News

Pooling Perspective on COVID-19 (April 6, 2020)

By Ann Gergen, Executive Director COVID-19 hotspots are expected to move in waves across the continent. Similarly, the coronavirus-related issues pools face – and the decisions they’ll have to make – are also likely to impact pools at different times in the coming weeks. Some pools are already on the leading edge of this crisis, and others are not yet there. This is not only a factor of where infection rates are higher, but also the coverage any given pool provides, their type of member entities, and the state in which they’re located. Pools are used to solving problems quickly and effectively. But right now, there’s a lot we don’t know and ...
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Pooling Community COVID-19 Resource Center

AGRiP is compiling a list of resources to help the pooling community be as effective as possible in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. Use these resources to improve your own pool’s COVID-19 operations, assist member entities responding to the virus, or message members regarding applicable coverage. --> The items listed below include: AGRiP resources for COVID-19 response Legislative, legal and regulatory actions that may affect pools Claims coverage and exposure communications from pools to their members Risk management advice being offered by pools to their members Resource hubs designed by pools and QEI Patrons ...
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A Message from AGRiP’s Executive Director

Pools and reciprocals are providing incredible support to local public entities on the front lines of the growing coronavirus pandemic. No matter your role in this effort, I hope you feel a strong sense of place and purpose that ties you to the difference you are making. I know our community and how it responds, so I can say this with confidence: You are in exactly the right place, at the right time, to make the right decisions and do the right things for public entities and all the community interests being served at the local level. We’ve never faced a circumstance quite like this – so, as pools, you’ll be learning and adapting as you go. If you ...
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Five Coronavirus Recommendations for Pools

By Ann Gergen, Executive Director We’re hearing from our pool and QEI Patron members about how they’re addressing public entity needs and adapting their own operations in response to the spread of the new coronavirus (COVID-19). Here are a few best practice recommendations based upon information we’ve gathered from members so far: 1. Seek to fully understand your member entities’ varying needs, and consider how your pool can most effectively support them.  Member needs and responses may vary greatly depending on their size and type. For example, you might have a school district requesting financial support to disinfect buildings, a county considering ...
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Eight Pools Receive AGRiP Recognition

AGRiP’s Advisory Standards for Recognition are a set of regularly updated pooling best practices covering ten major elements of pool operations. We strongly encourage all pools to use the Advisory Standards to improve their governance, policies and procedures.  Your pool may also choose to apply for AGRiP Recognition . Recognition is granted only after a thorough self-assessment of internal operations against the Advisory Standards (as well as a peer review of the same). At Governance Conference 2020 , seven AGRiP member pools were granted Recognition renewals:  The Arizona School Alliance for Workers’ Compensation Inc. ...
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Pooling Community Resources (Feb. 18, 2020)

The resources below were featured in the Feb. 18, 2020, issue of AGRiP eNews and may be of interest to pools. RISK MANAGEMENT Here are a few great examples of pools supporting member entities’ risk management efforts: A new video by KLC Insurance Services on  forklift safety practices  is one method the pool uses to help keep equipment operators safe on the job. OMAG writes on the importance of  properly inspecting and maintaining lake docks  and provides a  checklist for their members to use . TAC shares recommended  HR plans, policies and considerations for natural disasters  with its members. In a recent blog post, VRSA ...
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Avoid Delegation Accumulation Syndrome at Your Pool

By Tami Tanoue, Executive Director, CIRSA AGRiP member pools are a diverse group, but it’s a safe bet almost all share these characteristics: The pool executive has a longer tenure in the organization than most governing body members. The pool executive devotes their entire effort to serving the organization, while governing body members have a whole other professional life that demands their attention. The pool executive has expertise in pooling and insurance issues, while governing body members are relied on to be “generalist” decision-makers. There’s nothing wrong with these characteristics – in fact, they’re desirable. But, over ...
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Tom Barnes and WSRMP Win Awards for Excellence

Tom Barnes and Washington Schools Risk Management Pool (WSRMP) are the winners of the 2020 AGRiP Awards for Excellence (in Leadership and Performance, respectively). They will receive their awards at AGRiP’s Governance Conference on March 2 in Orlando, FL. Tom Barnes: Transformative Pooling Leader Tom’s award recognizes his transformative tenure as CEO of the Municipal Insurance Association of British Columbia (MIABC) . Since 2005, he has grown the MIABC from a simple claims-handling reciprocal into a sophisticated organization delivering comprehensive member services and solutions to local governments in British Columbia. When ...
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Pooling Community Resources (Jan. 28, 2020)

The resources below were featured in the Jan. 28, 2020, issue of AGRiP eNews and may be of interest to pools. WELLNESS PROGRAMS CEO-level QEI Patron   Willis Towers Watson   analyzes the   effectiveness of workplace wellness programs . SOCIAL MEDIA LMC's   new sample social media policies   for municipalities can help reduce risks related to online interactions with the public. LMCIT recently wrote on how   officer social media use   can impact police liability cases. EXCESS AND REINSURANCE MARKET GEM's president and CEO discusses the   implications of the hardening excess and insurance market . PROPERTY ...
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Steve Trautman Joins AGRiP as Succession Planning Resident

AGRiP is happy to welcome talent risk management expert Steve Trautman as our 2020 Succession Planning Resident . As Succession Planning Resident, Steve will help pools adequately plan for succession of key organizational leaders and transfer knowledge that’s critical to pool operations. To do this, Steve will use his experience as a talent risk management expert and his practical, data-driven ideas on knowledge transfer.  Throughout the year, Steve will work with member pools on succession planning for their CEOs, first-tier managers and governing body members. As part of his residency, Steve will: Introduce succession planning models and ...
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Workplace Wellness Programs: Are They Accomplishing Their Goals?

