Bates Hewett & FLoyd Recent Articles

Insurance, Risk Management and Financial articles

5 Strategies for Reducing Health Benefits Costs in 2022

Benefits Insights Brought to you by the insurance professionals at Bates Hewett & Floyd Insurance Agency 5 Strategies for Reducing Health Benefits Costs in 2022 For the past two decades, health costs have increased each year. This happens for a variety of reasons,...

Live Well, Work Well with BHF

Coping With Pandemic Financial Stress Many households were stressed about their finances before the pandemic, but the past year has remained just as challenging. As a result, many Americans are still financially stressed out, which can negatively impact their mental...

Aging Buildings: HVAC Systems

Commercial Insights Aging Buildings: HVAC Systems Heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems are integral to achieving thermal comfort and acceptable indoor air quality in buildings. As a building ages, its HVAC system must be maintained and updated to...

Structural Issues and Aging Buildings

While modern building codes and structural engineering have made buildings extremely safe, facilities managers must maintain a high level of upkeep for them to remain that way. As buildings age, they can lose their structural integrity. As such, if simple repairs are...

Ransomware Attacks Reach All-time High in Q4 2020

Ransomware attacks spiked in 2020 as the fear and chaos of COVID-19, combined with the transition to remote work, provided an abundance of opportunities for cybercriminals. Advisen data shows ransomware attacks reached an all-time high in 2020, with a particular...

Practicing Slip and Fall Prevention

Practicing Slip and Fall Prevention A janitorial employee was scrubbing the steps and floors with water and a cleaning agent. An observant worker realized that soon, dozens of employees would be going down these steps for their lunch break. This person then took the...

How to Avoid Heat Illness

Avoid Heat Illness When it is hot outside, your body temperature can rise to dangerous levels. Normally, your body cools itself through sweating. However, in hot and humid weather, sweating is not enough and the result can be a heat illness. Staying Cool Follow the...

What is a Pharmacy Benefit Manager?

What is a PBM? A Pharmacy Benefit Manager is a third-party administrator of prescription drugs for health plans. Every health plan has one, but many of us do not know who they are and how they operate. I think we can all agree the cost of prescription drugs is out of...

Cyber Risks & Liabilities

The Importance of a Standalone Cyber LIability Policy Over the course of the past decade, many organizations have relied on standard property and liability coverage rather than a standalone cyber insurance policy to provide protection for cyber incidents. In fact, a...

Risk Management: Dash Cameras for Commercial Vehicles

So you installed a Dash Cam, now what? One new trend we have seen continued growth in over the past few years is the installation of vehicle-mounted dash cameras. These cameras typically face out the front of the windshield but rear and driver-focused cameras can...

The Importance of Certificates of Insurance

No matter what industry you’re in, chances are your organization will, at some point, rely on the help of a third party to fulfill certain business needs. Regardless of who you work with, business arrangements with contractors and vendors can open you up to a number...

Why are my insurance rates going up?

To say the property insurance market in Florida is dramatically changing would be an understatement. There are new underwriting guidelines coming out on a regular basis, carriers dropping policies by the thousands, storms wreaking havoc on rates, litigation issues,...

Homeowners Insurance and the Rising Cost of Building Materials

Recent findings from the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) confirmed that household construction costs have surged over the past year. This rise in construction costs is directly tied to soaring building material expenses—namely, the price of lumber....

Making Sense of New CDC Guidelines

CDC Says Masks Are No Longer Required in Most Settings for Fully Vaccinated Individuals The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has released new guidance for people who have been fully vaccinated for COVID-19. This long-awaited guidance loosens the CDC’s...

Internship Programs Under The Fair Labor Standards Act

The facts below provide general information to help determine whether interns and students working for “for-profit” employers are entitled to minimum wages and overtime pay under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).1 Background The FLSA requires “for-profit” employers...

FEMA Unveils Changes to the National Flood Insurance Program

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced that it will be updating the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) pricing methodology through a new risk rating system. According to FEMA, this system—which is being referred to as “Risk Rating 2.0”—will...

Personal Lines Insights

Life Purchasing Medication Online Ordering your prescriptions online and having them delivered right to your door can be convenient. That being said, purchasing medication online can also carry significant risk, and it’s important to take precautions to keep your...

Frequency of Vehicle Thefts Increased in 2020

Everyone is susceptible to vehicle theft, whether they live in a metropolitan area, the neighboring suburbs or the rural countryside. In fact, after a downward trend in the frequency of vehicle thefts, there was a dramatic increase in 2020, according to the National...

Commercial Risk Newsletter

A More Proactive Approach Toward COVID-19 Protection New COVID-19 guidelines from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) released under President Joe Biden’s administration signal a more proactive approach toward protecting U.S. workers from...

Overview of Biden’s Proposed $1.9 Trillion Stimulus Package

The House of Representatives has passed its version of President Joe Biden’s proposed stimulus bill, which includes extended unemployment benefits, direct checks to individuals and more. The bill is now with the Senate, where some provisions will likely change....