Category Archives: Business: Insurance

Press Releases from the Insurance world, What’s new, Popular, Trending and News Worthy. In the ever changing industry of Insurance.

CareChoice Cooperative Selects primeVIEW Dashboard to Help Non-Profit Senior Care Communities Optimize Operational Performance


Prime Care Technologies, Inc. today announced CareChoice Cooperative has adopted the primeVIEW decision-driven dashboard, providing its 18 members representing 31 non-profit communities with a powerful tool to sharpen operational performance. Utilizing the collective, actionable data in primeVIEW equips operators to make proactive, expedited decisions that directly impact resident care.

Integrating and aggregating data directly from electronic health records and other core information systems, primeVIEW offers a single analytics dashboard that transforms the way organizations make decisions. One simple login delivers a multi-dimensional view of facility performance, empowering leaders to drive productivity using critical benchmarks, rankings and trends.

CareChoice and Prime Care will also work together on member enhancements to primeVIEW that surgically address the needs of non-profits. These enhancements include a cost-of-care tool, clinical trending visualizations, a clinical risk scoring matrix and the ability to document case management.

“CareChoice is building a ‘next generation’ post-acute care organization designed to support nursing facilities and related services in value-based payment arrangements with market partners” said Bill Knutson, CareChoice CEO. “We see this integrated data platform as an essential tool that will drive performance improvement and advance development of the new CareChoice Clinically Integrated Network.”

PrimeVIEW is a cloud-based application that brings together census, staffing, revenue, clinical, and Five-Star quality ratings into one decision-making platform. Data is constantly refreshed, providing near real-time views of operational performance.

“CareChoice has a mission to provide financial and operational benefits to its members through innovation and collaboration,” said Prime Care Technologies CEO Jim Hoey. “Putting our primeVIEW decision dashboard into the hands of its facility operators delivers on this promise.”

About Prime Care Technologies

Since 2003, Prime Care Technologies has provided senior care operators with integrated business intelligence and software solutions, driving proactive decision-making and the highest quality care. Based in Atlanta with 175 employees and 200+ healthcare/IT partnerships, its technology-driven solutions are installed in 6,500+ facilities. With deep multi-vendor interoperability expertise, including the integration of 70+ healthcare applications and 3,500+ EDI payers, Prime Care Technologies offers the leading data warehouse in post-acute care. Learn more at primecaretech.com.

About CareChoice Cooperative

Organized in 1996, CareChoice Cooperative is the nation’s first senior care cooperative formed by nonprofit, mission-driven providers of aging services. There are 21 Member organizations in CareChoice representing 43 nursing homes primarily located in the Minneapolis/Saint Paul metropolitan region. In addition to nursing facilities, many Members offer senior living options such as assisted living, independent living and memory care units. Some Members also operate Medicare-certified Home Health Care, therapy and hospice programs in their communities. Learn more at carechoicemn.org.

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Frankenmuth Insurance Promotes Knudsen to Executive Vice President


Andy Knudsen

Andy Knudsen was promoted to Executive Vice President at Frankenmuth Insurance. With this promotion, in addition to executive leadership for Claims operations, Knudsen will be responsible for Administration and Marketing functions. He has also been appointed Corporate Secretary and will be nominated to serve on the Board of Directors at its upcoming annual meeting in April.

Knudsen has 32 years of Claims management experience and has been with Frankenmuth Insurance for more than eight years. He serves on the Executive, Proxy, Retirement, Investment, and Political Affairs (chair) Committees of Frankenmuth Mutual Insurance Company and its five subsidiary companies. He also acts as the company spokesperson for all media inquiries. Additionally, Andy serves on the Board of Directors for the Frankenmuth Insurance Foundation and serves on the Executive (chair) and Educational Committees.

Knudsen holds a bachelor’s degree in business from the University of Colorado. Serving as an industry expert, Knudsen is involved with legislative, regulatory, and public information issues at state and national levels. At a state level, he serves on the Board of Directors for the Michigan Chamber of Commerce and the Insurance Alliance of Michigan. At a national level, he serves on the American Property Casualty Insurance Association’s Executive Advisory Council. Additionally, he participates in the Congressional Contact Program and serves on the Autonomous Vehicle Council for the National Association of Mutual Insurance Companies.

