Agent News
Angle Q4 2018
As we close the door on 2018, there’s a lot to say thank you for. We’re on track to achieve our annual strategic initiatives due to an incredible service team and agent partners like you. With your partnership, we continue to expand 3CU’s reach as a specialty workers’ compensation carrier.
2018 Wins
Our calendar year combined ratio is better than plan, we’re experiencing profitability across all market segments and our agency appointment strategy continues to be successful, with nearly 30% of new business premium coming from new relationships. On top of that, we’ve invested in our service model by creating customized partnership reports; staffing each region with local underwriting, claims and loss control reps; and adding bilingual capabilities to the claims team.
People First
Beyond the numbers, what matters most is our people – injured workers, customers, agents, employees and community members. It’s why our 2018 enterprise Caring and Sharing Campaign raised nearly $267,000 (and Scott Babcock dressed up like Prince) to support local organizations, like Chicago Debates and the Northern Illinois Food Bank, and why we launched a new advertising campaign to tell the story of how we work to get injured workers back to life as usual.
It’s why we hear sentiments like these about the 3CU team – because our employees genuinely care about the job they do.
“Our customer is relationship-driven. It’s the key to their success, and your loss control consultant seemed to really make a difference with them in his integrity, trustworthiness and knowledge. Thank you for making the work comp renewal process decision easy.”
“3CU ‘gets’ us. They know our employees are not working desk jobs from 9 to 5. They understand the nature of the work and therefore our claims and exposures. The claims team is engaged and performs their work timely. Their people were very patient in helping us close the knowledge gaps about work comp in the state.”
“They challenge us to be better. We haven’t implemented all their ideas, but that doesn’t stop them from bringing those ideas to us. They push us, we don’t have to push them.”
Finally, we wouldn’t experience any of this success without your partnership. Strong agent relationships are critical to our long-term success. As marketplace competition grows, we rely on your ability to sell the 3CU value proposition: a commitment to delivering unique workers’ compensation solutions for complex needs.
We’re eager to partner with you in creative ways to write profitable business across all our segments and look forward to mutual success this year and beyond. From all of us at 3CU, we wish you a very happy holiday season and thank you for your continued partnership and support!
Sincerely,
Mike Valiante
Vice President of Production and Agency Management
Concierge service? Practically. See how we pay attention to the details often overlooked and deliver a topnotch customer experience. Our kickoff meetings, quarterly account management reviews and dedicated claims adjusters are just a few of the ways we deliver superior service. Watch video
“The LEAD program gave our new producer a deeper understanding of workers’ compensation insurance and the service offerings of the AF Group.” David W. Goodman, President, InPro Insurance Group, Inc.
LEAD with Comp, AF Group’s 12-month training and professional development opportunity, was designed with newer workers’ compensation producers in mind. This unique program will equip participants with the knowledge necessary to be successful in the workers’ compensation market space and the relationships to do so.
The key objectives of LEAD with Comp program are:
- Assist agency leadership in developing new talent
- Educate participants in all aspects of workers’ compensation
- Build relationships between agency staff and AF Group brand staff
- Increase success rate on new business by educating participants on how to displace the incumbent agent
Classes begin Jan. 15-17, 2019 and Sept. 17-19, 2019 and run for 12 months. For more information on how to build value for your clients and set yourself apart from the competition, click here.
3CU has launched its second iteration of our AF Group mobile app, which has enhanced tools and functionality that will serve policyholders as well as agents.
The app provides our agent partners immediate access to dynamic information and tools, such as:
- Class code lookup
- Company contact information (Help Desk, Billing and two customizable contacts)
- Marketing materials
- Access to events information and training opportunities
- Social media content
The new version features a policyholder section so they, too, have easy access to important information, such as safety handouts, loss control tips, contact information, etc. There is also the ability to send documents using the ‘share’ feature.
3CU is pleased to announce the completed implementation of new online claim management tools, which provide our customers easy access to claim documents from their computer or mobile device along with real-time claim filing. The new tools enhance policyholders’ ability to manage claims through a variety of features, most notably:
- 24-hour real-time claim filing and immediate receipt of a claim number upon submitting their First Notice of Loss (FNOL).
- The ability to save an in-progress FNOL and complete it within 48 hours.
