As wildfires continue ravaging the West, more businesses in wildfire-prone areas are facing a difficult commercial property insurance market as insurers reduce their exposure and some have left the market altogether. Many businesses in areas that have already been ravaged by fires in the past, or those located in areas that are near forests and…
Despite a new law requiring hospitals to post detailed pricing information for their treatments and procedures online, fewer than 10% of U.S. adults are aware of the requirement. That’s a problem considering that a growing number of Americans have high-deductible health plans, which come with up-front lower premiums but with higher out-of-pocket expenses. One of…
Despite a law requiring that Cal/OSHA create indoor heat illness regulations by 2019, no regulations are yet on the books, making for a difficult situation as many parts of California are experiencing some of the highest temperatures on record. The workplace safety agency implemented heat illness prevention regulations for outdoor workers in 2013, but as the sustained heat wave…
While you already have enough to worry about when your child leaves for college, you don’t want the specter of them dealing with the theft or damage of their possessions while there. For about $150 a year, you can protect your child’s possessions against theft or damage caused by fire, lightning, smoke, vandalism, electrical surges,…
The Department of Labor has sued a Texas dental practice on behalf of a dental hygienist and a dental assistant who were not reinstated after raising concerns about what COVID-19 safety measures would be in place when the practice reopened in spring 2020. As more employers are bringing people back to the workplace, OSHA has…
It’s summertime and for many that means leisurely weekends on the river, lake or ocean on their boat or personal watercraft like jet skis. But just because you’re out on the water doesn’t mean there aren’t risks, to you and others – or to your watercraft. But what kind of coverage do you need? Should…
California’s insurance commissioner has approved a 3.4% reduction in the average workers’ compensation benchmark rate as of Sept. 1, 2021. Ricardo Lara decided to order a rate decrease despite the fact that the Workers’ Compensation Insurance Rating Bureau, the state’s rate-making agency, had recommended that the average benchmark rate be increased 2.7%. The 3.4% reduction…
There are signs that the Internal Revenue Service is starting to step up its enforcement of the Affordable Care Act employer mandate. During the past six months, there’s been an uptick in the number of employers receiving initial notices stating they may be out of compliance with the requirement that they offer their workers coverage. …
As many parts of the country are wrestling with ever-increasing temperatures during the summer months, a new study has found that the hotter the weather gets, the higher the risk of workplace accidents and injuries for both indoor and outside workers. The study by the University of California, Los Angeles, based on claims data from…
The cost of buying and installing home building supplies is going through the roof, and it may leave you without enough insurance to rebuild should disaster strike. Lumber and other construction material prices have skyrocketed, and so has the cost of labor as the building industry struggles with a manpower shortfall. These issues are adding…