Insurance exists to provide peace of mind, and Frankenmuth Insurance has been protecting individuals, families and businesses for more than 150 years. We truly care about the people we serve and strive to be your insurer of choice. We partner exclusively with nearly 700 independent agents to customize business, home, auto, and life insurance policies and surety bonds. Headquartered in Frankenmuth, Michigan, and doing business in 15 states, Frankenmuth Insurance is financially sound, with $1.8 billion in assets. The company has an A.M. Best rating of “A” (Excellent). For more information visit https://www.fmins.com.

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Frankenmuth Insurance Names New Property & Casualty Claims Director


Beth Wright

Beth Wright was promoted to Director of Property & Casualty Claims at Frankenmuth Insurance.

Wright has 22 years of service to Frankenmuth Insurance and most recently managed the property and liability sections within the Claims department. She has championed the value of early fraud detection and oversees the company’s Special Investigations Unit. In her new role, she will take on the added leadership of the auto, personal injury protection and workers compensation units.

She is a United States Air Force veteran and holds a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from the University of Nebraska Omaha. Throughout her career, she has advanced her industry knowledge through various designations and certificates. She earned Accredited Insurance Counselor designation in 2000, supervisor certification from Saginaw Valley State University in 2005, Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter designation in 2006, Fraud Claim Law Associate designation in 2007, Property Claim Law Associate designation and certification as a property subrogation arbitrator with Arbitration Forums in 2008, Michigan Insurance Adjuster licensure in 2011, the Senior Claim Law Associate Gold Award in 2013, and Workers Compensation Professional certification in 2020.

Insurance exists to provide peace of mind, and Frankenmuth Insurance has been protecting individuals, families and businesses for more than 150 years. We truly care about the people we serve and strive to be your insurer of choice. We partner exclusively with nearly 700 independent agents to customize business, home, auto, and life insurance policies and surety bonds. Headquartered in Frankenmuth, Michigan, and doing business in 15 states, Frankenmuth Insurance is financially sound, with $1.8 billion in assets. The company has an A.M. Best rating of “A” (Excellent). For more information visit https://www.fmins.com.

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AssuredPartners Announces Acquisition of Fiorella Insurance Agency, Inc.


AssuredPartners logo

AssuredPartners logo

“We are excited to have another Top 100 agency join us, Fiorella being the fourth Top 100 agency in just the last year. This partnership will strengthen our Florida operations as we continue to expand our services throughout that part of the region,” said AssuredPartners CEO, Tom Riley.

AssuredPartners, Inc. is proud to announce that Fiorella Insurance Agency, Inc. (Fiorella) from Stuart, FL has joined AssuredPartners. The team of 86 will be led by Cory Lloyd, COO of Fiorella. The agency currently reports $33 million in annualized revenues.

“With over 30 years of experience, Fiorella has helped tens of thousands of clients get the right coverage to meet their needs. We pride ourselves on working with companies with exceptional reputations which one reason we chose AssuredPartners. We are honored to be the newest addition to their team,” said Cory Lloyd.

“We are pleased to have expanded our operations even more in Florida with the addition of Fiorella, whose vision and values align strongly with what AssuredPartners stands for. We are thrilled to have this team and clientele join us,” David Wetzler, National Practice Leader, Employee Benefits, stated.

“We are excited to have another Top 100 agency join us, Fiorella being the fourth Top 100 agency in just the last year. This partnership will strengthen our Florida operations as we continue to expand our services and footprint throughout that part of the region. We welcome the talented team and clients of Fiorella Insurance Agency,” said AssuredPartners CEO, Tom Riley.

For more information on Fiorella, please visit: https://fiorellainsurance.com/

ABOUT ASSUREDPARTNERS, INC

Headquartered in Lake Mary, Florida, AssuredPartners is a full-service insurance broker providing commercial insurance, risk management, employee benefits through consulting and services. With over 7,500 employees located in offices throughout North America, London, Belgium and Scotland, AssuredPartners is in the business of building relationships. While cementing powerful, lasting relationships built on trust earned from working openly and honestly with our partners. That’s what we call, Power through Partnership. For more information, call 513-624-1779, email jamie.reinert@assuredpartners.com or visit http://www.assuredpartners.com.

