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January 24, 2014
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UNICO is Designated Best Practices Agency Award

UNICO Group has qualified for the fifth year as a Best Practices Agency as designated by the Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America. Each year since 1993, IIABA and Reagan Consulting, an Atlanta-based management consulting firm, join forces to study the country’s leading agencies in six revenue categories. The agencies comprising the study groups are selected every third year through a comprehensive nomination and qualifying process and awarded a “Best Practices Agency” designation. “We are honored to have qualified for the fifth year as a Best Practices Agency. At UNICO, it’s all about doing the right thing,” says Scott Nelson, UNICO president. More than 1,100 independent agencies throughout the U.S. were nominated to take part in the annual study, but only 216 agencies qualified for the honor. To be chosen, the agency had to be among the 35-45 top-performing agencies in one of six revenue categories. UNICO Group, Inc. has been serving insurance and financial needs for business owners […]
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January 22, 2014
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Worksite Wellness as a Business Strategy

The Affordable Care Act has made you think about wellness. How do you do it? Where do I start? Do I really need it? This article is the first in a series of articles that will answer some of the questions above. Today we will focus on WHY WORKSITE WELLNESS. People spend more aware time at work than any other place. Time is a precious commodity in our fast-paced world. The saying goes; you can lead a camel to water, but you cannot make him drink. That is true for people as well, but businesses can help make the healthy choice the easy choice. Not only is wellness the right thing to do, it is a smart business strategy! Analysis of 22 large-employer studies showed significant positive impacts on healthcare costs and absenteeism: • Employee healthcare costs were reduced $3.27 for every $1 spent on comprehensive worksite health programs. • Absenteeism costs dropped by $2.73 for every $1 spent. Local […]
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January 16, 2014
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From the HR Experts: Employees And FMLA Rights

Question: An employee notified his employer of a serious health condition that would require him to be out of office for some time. The employer took it as a notice of resignation and processed. A week later, the employee indicated that he wanted to go on FMLA, not resign. How should the employer proceed? Answer: The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) regulations state that once an employer has been notified or has knowledge of an employee’s serious health condition, the employer is required to inform the employee of his rights and responsibilities under the FMLA. The employee does not have to specifically ask for an FMLA leave – it is up to the employer to determine eligibility and advise the employee accordingly. Additionally, if an employee has a condition that qualifies as a disability under the American with Disabilities Act, the employer has a strict responsibility to work with the employee and his medical provider in an “interactive process” […]
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January 8, 2014
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UNITEL Welcomes Mike Hetzel to the Team

UNITEL Insurance is pleased to announce the addition to our team of trusted advisors, Michael B. Hetzel, CHCM, CSM, CUSA as “Director of Risk Management Services.” Mike is a lifetime member and past President of the American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE), a Certifed Utility Safety Administrator (CUSA) and a Certified Safety Manager (CSM). He will join our operations on January 6th, 2014 and begin providing specialized services for all of our communications industry clients and partners. Mike brings a wealth of experience and knowledge in the communications industry that will be instrumental in helping our clients and partners reduce the potential for loss in their operations and thereby keep insurance and other costs under control. He has been involved in the independent telecommunications industry exclusively for the past 20 years at Farmers Union Insurance so many of you know him well and the expertise he brings to the table. Mike will be available to our clients and business partners […]
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January 3, 2014
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From the HR Experts: Job Descriptions

Question: Why are job descriptions important? Answer: Job descriptions serve a variety of purposes for both managers and employees, including: -Helping managers explain the key functions of the position when interviewing applicants and/or orienting new employees; -Providing employees and their supervisors with additional information to support developing performance and work objectives; -Guiding compensation benchmarking and organizational design decisions by comparing similar levels of job duties and incumbent requirements for knowledge, skills and abilities; -Improving employee performance by measuring performance with the stated duties and responsibilities of the job; -Providing employees with clear definitions of job requirements and expectations for enhanced employee development; -Guiding employees, their medical practitioners and management through decisions relating to potential workplace accommodation discussions; and -Giving management a more organized and defensible basis for human resources decisions. To learn more about UNICO HR Soutions visit HR and Safety Solutions
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December 2, 2013
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From The HR Experts: Best Times For Terminations

