What's New

Welcome Marcia Swetye!

Our agency would like to welcome Marcia Swetye, CISR, CPIW to our talented group of associates. Marcia is originally from the northeastern part of Ohio, but spent many years in Montana raising a family and working at an agency there. She’s made her way back to Ohio which is our good fortune.

Marcia has over 25 years experience handling commercial lines accounts and is very familiar with our lead company, Cincinnati Insurance. She is also knows our agency management system well, so she was able to start being productive from her first day on the job.

In addition to being so experienced, Marcia has a great personality and is fun to talk with. We’re sure you’ll enjoy talking with her too. Give Marcia a call for any business related coverage or question including Certificate of Insurance requests.

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2012 HSA contribution limits

Health Savings Account (HSA)

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced the 2012 annual contribution limits for HSAs. The 2012 minimum deductible limits for HSA-compatible health plans remains unchanged. Please see the table below for a summary of the 2012 HSA contribution and HSA-compatible health plan limits.

Tax year 2012

• HSA annual contribution limits Single - $3,100
• Family - $6,250
• HSA catch-up contributions $1,000 per individual age 55 or older
• Minimum deductible Single - $1,200
• Family - $2,400
• Maximum out-of-pocket expenses Single - $6,050
• Family - $12,100

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See our video on independence

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Q&A : Home Rebuilding Costs and Insurance

How much coverage should I have on my home?

With the current economy continuing to force housing prices down, we are often asked why we can’t lower the insurance value of a home. Below are some answers to two of our more commonly asked questions. We hope it will provide you with some valid reasons why one should not follow the market when it comes to insuring your home.

What is my home worth? Market value versus reconstruction costs.

Many homeowners equate the "worth" of a home to its market value, especially if the home was a recent purchase. While market value is a valid calculation of a home's worth for buying and selling, it has little to do with the cost of rebuilding. The insurance amount on your policy should be the amount needed to reconstruct the home at today's costs.

Why is reconstruction cost more expensive than new construction?

Rebuilding a home includes many factors and expenses not considered in new construction. The items below all lead to higher costs for rebuilding vs. new construction. » Read More

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New "Green" cars are safe too

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety tested two of the new all electric vehicles (Chevy Volt and Nissan Leaf) and found they were worthy of their highest safety ratings. Besides being well designed for safety, it turns out the batteries add weight which make these smaller cars handle a crash like the big boys.

Check out this link for more details.

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Ohio 10th for disaster losses in past decade

Ohio wasn’t home to a major U.S. disaster that killed thousands and racked up billions of dollars in insurance losses in one fell swoop in the past decade, but severe winter weather and hurricane fallout were enough to rank it among the top 10 for disaster-related property losses

Publisher Kiplinger, using data from analyst Insurance Services Office, places Ohio in the 10th spot on its list of the states most at risk for disasters based on the $4.1 billion in estimated insured property losses in the past 10 years. The report cited not only the snowstorms that hit northern Ohio in the winter and tornadoes that come in the spring, but the Hurricane Ike-spawned windstorm in 2008 that caused more than $500 million in insured losses. » Learn More

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Technology in Vehicles

To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, the institute crashed a 1959 Chevy Bel Air with a 2009 Chevy Malibu. While we hear stories about how cheap today’s cars are being made with plastic compared with the older steel “tanks” of the past, this brings home the real difference. Technological advances over the years have made cars much safer.

A study was done on the potential injuries to the occupants of the two cars. It was estimated that the driver of the 2009 Chevy would walk away with minor injuries while the driver of the the 1959 Chevy would have been killed instantly.

The Institute is funded by Insurance Companies.

  Click here to view video

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Health Reform Hits Main Street

Confused about how the new health reform law really works? This short, animated movie -- featuring the "YouToons" -- explains the problems with the current health care system, the changes that are happening now, and the big changes coming in 2014.

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Travelers Finds Water Damage Ten Times More Likely Than Fire

September 17, 2010

While fire may be a common worry among homeowners, claims data from Travelers suggests their homes could be as much as 10 times more likely to be damaged by water than by fire.

Fortunately, much of this water-related damage can be prevented, and taking a few simple home maintenance steps can help increase the chances of keeping a property safe.