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MassPrinting Increases Insurance Services Revenue 46% in 2020


“We believe that MassPrinting is uniquely positioned to offer services to our insurance carriers that transcend print and mail and modernize and simplify policyholder communications.”-Andy Pallotta, President, MassPrinting

MassPrinting, the leader in document output solutions, today announced that it increased year-over-year revenue from insurance services by 46%.

“The 2020 fiscal year brought unparalleled challenges from the impact of COVID19. The majority of our client base benefited greatly from having outsourced print and mail services,” said Andy Pallotta, President of MassPrinting. “Our strategic partner network was completely operational during the entire pandemic last year. In addition, MassPrinting was able to help several carriers send COVID19 communications quickly and effectively to their policyholders. Most importantly, our clients were relieved that our outsourced print and mail model didn’t add to the challenges they were already facing in quickly moving other back office operations remotely.”

2020 Highlights

Client Growth – MassPrinting’s 2020 revenue growth was driven by the benefit of a full year of revenue from its insurance client additions in 2019, growth from the current client base, and the addition of nine new insurance clients. The company’s early projections for 2021 also look strong, with anticipated growth from new products that will be introduced this year.

Workforce Expansion – To keep up with the growth of its client base, MassPrinting significantly expanded its workforce in 2020, adding headcount to support clients and its increased technology development.

Technology Investment – MassPrinting continued investing in its technology infrastructure in 2020, completing a client beta program and testing. A key component of this infrastructure will go live in March 2021. The company plans to introduce additional products to the market in 2021.

“We are committed to establishing MassPrinting as an insurtech company,” stated Pallotta. “We believe that MassPrinting is uniquely positioned to offer services to our insurance carriers that transcend print and mail and modernize and simplify policyholder communications.”

Find us on social media: @MassPrintingInc and LinkedIn

About MassPrinting Inc.

MassPrinting has over 21 years of experience providing document output solutions to meet customer needs. Our vast experience working with insurance carriers has enabled us to know their specific challenges so we can deliver simple solutions through innovative technology.

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Frankenmuth Insurance Promotes Donnellon to Vice President


Tim Donnellon

Tim Donnellon was promoted to Vice President of Human Resources at Frankenmuth Insurance.

Donnellon joined Frankenmuth Insurance nearly six years ago and has served as the Director of Human Resources. He has 24 years of leadership in human resources and 30 years of management experience. Since joining Frankenmuth Insurance, Donnellon has been instrumental in streamlining and implementing human resource information systems for payroll, compensation management, onboarding and records management.

Advocating for future industry professionals, Donnellon serves on the Insuring MI Future Board and is chair of the Steering and Operations Committees for the company’s Insurance Leadership Academy. Over the last five years, Frankenmuth’s academy has grown to reach over 70 local students in Tuscola and Saginaw counties. Donnellon also serves as chair of the Frankenmuth Insurance Foundation’s Scholarship Committee.

Donnellon holds a bachelor’s degree in industrial/organizational psychology from Wayne State University. Serving as an industry expert, Donnellon is on the Northwood University Insurance & Risk Board and Michigan Catastrophic Claims Association’s Personnel Committee.

Insurance exists to provide peace of mind, and Frankenmuth Insurance has been protecting individuals, families and businesses for more than 150 years. We truly care about the people we serve and strive to be your insurer of choice. We partner exclusively with nearly 700 independent agents to customize business, home, auto, and life insurance policies and surety bonds. Headquartered in Frankenmuth, Michigan, and doing business in 15 states, Frankenmuth Insurance is financially sound, with $1.8 billion in assets. The company has an A.M. Best rating of “A” (Excellent). For more information visit fmins.com.

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AgencyMVP Brings on Top Executive Talent and Joins the Silverton Partners Family of Hot InsurTech Companies


AgencyMVP Team

“With AgencyMVP’s maniacal focus on customer success, and it’s tech-forward mindset, we’re creating a new paradigm — agencies that use our platform will see great returns. It’s inevitable, and it’s being proven everyday.” — Jason Luce, CEO of AgencyMVP

Today AgencyMVP, an online platform that uncovers the most valuable prospects for property & casualty insurance agencies, is announcing they have joined the Silverton Partners insurance technology family via a $3.5 million seed investment, as well as additions to its leadership team. AgencyMVP joins the Silverton Partners insurance technology portfolio, alongside such companies as The Zebra, Life By Spot, Sourceday, and The Helper Bees. With this fundraising round, AgencyMVP will invest in technology, marketing and sales to bring its proprietary algorithms to agencies nationwide.

