Mark Kofalt, Author at Premier Insurance Services

COVID-19 and Protecting Yourself and Your Family

Post author:Mark Kofalt
Post published:February 12, 2020
Post category:Personal/Family

As the COVID-19 corona virus spreads across the world and the number of cases grow in the U.S., there is a lot of hysteria and misinformation about how to protect yourself from this new strain. More and more people are wearing surgical masks when they go outside, thinking it will protect them, and some have even stopped drinking Corona beer because the disease is a coronavirus. This has left plenty of people not sure what they can do to avoid catching it themselves. To help, we've compiled best practices information from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the World…

Concerns Rise Over Letting Employers Fund HRAs for Individual Health Plans

Post author:Mark Kofalt
Post published:February 5, 2020
Post category:Business

Employers, health insurers, regulators and hospitals are all raising concerns about the Trump administration's rules issued last year that allow employers to fund health reimbursement arrangements (HRAs) that their workers can use to purchase health plans on the open market. The Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services, IRS and Department of Labor issued the final rules in late 2019. They reverse one of the major pinch-points of the Affordable Care Act, which bars employers from paying employees to buy their own health insurance either on publicly run health insurance exchanges or on the open market. The fine for breaching this…

Preparing a ‘Go-Bag’ in Case of Disaster

Post author:Mark Kofalt
Post published:January 30, 2020
Post category:Personal/Family

As natural catastrophes continue growing in number and severity, everybody should be prepared for quick evacuation in case of emergency. Even if you don't live in an area known for natural disasters, you should always be prepared in case you have to make a sudden evacuation. While there is only so much planning we can do for this type of event, at the very least you should consider packing a "go-bag" of emergency supplies that can help keep you safe while finding a place to retreat to. When you need to leave in a hurry, depending on how much time…

New OSHA Guidelines Helps Employers Set Up Safe Driving Programs

Post author:Mark Kofalt
Post published:January 27, 2020
Post category:Business

OSHA has published a set of guidelines to help employers reduce accidents among their driving employees. The document is not a set of new regulations or a new standard. It is only advisory ― the federal agency describes it as "informational in content" ― and is intended to assist employers in providing a safe and healthful workplace." Nonetheless, the guidelines are an excellent way to establish a system that can reduce the likelihood of crashes involving your driving workers. OSHA recommends implementing a safe driving program that includes the following: Management commitment and employee involvement Senior management can provide leadership,…

The Future of Insurance with Smart Cars

Post author:Mark Kofalt
Post published:January 23, 2020
Post category:Personal/Family

With more cars connected to the web, helping us navigate, talking to other cars as we zoom down the road and sometimes even driving for us, it won't be long until our autos can also make an insurance claim for us after an accident. Consider that more cars are being built with sensors and technology that allows them to communicate with external parties. It's not hard to imagine that the car could communicate immediately with emergency services and your insurance company if there is an impact. The emergency authorities could be notified in real time with detailed information about the…

Commercial Vehicle Accident Causes and Prevention

Post author:Mark Kofalt
Post published:January 16, 2020
Post category:Business

America's roads, after years of steady declines in vehicle accident deaths, are seeing a significant rise in deadly accidents in the last six years. But accidents can be especially lethal if a large truck or bus is involved. In 2017, there were 37,133 fatal automobile crashes on the nation's roads, according to the National Highway Traffic Administration. About 12.5% of them (4,657) involved at least one large truck or bus. In addition, there were 6,419,000 non-fatal crashes, of which 7% involved a large truck or bus, This means that accidents involving a large truck or bus are almost twice as…

8 Insurance Cost-Saving Tips for 2020

Post author:Mark Kofalt
Post published:January 13, 2020
Post category:Personal/Family

As 2020 gets underway, now is a good time to review your home safety and insurance plans for the year. Make sure this year that you make your home safety a priority, and also ensure that you get the most bang for the buck with your insurance coverage. You can follow these tips: Home security system If you don't have a home security system, you should seriously consider getting one to protect your hard-earned assets and home investment. The good news is that if you get one that is monitored by a central station, or that is tied directly to…

New Overtime Exemption Regulations Have Taken Effect

Post author:Mark Kofalt
Post published:January 9, 2020
Post category:Business

New federal overtime regulations have finally been introduced for non-exempt workers after years of wrangling over the issue. Under the new rule, employers will be required to pay overtime to certain salaried workers who make less than to $684 per week - or $35,568 per year - up from the current threshold of $455, or $23,660 in annual salary. The new regulations are a midway point from Obama administration rules that would have seen the salary cap increased to $47,476, a move that was blocked by a court after protests from the employer community in December 2016. Because the Trump…