While cyber threats grow and the cyber insurance market evolves, insurers are regularly adjusting their policy terms and conditions in response to new threats and exposure. Carriers have amassed nearly a decade’s worth of data and are getting more stringent about underwriting and demanding that policyholders do their share by implementing best practices aimed at…
More hospitals and insurers have started charging patients for virtual care services as they have grown in usage and providers are spending more time meeting patients in telehealth appointments and responding to their e-mails. Many hospital systems have started billing patients for e-mails they send to their physicians and, depending on the level of out-of-pocket…
Exciting News! Keith Schuler, President/CEO of InterWest Insurance Services, was elected as the 2023/2024 Chair for The Council of Insurance Agents & Brokers during the 110th annual Insurance Leadership Forum in Colorado Springs, CO. Keith will work with a dedicated team of officers, including Vice Chair Andy Barrengos, Treasurer John M. Howard, and Secretary Eric Leavitt to…
It’s a PERFECT day for the InterWest team of Brett Faulknor, Michelle Goodwin, Jay Berkowitz & Heidi Buchman. With a PERFECT score, team InterWest earned the Broker Smackdown National Title at the Council of Insurance Agents & Brokers Insurance Leadership Forum in Colorado Springs on October 2nd. Broker Smackdown is a challenge designed to…
It’s almost time for group health insurance open enrollment and your top priority should be to drive participation by helping your employees make informed decisions about their options. You’ll want to help your staff understand all of their options so they can choose plans that are best for their age, health and life situation. This…
Workers’ compensation fraud costs the insurance industry roughly $5 billion each year, according to estimates by the National Insurance Crime Bureau. Depending on whom you ask, fraud accounts for as much as 10% of the costs of all workers’ comp claims. This type of fraud is typically associated with malingering employees who fake injuries in…
If you are considering a merger with another agency or being purchased, there is plenty of due diligence that you’ll need to perform. Due diligence will span the gamut of issues, such as how contracts are structured, the soundness of the plan – and the numbers, of course. If your agency is being purchased or…
Some of the nation’s largest insurers have announced plans to roll back their prior authorization requirements for medical services. Prior authorization — or prior approval — has always been a thorn in the side of patients, often keeping them from accessing care in a timely fashion. The moves by these insurers come after the Centers…
Two bills wending their way through the state Legislature would increase the amount of sick days workers in the Golden State can take as well as expand — once again — the definition of “family” for the purposes of paid family leave. Business groups have come out against both of the bills, which they say…
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has issued new guidance for employers to provide reasonable accommodations for visually impaired workers who request it. About 18.4% of all American adults have at least some difficulty with their vision, even when wearing corrective lenses, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The new guidance addresses…