Meet the 2019 Cleary Insurance Boston Business Risk Award Finalists
We launched the Cleary Insurance Boston Business Risk Award to honor the entrepreneurs and small business leaders in our community who take bold business risks and reap the rewards. We received many inspiring stories of risk-taking and success, but our six finalists stood out from the pack.
Get inspired by our finalists’ stories and stay tuned for the announcement of the 2019 Risk Award winner.
Julia Cruz, Principal/Executive Producer of Good Life Productions
When media company Good Life Productions saw an increased demand for their video production services, Julia Cruz and husband Neal Robert took the risk of hiring additional employees and transforming their rental apartment into a new business office and studio. The risk paid off, as the company increased revenues by 20%.
Rory Francis, Founder of Danio Lab
While working as a repair technician and fish feeder, Rory Francis discovered that the challenge of accurately and efficiently feeding thousands of laboratory fish tanks daily was the perfect business opportunity. Rory developed a device to feed zebrafish in the lab setting and founded Danio Lab, a growing and profitable business that sells feeders to biomedical and cancer researchers worldwide.
Kevin Grant, Owner of The Castle
In 2015, Kevin Grant realized that the North Shore lacked a community space for people of all ages to hang out, so he took it upon himself to fill that void by opening The Castle, a board game café. Kevin and his wife, Ryn, quit their jobs to run The Castle fulltime, and they have been successfully growing the business ever since. They’ve won 7 awards so far and plan to expand with a new larger, location in the upcoming year.
Magbè Savané, President of Makomas
Magbè Savané put medical school on hold to follow her dream of bringing her mother’s traditional African recipes to America. She founded Makomas, an organic tea and juice company that makes products from African superfoods like baobab, moringa, and hibiscus. The success of Magbè’s startup has been recognized by MassChallenge as a 2018 Finalist and won her the PepsiCo Food and Beverages Prize.
Tish Scolnik, CEO of GRIT
While studying mechanical engineering at MIT, Tish Scolnik knew there had to be a better way to design wheelchairs. With her classmates, she designed an all-terrain wheelchair that effectively harnesses the power of the upper body and enables people with disabilities to move freely outdoors. After graduation, Tish founded GRIT, a startup that brought the Freedom Chair design to market.
Kristin Van Busum, Founder & CEO of Project Alianza
As a Fulbright Scholar in Nicaragua, Kristin Van Busum saw firsthand that children in coffee-growing communities lacked access to schooling, often receiving no more than a 3rd grade education. Kristin quit her corporate job and founded Project Alianza, a non-profit dedicated to providing education for children in the rural coffee communities of Latin America. To date, Project Alianza has educated over 2,000 children.
Ready to share your own story of a business risk that led to success? Apply for the 2020 Cleary Insurance Boston Business Risk Award.
Intentional Violence and Insurance
Presented by Christopher F. Hawthorne, CPCU, CIC
In 1966, a veteran—possibly suffering from PTSD—climbed into the watch tower at the University of Texas with a sniper rifle and proceeded to shoot and kill seventeen people, as well as wound another thirty-one. For ninety-six minutes, the nation watched what seemed to be an unimaginable, once-in-a-lifetime happening. This event was a total outlier to the norms of the United States. Surely, it would never happen again.
A few examples of 2018 mass shootings:
- February 14: Parkland, FL—17 killed & 14 wounded in a high school.
- June 28: Annapolis, MD—5 killed & 2 wounded at Capital Gazette.
- August 26: Jacksonville, FL—3 killed & 10 wounded at a convention for video game players.
- September 2: Birmingham, AL—1 killed & 6 wounded in a theater.
- September 28: Aberdeen, MD—4 killed & 3 wounded in a Rite Aid warehouse by an employee.
- October 27: Pittsburgh, PA—11 killed & 5 wounded in a synagogue during a service.
- November 7: Thousand Oaks, CA—12 killed & 11 wounded in a bar.
To date in 2018, there have been 323 mass* shootings in the US; in 2017 there were 346. That equates to 669 in the last 23 months, or an astounding 29 shooting per month. (*The Gun Violence Archive (https://www.gunviolencearchive.org/about) defines a mass shooting as a shooting in which four or more people are shot / injured.)
