Thank you to all of you who support our brokerage in so many valuable ways.
We’re grateful to have a dedicated team, here’s to you!
Pictured here is part of our commercial lines department, workers comp marketing, and accounting team, among others, who recieved their gift cards of appreciation. Thank you for all you do!
From our D&D family to yours, we wish you a very Happy Thanksgiving.
In observance of the Thanksgiving holiday, we will be closed on Thursday, November 26 and Friday, November 27.
We will re-open on Monday, November 30th with our normal business hours.
We want to thank you all for your continuous hard work during this crazy year. We also know that this holiday may be different from years past, but we hope you and your family enjoy this time together and remain safe and healthy.
Truly thankful for each and every one of you!
| As we stated this in our email last week we wanted to provide you with these requirements here. DiBuduo & DeFendis would like to make you aware of one provision of SB1159 that is time sensitive. OVERVIEW FOR REPORTING NONWORK-RELATED POSITIVE COVID-19 CASES TO THEIR WORKERS’ COMPENSATION CARRIER PER SB1159 EFFECTIVE SEPTEMBER 17, 2020 |
California Labor Code Section 3212.88(i) states that, “When the employer knows or reasonably should know that an employee has tested positive for COVID-19, the employer shall report to their claims administration in writing via electronic mail or facsimile within three business days all of the following”: 1. For purposes of this reporting, the employer shall not provide any personally identifiable information regarding the employee who tested positive for COVID-19 unless the employee asserts the infection is work related or has filed a claim form pursuant to Section 5401. 2. The date that the employee tests positive. 3. The specific address or addresses of the employee’s specific place of employment during the 14-day period preceding the date of the employee’s positive test. 4. The highest number of employees who reported to work at the employee’s specific place of employment in the 45-day period preceding the last day the employee worked at each specific place of employment. 5. Policy name and number |
| Every employer in California is also required to complete a COVID-19 log and send to their carrier by October 17th. This is for ALL POSITIVE COVID-19 cases retroactively to July 6th. To assist you with compliance with the current COVID-19 reporting requirements, you can utilize this EXCEL FORM. A more complete summary of SB1159 will be available on our website at www.dibu.com. |
As many of you already know, the spread of the fires throughout our valley have been detrimental.
Our thoughts and prayers are with everyone who has been affected by the #Creekfire and the firefighters who are currently battling it in our Central Valley mountains. Something that we’ve encouraged on all social platforms is to Text CAWILDFIRES to 90999 to make a $10 donation to the Red Cross Central California.
Funds will support those most in need. Together, we can support our community. Thank you!
As a reminder, all Open Enrollment will begin April 1st and go through April 15th. Please contact Katherine Sierze, Employee Benefits Account Manager for more information.
Here’s what’s been changed for the 2020/2021 year:
Anthem Blue Cross (previously UnitedHealthcare) We have made the decision to move our medical coverage to Anthem Blue Cross effective May 1, 2020 with no cost share increase unless you are covering dependents. While the new Anthem PPO and HSA plan designs are comparable to our current plans you will see some minor benefit changes, so please review the attached Medical Plan Comparison. The full Benefit Summaries and Summary of Benefits and Coverage will be available for your review in Ease. With the change to a new carrier, please keep in mind that your Prescription Prior Authorizations will need to be resubmitted to Anthem Blue Cross for approval. You should plan on speaking to your prescribing physicians before the end of April to let them know you will have new medical coverage beginning May 1, 2020. Anthem will provide you with 2020 deductible credit. So, if you have already met, or made progress towards, your UHC annual deductible and want that to carryover to Anthem Blue Cross, I will need a copy of your last Explanation of Benefits (EOB) to submit to Anthem. Please send those to me via email.
Kaiser We will continue to offer the Kaiser LOW HMO with no benefit changes. The medical cost share for Employee Only coverage will remain the same and the dependent coverage cost share received a slight increase.
