Our Blog

[vc_row css_animation="" row_type="row" use_row_as_full_screen_section="no" type="full_width" angled_section="no" text_align="left" background_image_as_pattern="without_pattern"][vc_column][vc_column_text] Imagine reducing by nearly half the number of people categorized as high risk for chronic disease (e.g. diabetes, cancer, cardiac disease, stroke, arthritis) through wellness coaching. Now imagine that you are an employer covering the lives of more than 10,000 employees and their dependents where high risk health factors are the biggest drivers of your health costs. One such employer is Eastern Maine Healthcare Systems (EMHS) where they are “walking-the-walk” in improving the health of their own employees and...

[vc_row css_animation="" row_type="row" use_row_as_full_screen_section="no" type="full_width" angled_section="no" text_align="left" background_image_as_pattern="without_pattern"][vc_column][vc_column_text] If you’re self-employed, or if you work for a small business, there’s a good chance that you have either no protection against a long term disability, or very limited protection. Kerry PeabodyCSA, CLTC Kerry Peabody CSA, CLTC According to the Social Security Administration, 69% of the private industry workforce has no private long term disability protection. While there are government safety nets, you need to understand the various programs and how they work. The first tier of paycheck protection for most employees is...

[vc_row css_animation="" row_type="row" use_row_as_full_screen_section="no" type="full_width" angled_section="no" text_align="left" background_image_as_pattern="without_pattern"][vc_column][vc_column_text] Now is the time to set measurable objectives to reduce accident costs with improved risk controls in 2014. Progress on measurable safety objectives, with specific actions (or “steps”) to reach those objectives, is a vital risk control tool. Which type of objective works for you? One type of measurable improvement objective is a percent reduction in the number or costs of all injuries, or a specific type of loss – such as falls, strains, or backing crashes. Example: Beginning February 3rd, the...

[vc_row css_animation="" row_type="row" use_row_as_full_screen_section="no" type="full_width" angled_section="no" text_align="left" background_image_as_pattern="without_pattern"][vc_column][vc_column_text]We are receiving a rash of calls here at Clark Insurance reporting damage from burst pipes. Here’s a basic check list to protect your property: keep the heat at 65 and allow air to circulate throughout your entire house wrap accessible pipes with foam insulators turn off your outside hose faucets from inside walk slowly through basement spaces to feel any air intrusion and fill voids with spray-in foam open sink and bathroom cabinets to allow warm air...

[vc_row css_animation="" row_type="row" use_row_as_full_screen_section="no" type="full_width" angled_section="no" text_align="left" background_image_as_pattern="without_pattern"][vc_column][vc_column_text] A benefit of age is that you often know what you don’t know but are wise enough to find out. A recent article from Bloomberg News indicated that in 2012, nearly 25 percent of new companies were started by people between the ages of 55 and 64. These are folks who often have acquired both experience and resources to get a new enterprise off the ground. If you’re starting a business, you need to minimize your risk to...

[vc_row css_animation="" row_type="row" use_row_as_full_screen_section="no" type="full_width" angled_section="no" text_align="left" background_image_as_pattern="without_pattern"][vc_column][vc_column_text]As the Affordable Care Act (ACA) unfolds, more people will gain access to health services and prescriptions. The Act also reduces the risk that individuals will go bankrupt due to medical bills. Children will be able to stay on family health plans until age 26. Insurance cannot be cancelled or denied for pre-existing conditions. There is no limit on the cost or duration of medical services. Universal access is being achieved under the ACA. So what’s next? We all...

[vc_row css_animation="" row_type="row" use_row_as_full_screen_section="no" type="full_width" angled_section="no" text_align="left" background_image_as_pattern="without_pattern"][vc_column][vc_column_text] According to a 2012 Consumer Reports study, 37 percent of respondents cited “fuel economy” as the most important consideration when buying a car. Quality was a distant second at 17 percent and safety was listed by 16 percent as their most important attribute. We’d counsel that if a new car is in your plans for 2014, vehicle safety ought to be at the top of your list to protect you and your passengers. Is saving a few bucks on...

[vc_row css_animation="" row_type="row" use_row_as_full_screen_section="no" type="full_width" angled_section="no" text_align="left" background_image_as_pattern="without_pattern"][vc_column][vc_column_text] Small businesses in Maine have seen continued improvement in the cost of their health insurance policies since Maine’s health reforms were implemented in 2011. In the last three months of this year, one in four small employers saw their health insurance rates actually decrease when compared with one in ten during the last quarter of 2011. And the bad news is less bad. The data from the Maine Bureau of Insurance shows that the number of small businesses receiving increases...

[vc_row css_animation="" row_type="row" use_row_as_full_screen_section="no" type="full_width" angled_section="no" text_align="left" background_image_as_pattern="without_pattern"][vc_column][vc_column_text] Company holiday parties are about to hit high gear which warrants words of caution for employers and revelers alike. From an insurance perspective, be sure to check your liability coverage well before the party begins and take all reasonable precautions to avoid an incident or accident. Your first call is whether or not to allow alcohol. Why? Whether they involve driving, injuries or harassment, most party problems are alcohol-related incidents. If alcohol is part of your planned holiday celebration, there...

[vc_row css_animation="" row_type="row" use_row_as_full_screen_section="no" type="full_width" angled_section="no" text_align="left" background_image_as_pattern="without_pattern"][vc_column][vc_column_text] Business leaders attending the USM Corporate Partners breakfast last week learned that leaving the workforce any time soon seems less and less likely for an increasing number of baby-boomers. Since 2001, the percentage of full time workers over age 65 has been growing well beyond those working part time. What are the factors driving this shift and what should older workers and employers be thinking about? John Dorrer, a senior advisor at Jobs for the Future in Boston, told...