“Silverton is very excited to work with the AgencyMVP team,” said Kip McClanahan, GP of Silverton Partners. “On the heels of this investment, we’re focused on ramping up AgencyMVP’s impressive technology and product traction that drives unparalleled insurance agency success and efficiency.”

AgencyMVP helps insurance agents close the right leads at the right time, 57% more opportunities to be exact. The platform uses machine learning to enhance underwriting data that insurance agents gather from leads and prospects every day. The technology helps agencies predictively identify their Most Valuable Prospects (“MVP’s”) and determine when their customers are ready to buy insurance from them.

The founder of AgencyMVP, Todd McLain, began using this technology when he was a Farmers agent and became a Top 10, nationally-ranked agent in less than 2 years. Since then, the technology has been proven time and again and has helped thousands of captive and independent agents in the U.S. Prior to AgencyMVP, agents had to call a lead up to 12 times on average, but with AgencyMVP, the number of calls needed is cut by more than half.

AgencyMVP Adds Top Executive Talent

With the company’s success, it is attracting top talent to leadership positions. Jason Luce, CEO, helped take Rackspace public and then the cybersecurity company he founded, ScaleFT, was acquired by Okta in 2018.

“AgencyMVP is determined to make this market more efficient with modern software. With AgencyMVP’s maniacal focus on customer success, and it’s tech-forward mindset, we’re creating a new paradigm — agencies that use our platform will see great returns. It’s inevitable, and it’s being proven everyday. Our customers are fanatical given our results to date. I’m excited to continue building this company into something that will be talked about for years,” said Jason Luce, CEO.

Blake Mizerany, CTO, was the first engineer at Heroku, acquired by Salesforce in 2010. Blake is a highly-regarded engineer, creating such open source projects as Sinatra and Doozer, as well as influential in getting other open source technologies like CoreOS, and etcd off the ground. Before joining AgencyMVP, Blake was the Chief Architect at GRAX where he designed and architected the foundation GRAX uses to extract, store, restore, and transform Salesforce data for many of Salesforce’s largest customers. With his background in data, Blake will take AgencyMVP’s data ingestion and intelligent insights of that data to new heights.

“While all eyes are on the insurtech industry, I am looking forward to working with this one-of-kind team to elevate all corners of the AgencyMVP technology to put the most helpful and best possible information in front of agents as fast as possible,” said Blake Mizerany, CTO of AgencyMVP. “I believe it is a great time to bring better technologies to insurance agents so they can do their jobs better and easier.”

AgencyMVP uses machine learning to rank households based on a variety of insurance-specific data points that determine a prospects’ value, identify when a consumer will purchase property and casualty insurance, and predict the right time to contact them for a quote when they are ready to buy.

“As the founder of AgencyMVP it is wonderful to take the company to the next level, both from fundraising and leadership. I have seen the technology work wonders for so many agents, and by bringing together the right people we will forever change the way insurance is sold,” said Todd McLain, founder of Agency MVP, President and Chief Product Officer.

About AgencyMVP

Built by agents, for agents, AgencyMVP is the first smart lead management system that fundamentally changes how P&C insurance agents interact with, analyze, and use the data collected from prospective customers. An online platform that uses machine learning technology, AgencyMVP uncovers the Most Valuable Prospects to help agents sell more insurance policies to the right leads at the right time. Visit https://www.agencymvp.com/ for more information.

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Dog Obesity is on the Rise During The COVID-19 Pandemic


Pet obesity is a serious health threat to roughly 25-30% of beloved household dogs. Most often caused by excessive food intake, the issue has only increased as pet parents work from home during the pandemic with 53% of owners admitting to giving their dogs extra treats throughout the day. In fact, about one-third of overweight pets became overweight during the pandemic, according to a survey done by Hill’s Pet Nutrition & Kelton Global. Animal experts from Pumpkin Pet Insurance suggest three easy ways that owners can manage their pet’s weight to keep their dogs happy and healthy.