The article below was originally produced by CEO-level QEI Patron Willis Towers Watson  and is republished below with permission. In 2019, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced the results of a 2017 study reporting that almost one-half of all U.S. worksites offered some type of health promotion or   wellness   program .   The study, conducted by the CDC and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s Gillings School of Global Public Health, was the first government survey of workplace   wellness   programs in 13 years. The study surveyed almost 3000 diverse workplaces, including for profit, non-profit and government ...
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Pooling Community Resources (Jan. 9, 2020)

The resources below were featured in the Jan. 9, 2020, issue of AGRiP eNews and may be of interest to pools. SCHOOL LIABILITY VSBIT's   Harassment, Hazing, & Bullying Toolkit   includes resources geared towards superintendents, school board and staff members, principals and designees. The Kansas State Department of Education’s new   Suicide Prevention, Response and Postvention Toolkit   can help schools mitigate risks of suicide among students. VRSA provides   ten school safety tips   and looks at   eight types of hazards and risks   that affect schools. SAM CLAIMS CAJPA provides an   overview of California’s new SAM ...
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‘Miracle on the Hudson’ Captain Sullenberger to Keynote Governance Conference 2020

Capt. “Sully” Sullenberger will deliver the keynote address at   AGRiP’s Governance Conference 2020   in Orlando, FL. One of the most captivating American heroes of our time, Capt. Sullenberger’s preparation and leadership enabled him to safely guide US Airways Flight 1549 to an emergency landing in New York City’s frigid Hudson River on Jan. 15, 2009. Capt. Sullenberger’s   keynote presentation   will underscore the importance of preparing for any situation through   lifelong learning, specialized risk management and innovation.   This is a particularly meaningful message for pool staff charged with problem-solving and for governing body members ...
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PAID Act Would Help Pools Resolve Medicare Secondary Payer Claims

The Provide Accurate Information Directly (PAID) Act (S.1989/H.R.1375) is a bill that would help settling parties (e.g., pools) promptly reimburse injury claims for Medicare beneficiaries covered by a privately administered Medicare Advantage (MA) or Medicare Part D plan. When a Medicare beneficiary is injured by another entity, Medicare Secondary Payer (MSP) obligates the liable entity’s insurance provider to pay for the resultant expenses. Though Medicare may initially bear these costs, Medicare is entitled to seek reimbursement from the liable party’s insurer, which may be a public entity risk pool. This reimbursement obligation becomes complicated ...
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AGRiP’s 2020 Annual Membership Meeting

AGRiP’s 2020 Annual Membership Meeting will be on Monday, March 2, at 12:30 p.m. (during lunch at Governance Conference 2020 ) at the Hyatt Regency Orlando in Orlando, FL. No official AGRiP business is currently anticipated at this meeting. AGRiP will provide an overview of major programs and its financial position.
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How Pools Can Respond to Extended Statutes of Limitations for Sexual Abuse and Molestation

In recent years, several states have retroactively extended their statutes of limitations for sexual abuse and molestation (SAM) claims, leading to questions about whether such claims against public entities might become more frequent.  To help pools proactively manage the implications of these statutory changes, AGRiP recently held two meetings for pools to discuss shared SAM claim experiences.  These discussions generated several recommendations for pools with potential or actual claim exposure resulting from changes to SAM statutes of limitations. Pools not currently affected by such extensions should take these suggestions into consideration as well. ...
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Updates to Pooling Best Practices: Claims Management, Coverage and Underwriting

AGRiP maintains comprehensive guidelines pools can use to review their governance, policies and operations: the   Advisory Standards for Recognition . We recommend all pools refer to the Advisory Standards as a framework to regularly examine their practices and procedures. Two of the standards have been updated and one new standard added to better reflect current industry best practices. The   claims management standards   have an updated focus on data systems and litigation management practices. The   coverage standards   include additions on documentation, regular legal review, change management and resolving disputes. The new   underwriting ...
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U.S. and Canadian Pools Face Similar Challenges

Several Canadian public entity reciprocals participate both in AGRiP and in the Canadian Association of Insurance Reciprocals (CAIR) . Because cultivating opportunities for pool-to-pool learning can help pools prepare for future trends and needs, AGRiP routinely supports Canadian public entity reciprocals and training efforts through CAIR. As evidenced by conversations at CAIR’s 2019 Annual Members Meeting in October, public entity risk pools in the U.S. and Canada face similar risk and operational issues: The need to diversify services offered to members Methods to simplify coverage documentation for members Increasing frequency ...
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Pooling Academy Development Begins

AGRiP, CAJPA and NLC-RISC are beginning active development of   Pooling Academy,   a comprehensive and interactive online learning center for the public entity pooling community. Pooling Academy will include an updated   Pooling Basics   curriculum as a foundation as well as in-depth content on core pooling functions. Through multi-modal courses appropriate for professional learners, Pooling Academy will: Introduce key pooling concepts to newcomers, including governing bodies and staff serving pool operations Train up-and-coming pool leaders in subjects unique to public entity pooling Provide continuing education for experienced pool professionals ...
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Dues Increasing in 2020

AGRiP dues are increasing across all membership types in 2020. Pools pay dues based upon a rate factor applied to total assets plus a $750 flat fee. Effective on annual renewal dates after Jan. 1, 2020, the dues rate will increase by 10 percent. A pool’s effective dues increase will depend upon its own asset size and asset changes. AGRiP’s largest pools (those with total assets in excess of about $155 million) will also be impacted by an increase in the maximum dues cap from about $7,700 to $11,500. All other AGRiP members, including QEI Patrons and Partners, will also have increased dues in 2020. Dues increases will support the totality of AGRiP member ...
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