Ameritas Voluntary Dental The benefits for Plan 1 will remain the same. Remember, you should only be enrolled on Plan 1 if your dentist does NOT contract with Ameritas. To keep the increase in rates as minimal as possible, Plan 2 now has a $3,000 dental maximum (previously $5,000). Ameritas will continue to offer the FUSION benefit, which allows you reimbursement up to $100 for any covered eye care expense.
Superior Voluntary Vision – There are no rate or benefit changes.
MetLife Voluntary Life/AD&D – There are no rate or benefit changes.
ASi Flexible Spending Arrangement ASi will continue to administer our FSA Medical and Dependent Care plans. We will continue having the convenience of the Benny Cards available to those who enroll. The FSA Medical limit for 2020 has increased to $2,750. The Dependent Care limit for 2020 will remain the same at $5,000.
All of the benefits listed above will be available in Ease, our benefits enrollment system.
AFLAC Voluntary Accident and Critical Illness We will continue to have our AFLAC Open Enrollment separate until they are able to integrate with the Ease, our benefits enrollment system. There will be separate correspondence for these benefits soon.
A message from Principal Matt DeFendis:
Good morning everyone.
As you know, D&D has implemented a work at home program that is allowing the vast majority of our staff and producers to work remotely. As an essential business in California, D&D remains open for business to assist our clients with their insurance needs.
Effective at the end of business today, all phones for all offices outside Fresno will be forwarded to Fresno who will in turn forward to your direct dial numbers. Similarly, all mail will be forwarded to Fresno. Should you or a client need to mail anything to us, please send to PO Box 5479, Fresno, CA 93755. Signage will be placed at all offices and will state that due to COVID-19, we are temporarily closed to the public, but remain open for business to assist our clients remotely with their insurance needs. We will ask that they reach out to you by phone , email or our 800 number which is 800-248-8247. The Fresno office, however, will remain open with normal business hours, albeit with a skeleton staff, which will include some of our managers, IT, Accounting, MAID and our receptionist.
This is a reminder that all people working remotely should send all printing requests to [email protected]. MAID will print and mail out everything that needs to be mailed. The email should include the document and any instruction for printing or mailing. Please do not mail anything from your home as we want to maintain a record in our system. Faxes will also be forwarded to MAID and attached in EPIC in the normal course.
I must impress on each of you, that while working remotely at this level is new to our office, maintaining the privacy of our clients is not. To that end, please do not put any Company data or information on any personal device. Lastly, at this time, communication is key. We will continue to provide you with relevant information as quickly as we can. Similarly, communicate with each other and our clients to ensure service in uninterrupted and remains at its highest level.
Thanks for your cooperation and should you have any questions, please let me know.
Matthew DeFendis
Principal
Please take a look at the updated March 2020 Calendar. Thank you!
“Season’s Greetings from all of us on the D & D Project Committee.
It has been a very busy year for us and now we find ourselves preparing for the Christmas Holiday. Once again we will be supporting the Children in the Pinedale Community with “Wants and Wishes”. Our tree is up and each child has a tag with their name, age, size and likes hung on the tree. We have 60 names to choose from. Zenith Insurance is also doing the same. Many people ask what to get, the need is always clothes. The Parents fill out the Wish List and Clothes & Shoes are the need. The want is a toy, cologne or make-up that is listed. The ages range from newborn to 17 as we don’t just get for the Pinedale student, but for the other children in their household as well.
**Clovis office let me know of the Age range and Gender and I can pull one for you**
Please see Darlene Ayala, Michelle Katoch, Katie Beyerle, Lori Tigson or Richard Antenucci if you have any questions or would like more information on joining the Committee.
Thanks all!
Just a friendly reminder if anyone else is interested in ordering poinsettia’s, Curt Zimmerman will be placing the order tomorrow. Please let him know if you would like to place an order!
Curt Zimmerman: [email protected]
