Blog

Mar
18
2020

Amid COVID-19, CoreMark is Open For Business and Here to Serve

by CoreMark Insurance Services | posted in Blog

Hello and best wishes to you and yours during these challenging times. We know that employers may have concerns about ongoing business operations in addition to those regarding your own family and community. To assist you in this time of need, we have assembled a collection of resources meant to help address the critical questions all businesses are facing as a result of the ongoing global pandemic. You can access this resource library here. We will continue to update this Employer Resource Page as things change and evolve, so you’re welcome to check back regularly, and to share it with your network…
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Mar
09
2020

Searching Social Media During Hiring Process

by CoreMark | posted in Blog, Newsletter

If you are hiring, you should not overlook the importance of vetting prospective employees through social media and networking sites such as Facebook and LinkedIn during the hiring process. A recent survey by CareerBuilder found that 70% of hiring managers said they had used Facebook or other social networking sites to research job candidates in 2018, up from 60% the year prior. Also, 11% of hiring managers said they planned to start using social networking sites for screening. With so many people posting their lives online, employers can learn a lot about candidates. There are plenty of legitimate reasons to…
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Mar
09
2020

AB 5 Suffers Early Legal Setbacks

by CoreMark | posted in Blog, Newsletter

California’s controversial independent contractor law suffered its first two legal setbacks in January after trucking firms and independent truckers were able beat back at the new law in court arguing that the ABC Test should not apply to them. Recent AB 5 Rulings On Jan. 8, a Los Angeles County Superior Court judge ruled that AB 5 does not apply to independent truckers because they are covered by federal law. And on Jan. 13, a federal judge extended a restraining order for the law to cover truckers as of Jan. 1 this year in a case brought by the California…
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Mar
09
2020

Telemedicine Taking Off, Reducing Health Costs

by CoreMark | posted in Blog, Newsletter

One of the fastest-growing parts of the health care system, and which touches significantly on group health plans, is telemedicine. From 2016 to 2017, insurance claims for services rendered via telehealth ― as a percentage of all medical claim lines ― grew 53% nationally, faster than any other avenue of care, according to “FH Health Indicators,” a white paper published by the nonprofit FAIR Health. What is telemedicine Telemedicine, also called Telehealth, uses technology to provide remote care via video conferencing and other means, and is proving to be more and more effective, especially for time-pressed individuals or people who…
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Mar
09
2020

More Businesses Get Bills for ‘Misclassified’ Workers Under AB 5

by CoreMark | posted in Blog, Newsletter

One outgrowth of new California law AB 5 that applies more stringent criteria for what constitutes an independent contractor is that many employers are likely to see more audits and calls for additional premium from their workers’ comp insurers. In fact, it’s already happening in some industries, according to the insurance industry trade press. More and more employers are being hit with sizeable surprise bills for additional premium by their insurers for allegedly misclassifying employees as independent contractors, according to one article in the Workers’ Comp Executive trade publication. And this problem is only like to get worse in 2020…
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Feb
10
2020

Congress Eliminates the ‘Cadillac’ and Other ACA Taxes

by CoreMark | posted in Blog, Newsletter

Congress has passed legislation repealing the so-called “Cadillac tax” on generous group health plans, as well as two other taxes, finally putting to bed an issue that has plagued the Affordable Care Act since its inception. Although it had not yet been implemented, employers didn’t like the Cadillac and labor unions came out against it as well. It was so unpopular that Congress voted twice to delay implementation, which was originally set to start in 2018. The latest start date had been pushed until 2022. The Cadillac tax, an enacted but not yet implemented part of the ACA, is a…
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Feb
10
2020

Employer Guide for Dealing with the Coronavirus

by CoreMark | posted in Blog, Newsletter

As the outbreak of the 2019 novel coronavirus gains momentum and potentially begins to spread in North America, employers will have to start considering what steps they can take to protect their workers while fulfilling their legal obligations. Employers are in a difficult position because it is likely that the workplace would be a significant source of transmission among people. And if you have employees in occupations that may be of higher risk of contracting the virus, you could be required to take certain measures to comply with OSHA’s General Duty Clause. On top of that, if you have workers…
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Feb
06
2020

Trends Shaping Health Insurance and Health Care in 2020

by CoreMark | posted in Blog, Newsletter

As a new decade begins, the health insurance industry is on the cusp of making a leap towards improved, higher-tech management of health plan participants. A recent paper by Capgemini, an insurance technology and consulting firm, predicts the following health insurance trends will be taking shape in the industry and how they may affect businesses that are paying for their employees’ coverage. Health Insurance Trends 1. Realigned relationships Insurers are trying to shift risk between themselves and pharmaceutical companies in an effort to reduce drug outlays. The report says insurers are also working more closely with health care providers for early intervention…
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Feb
06
2020

Coverage Gap Concerns as Cyber Threat Grows

by CoreMark | posted in Blog, Uncategorized

Small and mid-sized businesses are increasingly bearing the burden of cyber threats, as criminals consider them low-hanging fruits that often do not have the resources in place to mount a strong defense. Having a solid cyber insurance policy in place is key, along with understanding what exactly your policy covers. A severe attack on a small company can incapacitate its ability to do business, and the expenses of getting operations back on track ― coupled with loss of goodwill ― can easily force many firms into bankruptcy. That’s why it’s important to not only have safeguards in place to avoid…
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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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