Travelers recently analyzed its homeowners insurance claims in North Carolina, excluding claims related to catastrophes, and found that damage caused by water accounted for 28 percent of its property claims in the state, compared to three percent for fire. Furthermore, of those water damage claims, weather accounted for only five percent, meaning that proper maintenance within the home may help homeowners avoid some of these problems.

" When considering annual household cleaning projects, it's a great time to inspect and perform maintenance on household systems and appliances," said Ron Stephens, Regional Vice President for Travelers. "Checking washing machine hoses, ice maker connections and the plumbing around water heaters are a few simple actions you can take to prevent both damages and a lot of headaches."

After examining the most common causes of water damage for Travelers customers in North Carolina, claim and risk management professionals from Travelers have developed a number of easy steps homeowners can take to help avoid many of these non-weather-related water problems. The following list provides preventive measures to help avoid the top four common causes of non-weather related water damage:

• Leaks from washing machine hoses : Washing machine hoses should be inspected annually and replaced every five years - or immediately, if there are any signs of cracking or bulging.
• Leaky plumbing around water heaters : Plumbing should be inspected annually and repaired if there are any signs of leaks or corrosion. When possible, water heaters should be installed in an area with floor drains to minimize damage if leaks should occur.
• Leaks from refrigerator ice machines : Ice maker connections, usually located behind the refrigerator, should be inspected annually and hoses replaced if they appear cracked or corroded.
• Clogged drain lines on air conditioning units : Air conditioning drain lines should be checked yearly.

Certain types of water damage is limited (sewer backup) or even excluded (flood) under your homeowner policy. If you are concerned about water damage coverage, please contact our office.

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W. E. Davis Radio Spots

  A Personal Story.

  W.E. Davis Insurance.

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Health Insurance Dependent Age to Increase July 1, Insurance Department Available as Informational Resource

The Ohio Department of Insurance posted a short article on the new rules regarding young adults staying on their parents health insurance. This gives good information if you have a child who may need to remain on the parents’ health insurance. The new law goes into effect July 1st 2010 and extends the eligibility age to age 28. An estimated 20,000 additional young adults may have coverage access under this law. » Learn More

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Health Literacy Basics

As part of the health care overhaul, there is a new movement out of Washington to improve our understanding of health issues. From the press release put out by the Department of Health and Human Services: "According to research from the U.S. Department of Education, only 12 percent of English-speaking adults in the United States have proficient health literacy skills. The overwhelming majority of adults have difficulty understanding and using everyday health information that comes from many sources, including the media, web sites, nutrition and medicine labels, and health professionals. Health literacy refers to the capacity to obtain, process, and understand basic health information and services needed to make appropriate health decisions." We can look forward to public education campaigns to help us decipher "medicalese" and become partners with our health care providers in our own care. »More

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ATVs and Personal Insurance

Recently it has been brought to our attention that language adopted last year in the most recent transportation budget (HB 2) now requires all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) and off road motorcycles to be registered with the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicle (BMV.) This change will have an impact on how these vehicles are covered under personal insurance programs. In most cases your homeowner policy will cover vehicles used to service your premises provided the vehicle is not required to be registered by the state. Once they must be registered, they would be excluded from the liability portion of a standard homeowners policy. In these cases, they are treated as motor vehicles and must be separately scheduled on an auto policy. One piece of good news is that the BMV has indicated that the Ohio financial responsibility requirements do not apply to ATVs as long as they are not being operated on any public roads. The registration language was added to the transportation budget last year at the request of the farm owners who wish to be able to identify operators of these vehicles when they are trespassing. If you own an all-terrain vehicle and would like more information, please contact our office.

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Out of State Workers Compensation

Our office would like to update you on recent changes in workers’ compensation (WC) law that may affect your business. Ohio law has recently made changes that prohibit workers injured outside of Ohio from receiving benefits in more than one state for the same injury. As a result of these changes, the Ohio BWC is no longer offering reimbursement to other states’ WC administrators for claims processed outside of Ohio. And since some states require local coverage for all work performed in-state, regardless of whether coverage exists in Ohio, there is a risk of exposure in situations where workers are injured and file for benefits in a state in which no local coverage exists. This is most prevalent in the state of Kentucky, but is spreading to other states.