- The ability to automatically add claim numbers to any uploaded attachments.
Injured workers (non-litigated claims only) now have access to online claims management tools for the first time, where they can:
- View claim payment information in real time.
- Update and manage their user profile.
- Submit reimbursement requests for travel, pharmacy and other items along with the ability to attach supporting documentation (receipts, etc.).
- Load documents electronically from their care provider’s office.
- Access prescription benefit cards. (Cards will still be mailed to injured workers.)
To access the portal, a one-time registration is required via our website.
Policyholder Registration:
- Policyholderswill need to provide their policy number, Federal Employer Identification Number (FEIN) and policy expiration date.
- Injured workerswill need to provide their Social Security number, claim number and date of injury.
After the initial registration, users will only need to provide the username and password created during the registration process to log in.
Alongside RMIS, these tools allow us to provide our customers easier access to their claims information.
With billions of dollars lost each year to insurance fraud, our team of former law enforcement and safety and claims professionals partner with our claims team to investigate and expose potential fraud. The Investigative Services Unit (ISU) is committed to identifying, mitigating and eliminating fraudulent behavior. They also serve to protect AF Group against economic loss by conducting timely and quality investigations.
AF Group’s ISU has several types of investigators with specific skill sets. This integrated team of experts allows for cross-functional investigations and allows for a unique and comprehensive perspective.
To learn more, click here to access our new brochure, which highlights the services our Investigative Services Unit provides in an effort to protect employees, employers and our customers’ bottom line.
Our recent email for Q1 2019 mistakenly included a link to this section. Please CLICK HERE to view the Q1 2019 What We Write section.
At Third Coast Underwriters (3CU), our customers are our top priority. Because we specialize in addressing complex operations and challenging exposures, we know the importance of developing unique workers’ compensation solutions. The list below illustrates the varied mix of accounts we have written recently within our core segments. Let us help you deliver successful outcomes for your customers today. For more information, visit 3CU.com, email info@3CU.com or call 866-641-2328.
AGRIBUSINESS
| Grain Manufacturing – All Operations | $336,000 |
| Farm: Cattle or Livestock Raising Noc & Drivers | $315,400 – $878,700 |
| Farm Machinery Operation – By Contractor & Drivers | $261,900 |
| Farm: Poultry or Egg Producer & Drivers | $448,800 – $715,700 |
| Farm: Orchard or Grove & Drivers | $289,300 |
| Gasoline or Oil Dealer & Drivers | $242,300 |
| Grain Elevator Operation – Local Managers & Drivers | $225,900 |
| Livestock – Dealer or Commission Merchant & Salesperson | $183,600 |
| Machinery Dealer & Drivers | $699,500 |
| Store Meat, Fish or Poultry Dealer | $336,300 – $975,200 |
CONSTRUCTION
| Boiler Installation or Repair – Steam | $288,400 |
| Carpentry – Construction of Residential Dwellings | $672,300 |
| Concrete Construction – in Connection with Bridges | $1,049,800 |
| Concrete or Cement Work | $159,300 – $255,100 |
| Construction Elevator of Hold Hoist Installation | $276,800 |
| Contractor – Executive Supervisor or Construction | $209,000 – $261,800 |
| Electrical Wiring – Within Buildings & Drivers | $239,100 – $243,500 |
| Elevator Erection or Repair | $324,000 |
| Excavation & Drivers | $199,800 |
| Fixtures or Furniture Installation – Portable Noc | $435,400 |
| Glazier – Away from Shop & Drivers | $180,500 |
| HVAC & Refrigeration | $158,200 – $328,400 |
| Iron or Steel Erection | $1,500,000 |
| Lawn Maintenance – Commercial or Domestic & Drivers | $621,500 |
| Machinery or Equipment Erection or Repair – Noc & Drivers | $192,600 |
| Masonry | $231,400 – $238,200 |
| Mobile Crane and Hoisting Service Contractors – Noc | $159,400 – $173,400 |
| Painting Metal Bridges & Shop Operations, Drivers | $344,400 |
