Blog

Jan
08
2020

Car Crashes a Leading Cause of High-Severity Claims, Safe Driving Rules Can Help

by CoreMark | posted in Blog, Newsletter

Traffic accidents continue to be one of the leading causes of high-severity workers’ comp claims, according to research. The National Council on Compensation Insurance found in a study that the cost of workers’ comp claims for accidents involving motor vehicles was 250% more than the average for all workplace accidents. The study also found large differences between the cost of claims involving large trucks and passenger cars, as well as a reduction in the number of accidents during economic recessions. Besides a threat to other drivers on the road, any injuries your employees suffer while on driving for you on…
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Jan
08
2020

Don’t Fall Victim to the Business E-mail Compromise Scam

by CoreMark | posted in Blog, Newsletter

West African organized-crime rings have been targeting U.S. businesses with “business e-mail compromise” scams that are costing firms millions of dollars every year. Losses to businesses that are targeted by these scams hit an all-time high in the first quarter of 2018, with $685 million in losses reported by 4,081 victims. That’s more than the amount lost for all of 2017 in such scams: $675 million. The gangs send fake messages to businesses’ finance departments purporting to be a vendor for the company with an invoice requiring payment. These criminals do research before targeting companies, meaning they go to company…
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Jan
08
2020

More Employers Expand Mental Health Benefits

by CoreMark | posted in Blog, Newsletter

American workers are more stressed than ever, and an increasing number of people are also struggling with mental health issues. Sadly, the number of people dying from drugs, alcohol and suicide hit record levels in 2019. When someone is battling addiction or has mental health issues, it affects all aspects of their life, including work. Stress can have a significant adverse impact on business. It costs employers an average of $300 billion a year in stress-related health care and missed work, according to a Harris Poll conducted for Purchasing Power. That’s why more employers are stepping up to provide their…
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Jan
08
2020

Top 10 Laws and Regulations for 2020

by CoreMark | posted in Blog, Newsletter

The new decade is starting off with a massive swell of important new laws and regulations that will affect California businesses. There are so many new laws and regulations that companies have to be on their toes especially at the start of 2020 to get their bearings. If you are operating a business in California, here’s what you need to know coming into the new year. 1. AB 5 Probably the most earth-shattering new law to hit the books in California is the highly controversial AB 5, which creates a new and more stringent test for determining who is an…
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Dec
12
2019

Generic Drug Makers Sued over Pricing Practices

by CoreMark | posted in Blog, Newsletter

One of the country’s largest health insurers has sued a number of pharmaceutical companies, accusing them of running a price-fixing cartel of common generic drugs. Humana Inc. has accused the companies of colluding on the prices of generics to the detriment of health insurers that have to pay for these drugs. Humana said in its lawsuit that this collusion prevented fair competition among insurers that could have reduced the cost of many of these drugs. The Background The lawsuit comes after 45 states signed onto a suit last year over an alleged scheme among generic drug manufacturers to fix the…
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Dec
12
2019

New Booklet Helps Employers Set Up Safe Driving Programs

by CoreMark | posted in Blog, Newsletter

OSHA has published a set of guidelines to help employers reduce accidents among their driving employees. The document is not a set of new regulations or a new standard. It is only advisory ― the federal agency describes it as “informational in content” ― and is intended to assist employers in providing a safe and healthful workplace.”  Nonetheless, the guidelines are an excellent way to establish a system that can reduce the likelihood of crashes involving your driving workers. What should your safe driving program include? OSHA recommends implementing a safe driving program that includes the following: Management commitment and employee…
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Dec
12
2019

Full Compliance with Electronic Logging for Truckers Nears

by CoreMark | posted in Blog, Newsletter

The full-compliance deadline for motor carriers and drivers to comply with the U.S. Department of Transportation regulations to install electronic logging devices (ELDs) in their vehicles on or before Dec. 16, 2019 is fast approaching. The rule covers motor carriers and drivers who are currently required to maintain records of duty status. It applies to commercial buses as well as trucks, and to Canada and Mexico-domiciled drivers. To maintain records of duty status, many fleets and drivers have been using automatic onboard recording devices (AOBRDs), but those will have to be phased out in favor of the more advanced ELDs….
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Dec
06
2019

New Rules Aim for Hospital, Insurer Transparency

by CoreMark | posted in Blog, Newsletter

The Trump administration on Nov. 15 announced two rules that would require more transparency in hospital pricing and health insurance out-of-pocket costs for enrollees. The final rule on hospital pricing will require hospitals to publish their standard fees both on-demand and online starting Jan. 1, 2021, as well as the rates they negotiate with insurers. The administration also proposed rules that would require health insurers to provide their enrollees instant, online access to an estimate of their out-of-pocket costs for various services. The latter are just proposed rules and will have to go through a comment period before final rules…
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Dec
05
2019

Changes to Independent Contractor Requirements Take Hold In California

by CoreMark Insurance Services | posted in Blog

This is the second in a three-part series brought to you by CoreMark Insurance Services, Inc to address a few of the major changes facing California employers in 2020. If you missed our first installment, you can read it here. The so-called “gig-economy” has made ever-lasting waves in the California employment landscape, and the full effects of these changes are still yet to be seen.  In September of this year, Governor Gavin Newsom signed Assembly Bill 5, also known as AB-5, that codifies the “ABC Test” first seen in the Dynamex Supreme Court case. The new law puts a much…
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Nov
25
2019

The Individual Mandate Returns: Help Employees Avoid Tax Penalties

by CoreMark Insurance Services | posted in Blog

This is the first in a three-part series brought to you by CoreMark Insurance Services, Inc to address a few of the major changes facing California employers in 2020. You can read part two here.  A new California state law, SB 78, brings back the health insurance individual mandate, requiring all California residents to have health insurance in 2020 or face tax penalties. You may remember the individual mandate at the federal level as a major part of the Affordable Care Act. The mandate, which stated that most Americans would be required to carry health insurance or face tax penalties,…
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