With the Government Roll-out of the Affordable Care Act (AKA Obamacare), other areas of government oversight such as the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) have been overshadowed and been largely pushed off of Page 1. A recent suggested change by OSHA is the reporting of Injury and Illnesses electronically rather than the Hard Copy OSHA logs that employers have used for decades. This proposed change is suggested to only apply to employers with at least 250 employees. At the very least this will help employers organize their OSHA reportable Injuries and have the ability to look at historical reports. This Electronic reporting is also going to enable employers to compare their results to other employers. For employers and business owners that would like to know more about this proposed law, please visit OSHA.gov. OHSA is taking comments on this proposed law through Feb 6, 2014.

This week we are going to discuss how financial stress affects our health and ways to help lower financial stress. First I want to describe just what stress does to your body. When your brain senses danger (or some type of stressor), it goes into fight or flight mode and sends orders to outposts in the adrenal and pituitary glands to mobilize the hormones adrenaline and cortisol. These hormones send reinforcements to different areas of the body to increase your blood pressure, heart rate, and energy for you to either fight or flee (basically how you will handle the “stressor”). If you experience this type of stress everyday your body will feel the consequences.

Learn to identify and prevent the different forms of workplace violence by attending this seminar. The event takes place on Wednesday, November 20th from 8:30 AM to Noon at our Ann Arbor office.

This week we are going to discuss how health behaviors/status and finances are related. The first thing I would like to point out is the cost of unhealthy habits. Imagine saving $3,600 annually by just cutting out your $10 a day smoking or junk food habit. This is just an example of the immediate savings, think about the long-term savings too! By cutting out that junk food habit you are likely able to decrease your weight and delay the possible onset of diabetes and/or other health issues.

From an agent’s perspective, this question is certainly a double-edged sword. When a client tests the water to see what other options might be available in the insurance marketplace, this could present either opportunity for gain or loss.

Did you know that 24% of all data breaches affect retail environments and restaurants? (Source: 2013 Verizon Data Breach Report)

Kapnick Insurance Group's Maria Hicks talks about our Monthly Health Spotlight: Financial Wellness

This week we are going to discuss how stress can speed up the aging process. Unfortunately, everyone becomes stressed at some point but what people need to be careful of is the amount of chronic stress in their life. Chronic stress can cause a number of health issues, one being an increased risk of heart disease. It is also known to contribute to hypertension, insulin resistance, weight gain, insomnia and impairment of the immune and central nervous system. Recent studies have also shown that stress damage to DNA is behind the cause of wrinkles and gray hair.

This week we are going to talk about the importance of lifelong exercise. If you enjoy playing with your grandchildren, walking the mall, or just meeting up with your friends, it is imperative that you remain active as you age. Staying active is crucial to one’s health and independence. By not remaining active, simple things you have always enjoyed or even taken for granted will start to become harder. For example, individuals who do not continue to stay active develop musculoskeletal issues (aches and pains) and are at increased risk of falls. You are also at higher risk of heart disease, dementia, diabetes, stroke, and some cancers.

In this blog I wanted to highlight one of our many Key Property and Casualty Carriers. Plans are to sprinkle these snapshots into this blog space as time goes on. Central Insurance out of Van Wert Ohio is indeed a key carrier for Kapnick. Over the past few years Kapnick and Central have built a strong relationship based on mutual trust. Central’s capability and business appetite matches very well with Kapnick for business insurance and Personal Lines. They work hard for our clients to provide comprehensive and affordable insurance programs.

Living in Monroe, Michigan, the year 1876 certainly rings a bell for me. This of course is the year that Monroe’s hometown boy General George Custer met his demise in the Black Hills area of the Western US. Why do I mention this? This is indeed the same year that Central Insurance was started. I think that puts into perspective just how long Central Insurance has been providing Insurance policies. Today, Central writes over 328,000 insurance policies for policyholders in 18 states. These States overlap very well with Kapnick and the heart of its geographic business. Central's home office is located in Van Wert, Ohio, with regional offices in Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, and Van Wert, Ohio.