Blog

The calendar says December. That means winter has settled in, and while the season normally batters northern tier states with frigid temperatures and snow, southern states are not always immune from winter’s wrath. In other words, winter weather can cause headaches for business owners no matter where they’re located as they try to keep their properties as safe as possible for employees and customers. Cold temperatures and snow are of particular concern during winter months, each capable...

Risk management lessons to take into 2019 As one year draws to a close and another begins, most business owners and providers reflect on what they’ve learned. What went right, what went wrong and what issues need to be addressed in 2019. Every year we learn new lessons to continue to improve. Here’s what 2018 has taught us about managing business risks in 2019. #MeToo and What It Means for Your Business According to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC),...

Your employees are your biggest asset, so ensuring a safe work environment is always a priority. By taking an active role in keeping the workplace free of harassment and discrimination, you’re not only protecting your employees while they’re on the job, but yourself and your club from lawsuits, right? Unfortunately, it’s not that simple. From the moment you start the pre-hiring process to the final exit interview – and even long after an employee leaves – you are...

VGM Insurance Services has been named one of Business Insurance magazine’s Best Places to Work for 2018. The annual Best Places to Work in Insurance program recognizes employers for their outstanding performance in establishing workplaces where employees can thrive, enjoy their work and help their companies grow. “We are humbled to be recognized among the more than 1,000 Managing General Agencies (MGAs) nationwide as a Best Places to Work,” said Mike Kloos, president of...

According to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the number of workplace sexual harassment claims filed in the wake of the #MeToo movement has risen dramatically. The EEOC, which is responsible for enforcing civil rights laws in U.S. workplaces, reported receiving an increase in sexual harassment complaints of more the 12 percent in the 12 months ending Sept. 30, 2018. During that same period, the EEOC filed 41 lawsuits involving alleged sexual harassment—a 50 percent...

Being audited by a RAC or UPIC can be incredibly stressful for any health care provider, whether you’re a home medical equipment provider, a physical therapy practice, or a home health agency. Getting fined for billing errors that result in overpayment from an insurance carrier – Medicare or otherwise – can be downright frightful. There are stories galore about health care providers shutting their doors and closing up shop because they were found guilty and fined for receiving...

In a culture where litigation is commonplace, business owners have many more worries than making profits and retaining top employees. For instance, if your product injures a consumer, your organization could face a devastating lawsuit, exponential damages, and a tainted reputation in the marketplace. Or, if a customer slips and falls on your premise and injures themselves, your business may be held liable for the medical costs of injuries to that customer - even those that exceed your General...

At VGM Insurance, we’re passionate about providing resources to help you mitigate risk and reduce losses. Below, you’ll find a scenario – based on a true story – that highlights the importance of proper inventory management. As you read through this real-life claims scenario, you’ll take the point of view of a provider in search of a ventilator that’s gone missing after being rented to a patient for a prolonged period of time. Costing thousands of dollars, many...

According to the American Heart Association, there were more than 350,000 out-of-hospital or sudden cardiac arrests in 2016, and the rates of survival in those incidences were less than 12 percent. That is fewer than 42,000 survivors out of 350,000. Will one of these instances affect one of your coworkers, employees, or customers? The fact is, we don’t know. Sudden cardiac arrest can strike anyone, at any time. The only thing we do know is that the use of an automated external defibrillator,...

The 2017 and 2018 Atlantic hurricane seasons have been among the worst in history. In 2017, four hurricanes – Harvey, Irma, Maria, and Nate – were so costly in terms of death and destruction that the U.N. World Meteorological Organization, which since 1979 uses a six-year naming rotation, will no longer assign those names to hurricanes. They join the list of retired exceptional hurricane names such as Katrina, Sandy, and Isabel. The 2017 hurricane season was not only the most active...