopping ice dams is simple, in principle: Just keep the entire roof the same temperature as the eaves. You do that by increasing ventilation, adding insulation, and sealing off every possible air leak that might warm the underside of the roof, as shown in the illustration below. By taking care of these trouble spots, listed here in order of priority, you should enjoy a winter free of dams and use less energy to boot. Read the tips here >>>

Workers’ Compensation Premium Increase Delayed

Denise GillinNews, Third Party Claim Administration

The Pennsylvania Insurance Department (PID) has yet to make a decision on a mid-year increase in workers’ compensation (WC) costs – despite the Nov. 1 effective date, proposed by the Pennsylvania Compensation Rating Bureau. The PCRB in August asked for a 6.06 percent increase in loss costs mid-year as a direct result of Pennsylvania Supreme Court’s decision in Protz v. WCAB (Derry Area School District). Throwing a wrench into the approval process is a recent objection and request for a hearing filed by the Pennsylvania Association for Justice (trial bar), which challenges the calculations used by the PCRB to come up with the proposed increase. By law, the PID has 180 days (until February) to consider the PCRB’s request for …