Question: What is the best day of the week and time of the day to perform a termination of employment? Answer: There are varying viewpoints as to the best time to terminate an employee; however, many HR professionals agree that the meeting should probably take place early in the week, and early in the day. Try to hold the termination meeting at a time and location that will not parade the employee through the job site at a peak period. Early-week terminations will allow the employee to reach out for any assistance and advice s/he may need to help cope during the week, including filing for unemployment and networking, as well as giving him/her an opportunity to begin searching for a new position. It will not leave the employee in a situation where s/he is facing a weekend of going over things without being able to seek help or gain new perspectives on next steps. There are two points of […]
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November 4, 2013
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NCCI Releases Nebraska Loss Costs Info For 2014

On October 30, 2013, the National Council on Compensation Insurance (NCCI) delivered a workers compensation voluntary market loss cost filing to the Nebraska Department of Insurance. Based upon its review of the most recently available data, NCCI has proposed an overall average voluntary market workers compensation loss cost level change of -4.8%, to become effective February 1, 2014. Loss Cost Filing Components Impact Change in Experience & Trend -2.9% Change in Benefits +0.2% Change in Loss Based Expense Provision -0.2% Factor to Reflect Inclusion of Assigned Risk Experience -2.0% Overall Loss Cost Level Change -4.8% The key drivers of this year’s proposed filing are: 1. Experience & Trend The experience used in this filing (policy years 2010-2011) reflects an improvement in overall loss experience in Nebraska. Claim frequency continues to decline. Selected trend factors were equal to those in last year’s filing. To maintain overall stability, NCCI continues to rely on an average of paid loss and paid loss plus […]
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October 28, 2013
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Tami Soukup Promoted to Manager

UNICO Group, Inc. has promoted Tami Soukup to the position of manager of the small commercial insurance department. She has been with UNICO since 1996 and has completed several years of experience in this department. “Her industry expertise makes her an ideal professional to lead UNICO’s future development in serving small commercial accounts within the family and business division. She is recognized as a leader within our organization and we are excited to see her developing growth opportunities,” stated Scott Nelson, president of UNICO. Soukup came to UNICO after several years working as a Famers Insurance Group agent and later qualified for a CIC designation. She serves on the state education committee for the CIC and also serves on several agent advisory boards for the insurance carriers UNICO works with. Soukup’s leadership complements additional resources recently added to the UNICO Family and Business Division. UNICO has recruited several independent agents who understand the Lincoln and greater Nebraska market for personal lines and business insurance. […]
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October 10, 2013
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Foreign Travel Is Often An Overlooked Risk

Firms that have employees travel outside of the United States have exposures to sources of loss that do not exist in the U.S. and Canada, i.e., political risks, endemic diseases, terrorism and uprisings. Here are some exposures that are often overlooked 1. Accident, Sickness And Health It is possible for a person traveling abroad to become sick or injured in an accident. Should either of these events occur, there is a possibility that a U.S. medical insurer would not cover the incident. There is also the possibility that the foreign medical facility will not accept U.S. health insurance. Work with an international underwriter to determine what is required by local laws. Review existing health and medical coverage to determine how the policy will treat foreign claims. When in doubt, contact the HMO or insurance company to determine how coverage may apply. While the insured’s carrier may reimburse the insured for the claim, the foreign medical facility may not accept the […]
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September 30, 2013
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Upcoming Work Comp Seminar

Join us for a Work Comp Seminar that will be held on Friday, November 1st. This Seminar will focus on the comprehensive approach to preventing and managing work comp claims. We will be partnering with Company Care and Midlands Financial. Company Care will speak on the importance of work injury treatment, physicals and screenings and Midlands will speak on the Health Insurance Marketplace. View the attachment below for more details: Seminar Details
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July 30, 2013
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From the HR Experts- Attendence and Medical Issues

Question: What should we do about an employee with a terrible attendance record who appears to have a medical issue? I need to do something about this because other employees are noticing the problem when they have to do her work. What should I do if the employee wants to give me any medical details – isn’t that a violation of the HIPAA rules? Answer: The best route to take with the employee is to have a private meeting and review the attendance problem that is affecting her performance. Keep the discussion based on the facts and the attendance expectations of the job. Let the employee know where she is not meeting the company expectations and ask for the employee’s feedback as to what she needs to do in order to get performance/attendance on track. Don’t bring up health issues. Wait until the employee brings up the medical situation to avoid any appearance of disability discrimination. If she does bring […]
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July 10, 2013
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UPDATE: ACA Employer Mandate Delay