The shootings in Las Vegas (2017), Seattle (2015), Washington Navy Yard (2013), Aurora (2012), Virginia Tech (2007), Edgewater Tech, Wakefield, MA (2000), and Columbine High (1999) are almost distant memories, crowded out by ever-new stories. These events are so common that to many, they are a given and expected part of life. What was once unthinkable, tragically, is now commonplace.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) reports that between 2000 and 2018, these violent outbreaks occurred in the following areas:
Places of Commerce 42%
Schools 21%
Open Spaces 14%
Government Offices 10%
Residences 5%
Places of Worship 4%
Healthcare Facilities 4%
48% of these cases show no known relationship between the assailant and location and/or victims. 21% are committed by an employee, while the remaining 31% are by students, group members and various other parties.
As business owners, community leaders, board members and risk managers, what does this mean to us and the financial wellbeing of our organization and communities? The scope of these events suggests that every organization should consider this as a risk.
If a mass shooting or workplace violence event did occur at your organization, what will the standard coverage in force today provide?
- If employees are injured while working, Workers’ Compensation will respond. The WC benefits will be inadequate.
- If property is damaged, property coverage will probably respond after the deductible is satisfied. Often property damage does not surpass the cost of a property deductible.
- If autos are damaged, Commercial Auto will probably respond under Comprehensive coverage.
- If the property owner or event organizer is sued for negligence, the General Liability might respond up to the limits in place.
After a shooting or a violent act, the typical insurance program is not designed to cover the following:
- An uninjured but severely traumatized employee cannot come back to work and is unable to earn income.
- Employees and the public no longer feel comfortable coming into a place of business leading to a period of income loss; a very long one, at that.
- Massive defense costs and liability settlements / judgements due to multiple deaths.
- Loss of reputation and the cost to rebuild it due to being associated with a heinous act compounding the business income loss.
- Wrongful Management Claims (Directors and Officers (D&O)) in that these types of events do not fall within the definition of wrongful management found in many Directors and Officers insurance policies.
Understandably, today’s insurance programs are not designed to cover these horrific losses. This change in the commonplace of our culture has exposed a weak point and unclear area of insurance coverage. The insurance industry is moving to clarify coverage. Exclusions should be expected to be written into most policies to clearly eliminate coverage for an intended violent act. In addition to exclusions, many coverage forms will begin to change the definitions in the policies as well. This also will eliminate coverage for these situations.
Therefore, just as it was appropriate to look to standalone Cyber coverage policy forms several years ago, it is now time to consider new standalone policy forms specifically designed to protect an organization from loss due to violent acts. Cyber coverage emerged with many different forms from many carriers, and now this coverage is considered “emerging.” In other words, there are many new policy forms and all of them are different.
In the evaluation of these forms, the following issues should be considered:
- Is the coverage location specific? (Event may occur offsite)
- Is the coverage weapon specific? (What if the instrument of destruction is a vehicle?)
- Is coverage limited to acts of terrorism or does it include all acts of violence?
- Does policy exclude acts of terror (TRIA) or include them?
- Is defense inside the limit of liability?Is the policy form designed to be “primary”?
- Does Business Income & Extra Expense coverage include an extended period of recovery?
- Does coverage respond to loss due to the threat of an event?
- Does the policy form include pre-loss Prevention and post-loss Control services?
- Does coverage include post-loss counseling and funeral expenses?
- Does policy provide training and drills?
- Does carrier have a Crisis Management Team at the ready?
- Does policy provide Security after an incident?
- Does policy provide post-loss Public Relations services and/or expenses?
What types of organizations should consider this type of specialty coverage? While all organizations could suffer this type of loss, the following are clear candidates:
- Religious organizations such as a Church or a Synagogue
- Schools
- Non-Profits (Special Events, Walks, Runs, Picnics)
- Businesses
- Government offices
- Healthcare facilities
- Entertainment operations
- Any organization with a Board of Directors
- Any business with chemicals as part of the processThe time has come to recognize this form of loss as a reality. From a small office in Wakefield, MA in 2000, to the tragic events in 2018, it is evident we all can suffer this type of loss and possible financial ruin. Specific policies are available to address this horrid peril. As with all risks, investing time in exposure analysis, loss prevention & control techniques, and considering / procuring insurance can mean the difference between an organization’s survival and financial destruction.