First, it’s crucial to pay attention to a dog’s weight so owners can make adjustments to their food or exercise in response to any major changes. Using an infant scale at home is one way to track weight changes in a small breed dog. A medium sized dog weight can be estimated by weighing your pet in a basket on a household scale and subtracting the weight of the basket. For large breed dogs, consider using a tape measure or a body condition scoring method. It’s also important to keep an eye out for any frequent shortness of breath or if their dog is struggling to get around. Staying attuned to noticeable changes to a dog is the best way for owners to quickly react before any major health issues develop. And while almost three-quarters of pet parents feel that they would be able to independently identify if their animal is overweight, veterinarians state that only one-in-eight actually recognize and act on concerns regarding their animals.

Next, owners should pay attention to what their dog is eating and how frequently. If a dog’s food intake has gone up since the start of the pandemic, it might be time to rethink their diet, especially the amount of treats they get. Pumpkin Pet Insurance’s experts have found it exceedingly helpful to keep a regimen for treats, just like with meals. This helps owners regulate and track how many calories they’re pup is taking in. It can also play an important role when working with an animal that needs to lose weight, as owners can compare their pet’s weight trends in relation to how much they eat.

Finally, the most important tool to aid with animal weight loss is exercise. As Covid has continued on, everyone has seen their fair share of slip-ups in their own regular routines, so these being reflected on the animals we care for is only natural.” Like in many aspects of our lives during COVID, we have to be more creative than ever. To maintain a socially distanced active lifestyle for our dogs, we should consider new solutions to boost activity including fetch activities, walking and physical enrichment. If a pet is new to exercise it is important to consider underlying causes of obesity when considering adding new activities. For example, a pet with arthritis might engage in non weight bearing activities like swimming and water treadmill. A pet with concurrent illness should be screened for hypothyroidism, respiratory disease and heart disease prior to an intense workout regimen,” says Dr. Stacy Choczynski Johnson, DVM, a veterinarian and veterinary expert for Pumpkin.

Aiding your animal in weight loss may seem like an easy challenge, but according to 91% of veterinarians it is much harder than owners think, and almost half of all vets agree that it is even harder during COVID. The overwhelming consensus between Pumpkin Pet Insurance and the pet health community is that the best ways to help pets lose weight are to cut down on the treats they’re consuming, to get out and exercise more, and to not let them eat off the table as much. Just like it is for any person, the weight loss journey for animals is never easy, but instead requires diligence, hard work, and smart planning; these tips should help pet owners start on the right foot and prepare their animals for life after COVID.

Sources:

About Pumpkin Pet Insurance:

Pumpkin Insurance Services Inc. (Pumpkin) is a direct-to-consumer pet care company and insurance producer founded to help ensure pets live their longest and healthiest lives. Pumpkin insurance plans offer dog and cat owners advanced veterinary care coverage, and their optional Preventive Essentials plan add-on offers life-threatening disease prevention through reimbursing for vaccines and the related annual wellness exam and lab tests, helping enable consumers to make data-informed care decisions based upon their individual pet’s health needs. All Pumpkin Plans provide reimbursement for covered care administered by any licensed veterinary clinic in the U.S. and Canada. Pumpkin insurance policies do not cover pre-existing conditions. Pumpkin insurance does not cover routine dental cleanings. Waiting periods, annual deductibles, co-insurance, benefits limits and other exclusions may apply. For all limitations and for information about Pumpkin’s Pet Insurance, and/or to learn more about Pumpkin’s optional add-on Preventive Essentials benefits, visitors can review Terms and Conditions at pumpkin.care/insurance policy and at pumpkin.care/customer agreement, respectively. Additional information may be found by visiting http://www.pumpkin.care.

Pumpkin Insurance Services Inc. (NPN#19084749) (Pumpkin) is a licensed insurance agency, not an insurer. Insurance is underwritten by United States Fire Insurance Company (NAIC #21113. Morristown, NJ), a Crum & Forster Company and produced by Pumpkin. Pumpkin receives compensation based on the premiums for the insurance policies it sells. Pumpkin Preventive Essentials is not an insurance policy. It is offered as an optional add-on non-insurance benefit. Pumpkin is responsible for the product and administration. Pumpkin Preventive Essentials is not available in all states.

