This week is 4th of July and we are gearing up for parties and picnics. In today’s blog, I will give you some tips for having fun but also staying healthy on this holiday weekend.

Healthy 4th of July picnic choices:

This week I would like to talk about the importance of summer safety when it comes to swimming, biking and the sun. I believe this is an important topic because one, drowning is the second leading cause of unintentional death among children ages 1-4 and children 10-14 years of age. Two, July, August and September have the highest percentage of bicycle-related deaths. Lastly skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the United States. Below are a few suggestions on how to be proactive when it comes to these safety concerns. I have also added links to some national websites for more information. Be safe this summer!

Kapnick Insurance Group is pleased to announce the addition of Michele Rivas, Compliance Attorney, to its Benefits division. Michele comes to Kapnick with 20 years of experience providing legal services in the areas of employee benefits, employment and corporate law to a variety of clients, ranging from small employers to Fortune 500 companies. Michele previously worked for Sullivan, Ward, Asher & Patton P.C. (SWAP) located in Southfield, Michigan. Michele spent the past four years focusing primarily on providing compliance advice regarding the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (“Health Care Reform”). Before working at SWAP, Michele worked in the employee benefits/employment and business transaction groups of Dykema, Honigman, Jaffe and Ice Miller.

In her position as a compliance attorney at Kapnick Insurance Group, Michele will provide legal advice with respect to a wide range of compliance and regulatory issues, including providing day-to-day advice within the following areas: Internal Revenue Code, ERISA, Health Care Reform, HIPAA, COBRA, FMLA, FLSA, and state law. Michele will also monitor and analyze pending and new legislation and its anticipated affect on benefit plans and arrangements. "The addition of Michele to our benefits team will add a critical service benefiting our clients," said Steve Peck - President of the Benefits Division. "In addition, it will allow us to be more proactive in alerting our clients in advance of new legislation, or changes in legislation, which may affect their benefits programs."

Kapnick Insurance Group is pleased to announce the addition of Bill Lyle to its Commercial Property & Casualty Sales Team. Bill comes to Kapnick from Hylant, located in Ann Arbor. Bill spent the past seven years working as a senior account executive and sales consultant to clients all over the United States. His responsibilities included new business sales as well as current client retention. Before working at the Hylant, Bill held sales and management positions at Armstrong Robitaille Riegle Insurance. He is a University of Michigan graduate and former captain of the golf team.

Kapnick Insurance Group is pleased to announce the addition of Tyrone Jordan II, Client Executive, to its Employee Benefits division. Tyrone comes to Kapnick from the OPG Benefits, located in Brighton, MI. Tyrone spent the past three years working as a senior account executive and sales consultant to clients all over the state of Michigan. His responsibilities included new business sales as well as current client retention. Before working at the OPG, Tyrone held sales and management positions at Bankers Life and Casualty and DHL. He is a University of Michigan graduate and former member of the football team.

Sun safety video

If you can take pleasure in fitness activities with those you love, it is more likely that you will have fun and stick to it on a regular basis. The key is to choose an activity that everyone will enjoy, so the whole family can spend time together. Listed below are some ideas of fitness activities you can try with your family this summer!

Everyone has different needs when it comes to picking the right running shoe. Many factors play a role in your decision – your weight, your biomechanics, the type of surface you run on, and lastly the shape of your feet. Shoes can be divided into three main categories, performance, stability, and neutral.

Performance – This type of running shoe is typically recommended for racing. They vary in degrees of support and cushioning, but they are generally narrower and lighter than other running shoes.

The national press has provided updates for the past several years on healthcare reform (Obamacare), but many insurance consumers are simply unaware of the National Flood Insurance Program and its many changes related to reform.

When Walbridge wanted to build a healthier workforce and provide a more robust benefit program for employees, they relied on Kapnick.