Updated May 1, 2013 

SCDOI issues bulletin regarding Navigators

The SC Department of Insurance has issued Bulletin 2013-03 regarding Navigators and Assisters and their roles in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA).

The Navigator program was established by the ACA and requires Navigators to conduct public education activities regarding ACA, distribute impartial information concerning enrollment in qualified health plans, provide referrals to health insurance consumer assistance or health insurance ombudsmen and facilitate enrollment in qualified health plans through the appropriate agencies, programs or entities.

Navigators must complete training and certification, to be determined by the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

Agents and Brokers are permitted to serve as navigators as long they comply with all applicable standards. However, producers would be prohibited from receiving any compensation, directly or indirectly from a health carrier in connection with the enrollment of consumers in health care plans offered inside or outside the exchange.

HHS has issued a proposed regulation addressing the training and conduct of navigators. View draft regulation — final version is expected soon, and we will make it available.

The federal rules make it clear that the ACA’s Navigator provision does not pre-empt state regulation of insurance producer laws. View DOI Bulletin 2013-03.
 

SCDOI notice of public hearing on coastal property insurance
May 9 at the Citadel campus in Charleston

SCDOI will hold a public hearing to discuss coastal property insurance on May 9 in Charleston. Specifically, it will be held from 5:30-7:30 pm at Buyer Auditorium, 2nd Floor of Mark Clark Hall on the campus of The Citadel, 171 Moultrie St., Charleston, SC 29409.
 

Spring golf tournament winners

The IIABSC Young Agents committee offers a special thanks to all those who came out to the Wildewood Country Club on April 30 for a fun afternoon of golf benefiting the IIABSC Young Agents Scholarship Fund.

First-place team: Bobby Bryant, Brian Knapp, Andrew Nason, David Weber

Second-place team: William Boswell, Robert Sanders, Jr., Jay Taylor, Peter Vaska

Third-place team: John Broyles, Joey Huckaby, Lee Parks, Jim Wheeler

Long-drive winner: Cecilia Fournil

Closest to the pin: Jewell McLaurin

 

View photos:

Preferred Specialty, LLC, #1
Hull & Company, Inc.- Charlotte, #2
BELFOR Property Restoration, #3
Genesee General, #4
Safeco Ins. Co., #5
Jackson Sumner & Associates, #6
Preferred Reinsurance Intermediaries, Inc., #7
The Hartford, #8
Bankers Insurance Group, #9
St. John's Insurance Co., #10
Johnson & Johnson, #11
Liberty Mutual, #12
IIABSC Agency, Inc., #13
SERVPRO Fire & Water- Cleanup & Restoration, #14
Progressive Insurance, #15
PuroClean Disaster Restoration Services, #16
United Property & Casualty, #17
J.M.Wilson, #18

Palmetto Partners are blue

IIABSC recognized nationally for government affairs involvement   
IIABSC is awarded 8th consecutive Eagle Award at IIABA Legislative Conference

IIABSC was presented its eighth consecutive InsurPAC Eagle Award (given to states that raise an average of more than $100 per agency) during the national legislative conference and convention held April 17-19 in Washington, D.C.

Five states were presented with InsurPac Eagle Awards for 2012. North Dakota actually broke the $200 mark and set a new record with $207/agency average, followed by South Carolina ($129), Idaho ($110), Montana ($103) & New Hampshire ($102).

Kenneth A. Finch, CPCU CIC CRM AAI of Countybanc Insurance in Greenwood was IIABSC's 2012 InsurPAC chairman.
 

IIABSC representatives display various recognition for involvement in national government affairs, including its eighth consecutive Eagle Award for InsurPAC contributions. (L to R: Scott Moseley of Irmo Insurance, Ken Finch of Countybanc Insurance, Ashley Brady of First Charter Insurance and Gus Brabham of Frank B. Norris & Company.)
 

AppState/UNCC sponsoring residential property symposium
To be held May 31 in Charlotte; SCDOI Dir. Farmer on the agenda

The residential property insurance market is in a state of turmoil and the problems and potential solutions are complex. AppState and UNC Charlotte insurance programs are teaming up to hold an insurance symposium May 31 to discuss current problems and trends and to identify solutions for creating greater stability within this critical market.