Amidst this changed landscape, you may have insufficient out-of-state workers’ compensation coverage. Attached is also a summary of recent changes to Ohio WC law and how additional changes to Kentucky WC law may affect employers doing business in that state. These changes highlight the need for you to obtain cost-effective out-of-state workers’ compensation coverage for your workers who travel into or through states requiring local coverage. If you have workers that go outside the state of Ohio, please contact us. We have the ability to add out of state coverage for most of our carriers.

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Attorneys Top List Of Most Dangerous Drivers

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Attorneys and judges may be sticklers to the word of the law but it seems they are not quite so adherent to the rules of the road, topping a list of the top 10 most dangerous drivers by profession.

A study by online U.S. insurance company insurance.com found 44 percent of attorneys claimed a prior accident when looking for a car insurance comparison quote from insurance.com. The findings were based on accident claims as a percentage of quotes in which drivers need to give details of their driving record.

Second in the list came financial professionals followed by government workers while the study found the least dangerous drivers were athletes, with only 17 percent reporting prior accidents, and homemakers at 24 percent.

"Professions that demand multi-tasking - being on the phone, moving fast on a tight schedule - are prone to more distractions and, from there, more accidents," said Sam Belden, insurance.com VP, in a statement.

"Though the job of a homemaker demands multi-tasking, young children are often along for any car ride and when children are involved, people tend to take their time and use greater caution."

He added that homemakers and athletes also tended to be off the road during rush hour.

Following is a list of the Top 10 most dangerous drivers by profession:

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Aetna Offering Employee Assistance Programs, Other Help to All Affected by Haiti Earthquake

The devastation of the earthquake in Haiti is having a worldwide impact. Friends and family members are frantic to learn about and help their loved ones in Haiti, and massive volunteer efforts are under way. One of our health insurance carriers, Aetna, is taking steps to reach out and help all of our members – those in Haiti and their loved ones elsewhere – through this disaster.

Employee Assistance Program Available

Aetna has opened its employee assistance programs to all members, employees and their families who may have loved ones affected by the earthquake in Haiti. They also are providing helpful information in a flyer format.

Aetna Behavioral Health is offering its Employee Assistance Program (EAP) to all Aetna plan sponsors, regardless of whether or not they are Aetna EAP customers, during this time of need. Aetna members can contact Aetna EAP 24/7 for telephonic consultation, support, information and referral to a full spectrum of resources including community-based, governmental and relief agencies.

Aetna's EAP professionals have experience dealing with traumatic events from both an organizational and individual perspective. In addition to providing direct support to members, employees and their families, EAP workplace consultants are ready to provide consultation to Aetna’s employer customers to help them address the needs of their workforce.

Aetna Global Benefits’ International Health Advisory Team is also available 24/7 as a single point of contact to provide members with additional support, which includes the coordination of medical evacuations. This group of AGB-dedicated nurses is focused on providing the highest level of care and can be reached by calling the International Service Center.

Aetna’s international or U.S.-based customers, members or employees who need help can reach Aetna at the following toll-free numbers.

• Aetna Global Benefits International Service Center and International Employee Assistance Program: 1-800-231-7729 (toll-free) or 1-813-775-0190 (collect)
• Aetna U.S. Employee Assistance Program: 1-888-AETNA-EAP (1-888-238-6232) or 866-843-6323 (for the hearing impaired)
• Aetna U.S. Member Services: 1-800-443-AETNA (1-800-443-2386)
   

Help for Those in Haiti

We are reaching out to our customers with employees in Haiti to offer medical evacuation for those injured and other assistance. For families filing a life insurance claim, Aetna is expediting the claim payment process and extending claim submission dates.

Aetna Group Life is helping families in need during these tragic circumstances by expediting the claim process, extending deadlines for filing claims, and modifying procedures such as those for collecting evidence of insurability to speed payment. Aetna Disability and Absence Management is expediting the claim processing, extending deadlines for filing claims, and modifying procedures to speed payment for those members affected by the recent tragic events.

• Aetna Group Life: 1-800-523-5065
• Aetna Disability and Absence Management – 1-866-537-7628

Aetna’s employees are also reaching out to help. The Aetna Foundation has initiated a dollar-for-dollar match for employee disaster relief donations to help the relief efforts in Haiti. Aetna’s Community Relations group has activated its 47 Aetna Volunteer Councils to engage with relief agencies to respond to this disaster by collecting goods and funds and offering other assistance.