The employer shared responsibility “play or pay” requirement provides that employers with 50 or more full-time or full-time equivalent employees must offer affordable, minimum value coverage to most full-time (30+ hours/week) employees or pay a penalty. That requirement was scheduled to take effect Jan. 1, 2014, although employers that met transition requirements could delay compliance until the start of the 2014 plan year. In addition, extensive reporting was expected to be required regarding the coverage offered to employees. Now we believe (1) the reporting requirements will be provided later this summer; (2) reporting will not be required until 2015; and (3) since it is not possible to assess or enforce employer penalties without reporting, the play or pay mandate also will be delayed until 2015. 1. What’s Been Delayed The play or pay provision requires employers with 50 or more employees to do the following to avoid penalties: Offer minimum essential coverage to 95 percent of full-time employees Offer minimum […]
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July 3, 2013
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Administration Delays Health Law Requirement

Late Tuesday the US Dept of Treasury released this statement. Continuing to Implement the ACA in a Careful, Thoughtful Manner By: Mark J. Mazur 7/2/2013 Over the past several months, the Administration has been engaging in a dialogue with businesses – many of which already provide health coverage for their workers – about the new employer and insurer reporting requirements under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). We have heard concerns about the complexity of the requirements and the need for more time to implement them effectively. We recognize that the vast majority of businesses that will need to do this reporting already provide health insurance to their workers, and we want to make sure it is easy for others to do so. We have listened to your feedback. And we are taking action. The Administration is announcing that it will provide an additional year before the ACA mandatory employer and insurer reporting requirements begin. This is designed to meet two […]
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June 17, 2013
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From the HR Experts – Wellness and Compliance

Question: We are designing our wellness programs for this year and want to offer a wellness benefit to our non-smokers. Are there special compliance rules surrounding wellness programs? Answer: A group health plan is allowed to offer a discount to non-smokers if it is part of formal wellness program that is non-discriminatory under HIPAA. The Department of Labor has specific guidelines as follows: For a group health plan to maintain a premium differential between smokers and nonsmokers and not be considered discriminatory, the plan’s nonsmoking program would need to meet the five requirements for wellness programs that require satisfaction of a standard related to a health factor. Accordingly, under the final rules, this wellness program would be permitted if: The premium differential is not more than 20 percent of the total cost of employee-only coverage (or 20% of the cost of coverage if dependents can participate in the program)*; The program is reasonably designed to promote health and prevent disease; […]
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June 4, 2013
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Weekly Health Care Reform Webinar Q&A

Do you have questions about the Health Care Reform? Check our blog weekly to see the most asked questions during our weekly webinar. In this week’s blog, we cover How employers will know that employees have been allowed to get a subsidy through the Exchanges, does the play or play penalty apply to a large group prior to their renewal date in 2014 if the plan is the fiscal year (7/1/14), and also will there eventually be a requirement to extend coverage to dependents.   Read More…
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May 20, 2013
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Healthcare Reform Informative Meeting

UNICO Group, Inc. and ComPro are joining forces to help local businesses prepare for the changes that are coming with Healthcare Reform. We would like to invite you to an informative meeting focusing on how Healthcare Reform will impact your business and your family. This is an educational, no-pressure meeting to ensure the businesses of Lincoln know the facts so they can plan and implement changes to their healthcare benefits. This meeting, with Healthcare Reform experts Chris and Brian McPike, will be held at the UNICO building (4435 O street, Lincoln, NE 68510) this Thursday, May 23rd from 3pm-4pm. Please RSVP to Brian at [email protected]
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May 1, 2013
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UNICO is now a member of Donegal

“UNICO is now a member of the Donegal Insurance Pioneer Program. Donegal Insurance recognizes their top agents in Nebraska based off of written premium production. Donegal Insurance contracted UNICO in late March. Donegal couldn’t be happier with the production and relationship.”
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May 1, 2013
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Interest in Personal Gun Liability Insurance Protection

Interest in personal liability insurance for firearms owners has expanded with the media focus on gun-centric events and the public discussion of  liability issues. While coverage is available through gun owner associations and through specialty insurers, the liability component of homeowners and renters insurance policies offers some protection for gun owners…  
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