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The Most Common Factors That Can Affect Car Insurance Rates


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“To determine premiums, insurance companies will analyze multiple and various factors. The driving experience and the credit score can significantly influence the price of insurance”, said Russell Rabichev, Marketing Director of Internet Marketing Company.

Car insurance companies will analyze multiple factors, before granting coverage to someone. All of these factors will contour a person’s risk profile, which is the probability of him making a claim or being involved in an accident in the near future.

The main factors that determine car insurance rates are the following:

  • The vehicle and its safety rating. Vehicles with high safety ratings will help drivers pay lower premiums. The safety ratings are based on factors like the likelihood of a vehicle to be involved in an accident and how likely a passenger is to be injured in an accident. Also, safety devices will make the car safer and lower insurance rates. To find out about the safety ratings of a vehicle, policyholders can check the websites of IIHS and NHTSA.
  • The driver’s credit score. In most states, insurance companies are allowed to look at drivers’ credit scores in order to determine their insurance rates. Only persons with an excellent credit score will get the best rates, so even having a good credit score is not enough.
  • Address demographics. Insurance companies will be interested in how densely populated is the area, if the traffic is heavy and often congested, car theft reports, road infrastructure, unemployment rate, number of claims in the area, and number of lawyers in the area.
  • Driving experience. First-time drivers will always be charged higher premiums. The insurance rates will become lower after several years of driving.
  • The insurance policy itself. Depending on how much coverage and how many add-ons are added to the policy, the policy can be cheap or expensive. Policyholders should apply only for policies they actually need.


For additional info, money-saving tips, and free car insurance quotes, visit http://compare-autoinsurance.org.

Compare-autoinsurance.org is an online provider of life, home, health, and auto insurance quotes. This website is unique because it does not simply stick to one kind of insurance provider, but brings the clients the best deals from many different online insurance carriers. In this way, clients have access to offers from multiple carriers all in one place: this website. On this site, customers have access to quotes for insurance plans from various agencies, such as local or nationwide agencies, brand names insurance companies, etc.

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TRC Financial Solves the Challenges of Long-Term Care for Corporate America


TRC Financial, an independent insurance brokerage firm, announced today how it plans to solve the financial impact of long-term care (LTC) which touches nearly every American. The need to plan for long-term care is often overlooked. It is typically uninsured or not factored into a retirement cash flow plan, making it a substantial unknown financial risk.

Long-term care impacts the vast majority of Americans. Studies indicate that 70% of people turning age 65 will need some type of long-term care services in their lifetimes. Other studies show that 24% of people turning age 65 will require long-term care services for more than two years. This reality creates a significant financial cost for nearly all retirees. It is estimated that the average annual cost of long-term care will exceed $125,000 by 2031.

TRC Financial has developed a Key Person Long-Term Care Plan for businesses to fund long-term care financial risks for its team. This is done with a state-of-the-art insured benefit giving key employees the peace of mind they deserve. The premiums are non-taxable to the plan participant and the benefits are received income tax-free.

“Our firm is focused on helping corporate executives insure gaps that are often created by employer-paid insurance and qualified retirement plans. A common financial gap found in virtually all companies is the lack of insurance coverage to help protect the financial risks of a long-term care event,” said TRC Financial Principal Jim Roberson. “We have developed a plan helping companies retain and reward its team by providing a tax-free long-term care benefit in retirement with minimal to no earnings impact.”

An insured key person long-term care plan is a highly valued executive benefit. The Plan allows a company to pay for the premiums and deliver post-retirement tax-free long-term care benefits for plan participants. The plan is flexible and can be designed to allow the company to recover 100% or more of the premiums paid.

You can learn more and download our Key Person Long-Term Care guide by visiting our website at https://www.trcfinancial.com/key-person-ltc-plan.

About TRC Financial

TRC Financial is an independent firm that delivers a reliable and unbiased approach to acquiring and managing life insurance and supplemental benefit plans for affluent and institutional clients. Our focus centers around proprietary plan design, product placement, and administration for life insurance, disability insurance, long-term care (LTC) insurance, executive benefit plans, and private placement insurance investment accounts. We are the oldest and most established firm of its type in Southern California.

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