Held May 31 on UNCC Campus in Charlotte, NC, from 8:00 am - 3:45 pm. Cost is only $55. SCDOI Dir. Farmer is scheduled to speak during the lunch keynote. View agenda & registration info

www.iiabsc.com/education

CPCU Society's I-Day offers a CE variety
To be held May 15 in Columbia; SCDOI Dir. Farmer on the agenda

Make plans to attend this year's I-Day by the SC SPCU Society. Join fellow agents, carriers, claims professionals and regulators at the 2013 I-Day to be held on May 15 in Columbia. Presentations will include cyberliability, social security, SCDOI update and roof-damage mitigation. Up to 5 hours of CE are approved. The cost is only $50 – and INCLUDES lunch. View agenda

You can pay at the door, but please RSVP by emailing Yvonne Danford and let her know if you plan to attend.

Upcoming IIABSC events
Generating Revenue Online Workshop, Cyberliability course, Young Agents Conference registration opens today

Generate Revenue Online, May 14, Columbia
The GROW program is a online marketing workshop specifically designed for insurance professionals looking to grow their client relationships and generate revenue from online activity. GROW is focused on actionable “How-to” guidance that agencies can implement immediately. It is taught by active independent insurance agents who understand the pressures and time constraints of insurance sales. Learn more
 

Cyberliability & Young Agents social, May 30, Columbia
In today's business world, your commercial-lines clients are not properly covered if cyberliabilities aren't taken into account. Recognizing the importance of this evolving coverage, IIABSC is offering a two-hour CE session at a very low cost through the Young Agents program to be held May 30 at the IIABSC office in Columbia (other locations to be posted soon) from 1:00-3:30 pm. Cost is only $15 for agency members. Register now

State qualifier for Trusted Choice National Championship junior golf tournament, June 24-25, Orangeburg Country Club
IIABSC has been sponsoring a statewide junior golf tournament every summer for more than 40 years. This summer's event will be held June 24-25 at the Orangeburg Country Club. Boys' and girls' tournament champions as well as the second- and third-place boys' finishers will qualify to play in the national tournament to be held in August at Pinehurst. Please help us publicize the event by telling any junior golfers in your area about the tournament and sending them to www.iiabsc.com/jrgolf for tournament details and registration.

Young Agents Conference, Aug. 9-11, Myrtle Beach
This year's Young Agents Conference will be held Aug. 9-11 at the Marriott Grande Dunes in Myrtle Beach with a theme of "Risky Business." Our planning committee has made a few changes to the agenda structure to reduce your time away from the office and hopefully enable more Young Agents to attend. Six hours of CE will be offered, and agency attendees will receive a voucher for a free CE-approved webinar.

Agents who register in May using discount code SCYA25 will get $25 off their registration fee. Register now

IIABSC Palmetto Partner members Robert Sanders, Jr. of Preferred Specialty and Danielle Wade of Jackson, Sumner & Associates have been elected Vice Presidents on the American Association of Managing General Agents' Under Forty Organization. They start their terms this month.

 

Trusted Choice® member tip:
Issue a seasonally appropriate press release

Trusted Choice® provides effective public relations campaigns that you can use at the local level. PR is a great tool for getting free media exposure for your business and increasing consumer recognition. It is also a great complement to your local Trusted Choice® advertising flights.

Resources like press release templates and articles on public relations can be found on trustedChoice.com/agents, in the Public Relations section. You can also update the template with content found on the Trusted Choice® consumer site. Press release templates also make great blog posts and newsletter articles for your existing clients.

Also, download the Live the Brand Guide (found on "Branding Articles" page, under "Branding Basics" section) for more tips on branding your agency with Trusted Choice®.

Sample from "Insurance Tips Protect College-Bound Students and Parents:"

[Insert City, State] Nine million households are sending high school graduates off to college this year, and the next few months will be a hectic time for them. But during all the planning, one important thing is regularly overlooked by college-bound students and their parents—insurance, according to [your full name, title, agency name, location].

Contrary to popular belief, insurance can be very affordable. A typical renters insurance policy, providing $15,000 in personal property coverage and about $100,000 in liability protection, costs about $100 — $150 a year.
 

For questions, concerns or more information on legislative activity or government affairs issues, contact Frank Sheppard at fsheppard@iiabsc.com or 803.760.1239.