The new insurance programs can bring many services and coverages described above. In that the odds of this happening to any one organization are minimal, the premiums are on the lower end. While the odds and the premiums are low, the severity is enormous. As part of your organization’s program review, the time has come to include this sad aspect of our culture into our risk management and insurance planning.
Christopher F. Hawthorne, CPCU, CIC
Cleary Insurance, Inc.
chawthorne@clearyinsurance.com
Finding Ways to Afford Alzheimer’s Care
Presented by: June Duncan
More than five million Americans are affected by Alzheimer’s disease, dementia, and other memory-related disorders. These individuals may require 24-hour care, depending on their disease’s progression, and those costs can skyrocket because specialized dementia services are expensive. Whilst you may be struggling to find practices such as a Windsor medical clinic or one closer to your home, that could offer affordable urgent care should you need it. Hopefully, after reading more on this topic you may feel better equipped.
Finding affordable, quality care
When it’s clear that a loved one will require additional caregiving, take steps to protect their assets and secure affordable, quality care. Memory care for Alzheimer’s or dementia patients differs from facilities that provide more comprehensive assisted living support.
Identify family resources, update your loved one’s legal and financial affairs, and monitor accounts to protect finances from fraud or bad decisions. Evaluate a variety of senior care communities; if one appeals, join the waiting list. Use this checklist to help evaluate a facility that includes programs exclusively dedicated to helping those with memory issues.
Negotiate costs. Many assisted living facilities have the flexibility to negotiate the monthly rate. You could check online at websites similar to https://www.chelseaseniorliving.com/mental-health-services-nj/ and even ask a health care professional for advice on affording the specialized care that may be needed. Ask about move-in incentives, too. The cost of assisted living also varies by location; suburbs and outlying communities may charge less, so you could try finding a nursing home outside your zip code.
Compare inclusive pricing with a la carte costs. Some facilities allow you to pick and choose the services you or your loved one will receive-and that may translate into cost savings if you’re able to fill in those gaps yourself or with other low-cost/no-cost services.
Options to covering the cost of care
Expect to pay for at least a portion of this care out of pocket, especially since Medicare covers nursing home benefits only up to 100 days. If someone with Alzheimer’s requires care in a psychiatric hospital, Medicare will extend its coverage an additional 90 days. It does not pay for personal or custodial care in assisted living facilities or for those living at home, although it does cover medical care in either location.
Medicaid, on the other hand, differs from state to state. You can apply for a Medicaid Waiver to help cover the cost of receiving care outside of a nursing home. Patients with mid to late-stage Alzheimer’s often qualify for Medicaid coverage; however, there are financial eligibility restrictions for the program, which also takes into account applicants’ capacity for self-care. To learn more about the advantages of the program and ultimately decide whether or not to join, those who are still perplexed about the matter can seek the advice of a trustworthy expert who offers medicaid consulting services.
Alternative funding sources for long-term nursing home care
Cash in personal assets. Those assets may include investments like stocks, bonds, savings accounts, real estate, and personal property, like jewelry or artwork. Selling a home that’s grown in equity may help liquidate much-needed cash, or you can convert a home’s equity into cash with a reverse mortgage. While reverse mortgages won’t impact Social Security or Medicare benefits, they can disqualify someone from other government programs, like Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and Medicaid.
A variety of state-managed and funded programs are available for lower-income residents, including those with Alzheimer’s. This list of state non-Medicaid assistance programs is a good place to start.
Take out a personal loan. A cost-effective short-term solution to covering costs of care may be to secure a personal loan rather than charging the expense on a credit card. Ultimately, choosing the right loan comes down to finding the lowest possible rate-APRs typically range between 4.99% and 35.99%, so research carefully.
Explore government programs. In addition to Medicare, the government offers other programs to those who qualify, like SSI, which guarantees a minimum monthly income to people age 65 and older.
Secure long-term care insurance. This insurance won’t be granted to individuals already diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. However, if the person carries this insurance prior to a diagnosis-and the best time to get long-term care insurance is in your mid-50s-review the policy to see if Alzheimer’s care is covered. If it isn’t, check with the policyholder about adding a rider to cover that expense.
The National Institute on Aging provides an exceptional resource for caregivers seeking support and information about getting help for people with Alzheimer’s. The site offers a variety of contacts to help you find low-cost or free community support services as well as other sources to help you cover the costs not covered by the programs listed above.
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