John Koetz, President of W.E. Davis Insurance adds:

While the health and safety of those affected by the devastating earthquake in Haiti is first and foremost in our minds, this tragic event should give us pause to think about our own preparedness.

Catastrophes can happen in the blink of an eye and how we have planned before a disaster could mean the difference between life and death. There are many fine recourses on the net regarding earthquake and other disaster preparedness and we encourage you to explore those. We provide a partial list below to get you started. However, the key is to DO SOMETHING. Don’t wait for a catastrophic event to have basic supplies and necessities in your home a head of time.

You should also check your insurance policies to be sure you can be made whole if a natural disaster affects you. We can help in this area. Just call our office and we will review your coverage with you. While we try to include Earthquake in most of our policies, but the majority of other insurers do not. And flood insurance must be added by separate endorsement on all policies.

Please do what you can for those affected in Haiti.

Resources:

• http://www.ready.gov
• http://www.sba.gov/services/disasterassistance/disasterpreparedness/index.html
• http://www.ncdp.mailman.columbia.edu
• http://earthquake.usgs.gov/prepare
• http://www.fema.gov/areyouready/earthquakes.shtm

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New BMV fees added for late license and plate renewals

Our agency would like to remind our clients and friends that new late fees are in place for drivers license and vehicle plate renewals. The new Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicle (BMV) requirements call for transactions to be completed within seven days of the expiration date or be assessed $20.00 per transaction.

If one of our clients has two cars and a license renewal, they would be assessed an additional $60 if the renewal is 7 or more days past their birth date,” said John Koetz, president of the agency.

To avoid late charges, we would like to advise all motorists to renew plates and their drivers licenses on or before their birthdays.

Former renewal regs

Prior law gave Ohio motorists their entire birth date month to renew plates and licenses. The new BMV regulation only provides a 7-day window before assessing a late charge.

Revised BMV fee list

Click here for a list of BMV service fees currently in effect.

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Economic Stimulus package includes help for those on COBRA

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (H.R. 1) known as the economic stimulus package was signed by President Obama on February 17, 2009. Included in the law are provisions that provide a COBRA premium subsidy to certain qualified beneficiaries. The subsidy also applies to certain health care continuation as required by state law if it is comparable to COBRA. »More

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W.E Davis clients avoid the rate increases reported by the Ohio Department of Insurance.

A recent Business First article reports that Ohio automobile and home insurance rates are experiencing some increases. We are happy to report that most of our policy holders have not seen these increases and some have seen their premiums decrease slightly.

Insurance Department: Ohioans to pay more for auto, home insurance

New data from the Ohio Department of Insurance indicate average insurance rates charged by the state's largest automobile and home insurers ticked upward in 2008 and likely will follow suit this year.

Ohio’s top 10 private auto insurers increased their rates an average of 0.8 percent in 2008, while average rates from the state’s 10 largest homeowners insurance companies rose about 7 percent last year. The rate of increase in homeowners insurance premiums in 2008 was the steepest in five years, the department said. Changes in auto insurance rates are linked to medical costs, weather-related claims, number of cars on Ohio roads and vehicle repair costs, while changes in homeowners insurance rates typically are related to building and material costs and weather-related claims, the department said.

Despite last year's increases, the department noted Ohio continues to enjoy lower premiums than most other states. Ohio has the 13th-lowest auto insurance premiums and sixth-lowest homeowners insurance premiums in the nation, according to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners.

The department expects premium increases for 2009 likely will be in line with those registered last year.

Source: Business First of Columbus

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Insure.com Unveils the Most and Least Expensive Popular Cars to Insure in 2009

Car InsuranceDARIEN, Ill., Dec. 16 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Car insurance premiums can add substantially to the annual cost of operating your auto. Insure.com has calculated the average national premiums to insure the nation's 20 best-selling vehicles.

Average annual insurance premiums for the top 20 selling vehicles in the U.S. in 2008.

Vehicle Average annual premium

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Marie Trudeau of W.E. Davis Insurance Agency is quoted in Massage Therapy Journal

Massage therapists need to think about insurance coverage before opening their doors. Marie Trudeau, a certified insurance counselor with W.E. Davis Insurance Agency in Columbus, Ohio, explains how different insurance products benefit massage therapists.

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