At the MMA Annual Meeting & Trade Show, to be held in person on Jan. 21-22 in Boston, the theme for MIIA is “Stability, Innovation, Growth: Celebrating Our Trusted Partnerships.”
MIIA will celebrate its enduring relationships with longtime vendors that help MIIA manage risk and control costs for members. Two of MIIA’s most valued partnerships are with Cabot Risk of Woburn and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts.
Cabot Risk has been a MIIA partner since 2006, functioning as the administrator by providing risk management, training sessions, claims management, and regulatory compliance to 400 public entities.
“Cabot provides unparalleled, professional service to MIIA’s members,” said MIIA Executive Vice President Stan Corcoran. “Their expertise and guidance has saved Massachusetts communities hundreds of thousands of dollars every year in premiums, claims and through value of service.
He said the ability of Cabot and MIIA to partner with their members to create these savings is the key to the program’s success.
“Everything MIIA does is geared to deliver quality products and services and add value,” said Joe Callahan, president and CEO of Cabot Risk Strategies. “We are always asking, ‘How can we help local officials be more of service to their communities instead of bogging them down with insurance paperwork?’”
Working directly with cities and towns helps MIIA manage costs for its members. While the rest of the country has experienced double-digit rate increases in fiscal 2022 — for the first time in 30 years — MIIA’s risk management programs and resources are making a difference on balance sheets, Callahan said. MIIA’s average rate hike for property and casualty (P&C) insurance is below 5%.
“MIIA has been steady and consistent in being responsive to the needs of our members,” Callahan said.
He estimates that fiscal 2023 will bring more stabilization in the property and liability marketplace, and that rate increases shouldn’t be significant, except perhaps for cybersecurity coverage.
The team of MIIA and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, meanwhile, have created some innovative and meaningful offerings for the municipal market, such as the Post 65 Retiree program.
Debra Williams, senior vice president, chief sales officer, said the enduring relationship is successful because it has continued to grow and evolve during one of the most challenging periods of health care, while keeping costs down for members.
“We maintain our quality and affordability by paying attention to what our members need and delivering superior customer service,” Williams said.
Corcoran describes the longtime relationship between MIIA and BCBS as a solid team.
“It’s very stable, but we also work with them strategically,” he said, remembering when the insurer agreed to work with MIIA by consolidating member risk pools to manage costs for municipalities. “They’re at the table and have been at the table for a long time, and we resolve issues as good partners should.
“BCBS has always been interested in discussing long-term strategies for working with municipalities,” he said.
Staying on top of insurance trends is more important than ever.
Following Winter Safety Tips can Prevent Accidents, Injuries
By Kathy Geller Myers, Freelance Writer
Winter ushers in additional safety concerns for municipal employees such as slippery roads and exposure to cold. But according to David Bastien, MIIA’s defensive driving instructor, distracted driving remains the primary cause of accidents in Massachusetts cities and towns.
Activities such as eating, texting, talking on the phone or changing music selections reduce a driver’s perception and reaction time. Simply put, you need time to react to what’s coming.
“Human error combined with bad weather can be quite a catalyst,” Bastien said. “Many people have a very casual, hands-free attitude about driving,” especially in the winter, Bastien noted, when drivers should be more alert than ever.
We’ve all seen the snow-covered SUV or truck on the road with one little circle cleared on the driver’s side windshield.
“What’s your visibility? Can you see the road?” Bastien asked. “Drivers are required by law to clean their windshields and windows from frost. You shouldn’t be driving if you don’t have visibility.”
Loss of control on a slippery road can often be prevented by not speeding up too quickly.
“Slow acceleration in snowy conditions is the key to avoiding fish-tailing,” Bastien said.
Other common seasonal hazards include solar glare and black ice. Recognizing these potential hazards is key to defensive driving.
“If there are brake lights in front of you, slow down,” Bastien said. “You need time to react. I tell the snowplow drivers when I’m training them, ‘You know other drivers are going to speed up to get around you, so expect it.’”
Being groggy behind the wheel is dangerous for everyone on the road. Adults need seven to nine hours of sleep each night in order to regenerate, according to the National Sleep Foundation.
“I tell the DPW drivers who might be on a 15-hour shift during a snowstorm, ‘Pull over! Take a rest and re-energize on the side of the road,’” Bastien said. “How can you maintain the roads if your plow is out of service from a fatigue-related accident?”
Winter weather can expose outdoor workers to ailments such as frostbite, hypothermia and cold stress, all of which can be fatal, according to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. It’s important to pay attention to the temperature and follow these guidelines in order to work safely in extreme temperatures:
In addition to road surfaces, employers should clear snow and ice from sidewalks and distribute salt on walking surfaces as soon as possible after a storm.
According to OSHA’s winter safety tips fact sheet, if walking on snow or ice is unavoidable, workers should be trained to wear footwear that has good traction and insulation, and take short steps and walk at a slower pace in order to be able to react quickly to changes in traction.
