covid-19 insurance information broadfield insurance
Broadfield Insurance
COVID-19 Updates
UPDATE June-2021
Our Warwick Office is open for business
We have staff working in Warwick
We have staff working remote
We are available to assist you
Thank you for your support during the pandemic
Prior Blog Posts / Resources
REOPEN ELIGIBILITY – UPDATES BEING ADDED FREQUENTLY.
Overview: Reopening in Phases *
Businesses in each state/region will re-open in phases. Re-opening refers to non-essential businesses and business activities. Essential businesses and business activities that are open will remain open.
The guidelines could apply to both non-essential businesses in regions that are permitted to re-open and essential businesses throughout the state that were previously permitted to remain open. For example, when can the hair salon open, vs the professional service, and in what state or even region in a state etc.
Eligibility by State for reopening will be determined by
You can always visit our BroadfieldCOVID-19 Page, and bookmark for updates. We offer aggregated resources for multiple states, on a variety of key topics for your business including videos.
What does Disaster Recovery, and specifically the COVID-19 mean to you, and to our Broadfield family.
We have gathered information related to your Insurance, and related topics. These are broken out by state, federal and topic.
Over the last 156 years our firm has certainly seen many challenges. Many of our clients are 3rd and 4th generation, so they can attest to the years we have worked through crisis or emergency together. Today clients like you are local and national, we are here for you.
Updated 07/16/2020 @ 9:00 pm
We are open: Your Broadfield team is available Monday – Friday from 9-5 to handle your questions or needs. 24x 7 online. Our wonderful team has learned over many years to work from wherever they feel safe. We were ready for this crisis.
Phone: Our receptionist is working remote, plus our auto attendant backs her up. There may be a few more rings, but we are happy to serve you. Please have your account executives name handy, or just press 1 for personal and 2 for commercial and you will be routed.
Special COVID-19 Information about your insurance
Our staff is working from wherever they feel safest. You may continue to call or email our team. For many years our team has been enabled to work remotely so you can rest assured that they are safe, and can handle your needs during this emergency.
Premium Payments:
please check our online list of carriers for their contact information, andpayment links. More time to pay – Premium payment requirements during COVID-19 are changing each day, States / Carriers may be providing additional time or relief during this crisis. Please contact our offices with any questions about your payment options.
Extension of Certain Timeframes for Employee Benefit Plans, Participants, and Beneficiaries Affected by the COVID-19 Outbreak
The Department of Labor, Internal Revenue Service and Treasury Department issued a joint notice extending certain time frames affecting a participant’s rights.
The relief provides additional time to comply with certain deadlines affecting COBRA continuation coverage, special enrollment periods, claims for benefits, appeals of denied claims and external review of certain claims. With regard to disability, retirement, and other plans, the joint notice provides additional time for participants and beneficiaries to make claims for benefits and appeal denied claims.
Our agency represents many insurance carriers, and some have begun offering credits to our clients. This is on Personal auto, and each carriers terms will differ. Please feel free to call us with any questions.
Online access:
remember that you can access your account online. If you didn’t register, just give us a call during normal business hours, or send an email to your account executive, or complete and inquiry form on this page.
So here are some tips does Disaster Recovery, and specifically the COVID-19 and what it means to you
The New York Compensation Insurance Rating Board announced that the New York State Department of Financial Services approved two amendments to the NYCRIB manual. At the Producer Advisory Council meeting with the New York State Insurance Fund on April 7, 2020, PIANY representatives encouraged NYCRIB Senior Vice President Ziv Kimmel to follow the lead of the New York State Insurance Fund to address premium relief for stay at-home employees.
The first amendment creates a new classification code (8873) for telecommuter reassigned employees. This code will be applied to the payroll of employees who— during New York’s stay-at-home order related to the COVID-19 pandemic (and future stay-at-home orders)—are reassigned to either (a) not perform any work duties (idle), or (b) perform clerical work duties at home. The new 8873 classification only applies to employees who are reassigned and meet one of the two conditions described above. Employees who are classified as telecommuter clerical employees (8871), are to remain classified as 8871. These amendments are effective for all new and renewal policies effective May 1, 2020, as well as to all in-force policies as of March 16, 2020.
The department also approved an amendment that requires that claims with a diagnosis of COVID-19 and an accident date on or after Dec. 1, 2019, are to be excluded from the experience rating calculations of individual employers. The occurrence of COVID-19 workers’ compensation claims is unlikely to be a predictor of future claim costs incurred by an employer, and therefore their inclusion in an experience rating modification calculation would not meet the intended goal of experience rating.
Remember, as background, no non-essential business can reopen unless and until its region has satisfied all seven of the target metrics (all of which relate to infection rate, healthcare capacity, testing capacity, and contact-tracing capacity).
As of May 15, Five regions (Central New York, Finger Lakes, Mohawk Valley, North Country, and Southern Tier) have met all seven metrics.
