North Bay Business Journal

While California’s insurance industry awaits the results of recently enacted reforms in the workers compensation world, employer premiums will likely still face upward pressure for most of 2013 as implementation takes shape, insurance experts said.

David Hodges recently merged his own brokerage into Vantreo Insurance Brokerage, becoming vice president of employee benefits after operating independently for nearly 30 years in the North Bay. He has focused exclusively on employee benefits during that span.

Insurance carriers and brokers are seeing increased demand in policies specifically tailored to cover an employer in the event of a data breach, a risk that is increasingly common as more and more business moves online for small and large employers alike.

SANTA ROSA — Vantreo Insurance Brokerage has acquired Hodges Insurance Services, an independent agency run by longtime Santa Rosa employee benefits specialist David Hodges, in a move that reflects increasing consolidation among smaller brokerages in the professional services sector.

NORTH BAY — Employers will likely face an increase in their workers compensation premiums in the coming year, as the cost of medical utilization and permanent disability continues to rise, according to brokers.

an you imagine going through high school with dentures? Sabrina is a 16-year-old sophomore at a Santa Rosa high school. Sabrina is a good student, with a B+ average, but she has already missed several days of class this school year because of severe toothaches she began to experience over the summer. Sabrina’s family has no dental insurance, and she hadn’t had her teeth examined or cleaned professionally in more than two years.

Questions for Pamela Chanter, Vice President, Vantreo Insurance Brokerage: What do you see as the trends in business insurance for 2012? What trends do you see in employee benefits for 2012, in cost and in design? What issues are clients asking about most often and what are you telling them?

SANTA ROSA — Vantreo Insurance Brokerage was endorsed by a 900-member trade association for offering specialty coverage, bringing the total number of such endorsements to eight professional groups from various industries. The California Healthcare Interpreters Association is the latest to recommend the Santa Rosa-based insurer as a brokerage with enough specialty experience to cater to [...]

The city of Napa will commence the next step in a nine-month process to design and implement pot sale regulations. … Three federal bills proposed in late October and early November could extend employer-fronted COBRA subsidies past the end of the year. … On Dec. 3, Vantreo Insurance Brokerage in Santa Rosa will offer a workshop on how recent legislation could protect employers against frivolous disability charges. … Early last month, the governor signed a piece of legislation meant to streamline efforts to prosecute certain mortgage brokers. … The Federal Trade Commission again delayed implementation of identity theft protections known as the “Red Flags Rule.”

SANTA ROSA – The chamber of commerce-created Santa Rosa Manufacturing Group unveiled Monday a property casualty, benefits and workers’ comp insurance purchasing program that could save members between 3 and 15 percent on benefits costs.

The trade association launched last year represents about

As many North Bay companies in the construction, agricultural, manufacturing and other industries hire an increasing number of Latin American immigrant workers, it’s imperative that these companies’ business owners, HR personnel and supervisors understand and have clear communication with these employees on safety precautions, rules and procedures on the job.