| Painting Noc & Shop Operations, Drivers | $188,700 – $493,000 |
| Park NOC – All Employees & Drivers | $512,000 – $589,300 |
| Plumbing Noc & Drivers | $153,100 – $246,100 |
| Roofing – All Kinds & Drivers | $250,000 |
| Sheet Metal Work Installation & Drivers | $228,400 |
| Sprinkler Installation & Drivers | $163,000 – $195,200 |
| Stone, Mosaic, Terrazzo or Ceramic Tile Work | $491,700 |
| Street or Road Construction | $196,700 – $346,000 |
| Tree Pruning, Spraying, Repairing – All Operations | $386,200 |
| Wallboard, Sheetrock, Drywall, Plasterboard | $620,400 |
| Welding or Cutting Noc & Drivers | $226,200 |
EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES
| Automobile Service or Repair Center & Drivers | $775,200 |
| Carpentry Installation of Cabinet Work or Interior | $167,000 |
| Iron or Steel Scrap Dealer & Drivers | $166,800 |
| Janitorial Services by Contractors – No Window Cleaning | $459,900 |
| Locomotive Works | $314,300 |
| Millwright Work Noc & Drivers | $332,800 |
| Street Cleaning & Drivers | $317,800 |
ENERGY
| Crane Rental – Operations & Drivers | $162,900 |
| Gas Dealer – Liquified Petroleum Gas & Drivers | $245,000 |
| Oil or Gas Lease Work Noc – Contractors & Drivers | $389,500 |
| Oil or Gas Well – Equipment Rental Without Operator | $377,000 |
| Painting or Paperhanging NOC & Shop Operations, Drivers | $235,100 |
| Trucking – Employees & Drivers | $266,600 |
MERGERS & ACQUISITIONS
| Excavation & Drivers | $430,900 |
| Rubber Goods Manufacturing Noc | $819,200 |
| Store Wholesale – Noc | $2,771,800 |
TRANSPORTATION
| Automobile Haulaway or Driveway – Long Distance | $150,200 – $261,300 |
| Beer or Ale Dealer | $222,300 – $237,700 |
| Building Material Dealer – New Materials Only | $684,400 |
| Bus Co – All Other Employees & Drivers | $565,300 |
| Lumberyard – New Materials Only | $286,800 |
| Machinery Dealer Noc – Store or Yard & Drivers | $216,900 |
| Mail Hauling | $1,249,600 |
| Railroad Construction Laying or Relaying of Tracks | $206,000 |
| Trucking | $159,100 – $1,331,800 |
| Trucking – Hauling Explosives or Ammunition | $717,100 |
| Trucking – Long Distance Hauling | $361,000 |
| Warehousing Noc | $485,400 |
Our recent email for Q1 2019 mistakenly included a link to this section. Please CLICK HERE to view the Q1 2019 Legislative Update.
Michigan
The Republican majority in the legislature is busy sending as many bills as they can to Republican Governor Rick Snyder before newly elected democratic Governor Gretchen Whitmer takes office Jan. 1, 2019. Of importance to the industry is proposed Data Security legislation, HB6491. This bill establishes new carrier data security standards in an effort to protect consumers’ personal information and define reporting expectations to the Department of Insurance and Financial Services in the event of a data breach. A portion of the bill will require all carriers to execute a data security risk assessment of their contracted third-party service providers, which includes all agency partners. The most significant portions of the bill don’t take effect until 2021, so AF Group will work to formalize our third-party service provider risk process and communication strategy. AF Group anticipates the bill will become law.
Illinois
Newly enacted Senate Bill 1737 requires carriers to send employer and agency premium increase notifications on all Illinois policies issued or renewed on or after Jan. 1, 2020 that have premium in excess of 5% of the rate recommendation filed with the Department. The industry has been working with Illinois Insurance Director Jennifer Hammer on the industry compliance challenges initiated by SB1737. As a result, the Department of Insurance issued a bulletin to provide guidance and attempt to reduce confusion.
South Carolina
Governor Henry McMaster announced this week that Ray Farmer will continue to serve as Director of the South Carolina Department of Insurance. McMaster stated “Because of his expertise and his unimpeachable reputation within the insurance industry, Director Farmer has been recognized by his peers across the country as one of the best in the business. Team South Carolina is stronger because of Director Farmer, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to continue to work with him.” Click here for the full release.