In addition, as of May 15, New York will reopen statewide certain low-risk business and recreational activities including landscaping/gardening, outdoor low-risk activities (tennis) and drive-in movie theaters.
Re-Openings will happen in 4 phases, at least 2 weeks between each phase.
(#1 Question/Answer: New Yorkers will be able to get haircuts in phase 2 —unless they go to CT earlier.)
The Empire State Development (ESD) has provided guidance, including to advise essential businesses to in effect comply with the requirements non-essential businesses are now required to comply with.
For example, there is a requirement to have a written safety plan to be retained on site, available in the event the Department of Health inspection. See https://esd.ny.gov/nyforwardand-faq. The ESD page also includes e-mail addresses for each of the regional offices.
The return to work information was provided to Broadfield Insurance directly by Jackson Lewis
Reference Information – Updated Often
We would like to acknowledge Jackson Lewis for their partnership in sharing this information with Broadfield Insurance, and our clients.
To help you interpret how the various challenges presented by the virus affect your business and your employees, we have aggregated various laws, rules, and regulations in the below 50-state surveys, which we are providing at no cost to you. To ensure you have access to the most up-to-date information, each of the surveys is being updated regularly.
The surveys are delivered through a web application called Smartsheet, which enables us to update them frequently and enables you to have access to them any time and on any device. When you visit the survey pages, you will see icons in the upper left hand corner of the page. You will likely find the “Highlight Changes” icon particularly helpful, as it will allow you to show what has changed in the survey since your last visit.
Businesses with fewer than 100 employees who have seen sales decreases of 25% or more will be eligible for zero interest loans of up to $75,000 to help retain employees and ensure business continuity.
FEDERAL AID
Note – we have multiple links for the SBA system, which when this was updated, was under maintenance
[From the SBA Site, this information is subject the change] SBA is collecting the requested information in order to make a loan under SBA’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan Program to the qualified entities listed in this application that are impacted by the Coronavirus (COVID-19). The information will be used in determining whether the applicant is eligible for an economic injury loan. If you do not submit all the information requested, your loan cannot be fully processed.
The estimated time for completing this entire application is two hours and ten minutes, although you may not need to complete all parts. You are not required to respond to this collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB approval number. MORE…. Click here to begin the loan application process
Chamber of Commerce Links
Your local chamber may be the best source for updated information. Our firm is a founding member of the Warwick Chamber of Commerce in 1940, and a continuous member for 80 Years.
Tonight, the U.S. House passed H.R. 266 by a vote of 388-5. The legislation provides $321 billion to replenish the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), which ran out of funds last week. Also included is $75 billion for hospitals and $25 billion to broaden virus testing. The U.S. Senate passed the bill by voice vote April 21 and the president has said he will sign it into law.
The PPP section of the CARES Act provides businesses with low interest loans, which, under certain circumstances, can be converted into grants. The loans are to be used to help keep employees on the payroll and to protect small businesses from insolvency due to shutdowns prompted by the coronavirus pandemic.
The SBA has also created the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). The PPP is a loan program designed to provide a direct incentive for small businesses to keep their workers on the payroll. Depending on enrollment levels, the SBA may partially or fully forgive loans if all employees are kept on the payroll for eight weeks after the loan is issued, and the money is used for payroll, rent, mortgage interest, or utilities. The Paycheck Protection Program will be available through June 30, 2020. Learn how to apply
Small businesses and sole proprietorships can apply for Small Business Administration (SBA) loans under the Paycheck Protection Program beginning Friday, April 3, 2020, through existing SBA lenders. Independent contractors and self-employed individuals will be able to apply for loans beginning Friday, April 10, 2020, also through existing SBA lenders
Remote Working – Helpful Tips
As more and more of our clients need to work remotely there are new exposures to be aware of. Using home computers, having proper communications in place, and even your environment. We are creating and compiling resources for your to refer to.
This video is a Panel discussion with 4 Agents from NY (our own Keith Savino), TX, LA, and NE hosted by CEO PIA National Mike Becker.
PIA Statement on Senate Passage of COVID-19 Relief Bill Notably, the bill includes provisions to help small businesses, including loans for those with 500 employees or less. These loans may be converted to grants and partially forgiven if recipient businesses maintain the average size of their full-time workforce. With small businesses across the nation struggling due to the coronavirus, it is more important than ever to financially support them. More……
PIA National has been working with our industry colleagues on a proactive solution for the many businesses struggling due to COVID-19, the novel coronavirus. To that end, PIA National, along with other groups like the Reinsurance Association of America (RAA), have issued a letter to Congress and the administration,
The proposal would create a Business and Employee Continuity and Recovery Fund within the U.S. Department of the Treasury. Modeled on the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund, the Recovery Fund would be operated by the federal government and run by a presidential appointee authorized to enter into contracts with interested businesses to administer the Recovery Fund and facilitate the distribution of financial resources to affected businesses. READ MORE….
Legislative Proposal – Agents, Carriers, Business Community
