Newsletter December 3, 2019
Executive Director's Post
This is the time of year when we are thankful for all the good things that have helped make it a good year. For me, and I am sure many of you and your businesses, we are thankful the Clinton Street Bridge is now open. Now, that means we need to promote a “WELCOME BACK” to those from both sides of the bride to reconnect our commerce areas. We need to express our thankfulness to the contractors and workers for their hard work, in some very challenging conditions, to build us our new bridge.

I also want to let you know that the marketing class at Defiance College, with our approval, will be sending a survey out to the membership. This survey is designed to provide information regarding our marketing strengths and weaknesses. Please take a moment to share your thoughts via the survey. I thank you in advance for your assistance.

On behalf of the Board of Directors, I express our appreciation for all your support throughout the year. You continue to show us that this Chamber is a “Member Driven” organization and your involvement is vital to our success. We will continue to be the “voice” of business in the area. 


Please see below a list of all of our upcoming events and see what our members have going on!




All the Best,
Floyd Culver
Interim Executive Director/CEO
Defiance Area Chamber of Commerce
Events
The Purple Heart Bridge
is Open!!
The Purple Heart Bridge is open!!!! Thank you to all of the companies, Government offices and local organizations that made this possible. This bridge is the link that connects our great city and fosters transportation for our residents and business that keep Defiance thriving.
First Friday Luncheon
Friday, January 3rd
12:00-1:00 PM
at
TBD

January Keynote Speaker
Patrick McCauley,
Ohio Treasurer of States' Office

Tickets to attend the event are $15.00


T icket Availability will be Coming Soon

Thursday, January 16th
5:00-7:00 pm

Sponsor:  Defiance Area Chamber of Commerce

Location: 

Caterer:
Office Closed
Smal Business Saturday
Come One
Come All
Shop Small With Defiance!
November 25 - December 11
The Defiance Area Chamber of Commerce announced today that, as a member of the American Express® Neighborhood Champion Program, it will be co-hosting an event as part of the #ShopDefi Holiday Passport Program, which will take place from Monday, November 25 th through Wednesday, December 11 th . Created by American Express in 2010, Small Business Saturday celebrates the impact small businesses have on communities across the country.

This year the Defiance Area Chamber of Commerce along with the Defiance Development and Visitors Bureau is planning a proper Shop Small Event for shoppers. This event will make shopping local fun and rewarding! This event will run from Monday, November 25 th through Wednesday December 11th. During this time when you visit a participating business you will receive a #ShopDefi Holiday Passport. You will receive one stamp per participating business and there is no purchase necessary. 

Once you have visited 20 of the 43 participating businesses you can turn your passport into the Defiance Area Chamber of Commerce or the Defiance Development and Visitors Bureau both located at 325 Clinton St. Defiance. Passports must be turned in before 4pm on Wednesday, December 11 th . We will then draw names for three fun local prizes on Thursday, December 12th! A list of all of the participating businesses can be found on the Facebook Event page, “ShopDefi Passport”.
 
Merchants and consumers can learn more about Small Business Saturday and how to get involved by visiting www.defiancechamber.com or www.visitdefianceohio.com

Chamber News
New Members

5060 Studios, LLC
&
Rita Kissner
Member to Member
Chamber Energy Solutions

Energy Market Update

Break out the parkas and ski equipment – Winter is here! Be sure to contact your CES representative for an overview of gas & electric price protection parameters that have been put in place during these high consumption months.
Electric:  
Many of you have seen commercials and even received postcards in the mail both in support and in opposition of Ohio House Bill 6 (HB6). While some of the rhetoric surrounding HB6 may be drastic, the most important thing we can do as consumers is to stay informed. Regardless of opinion on this legislation, the bottom line is that PJM Interconnection, the Regional Transmission Organization (RTO) overseeing the electric grid that serves Ohio and a number of other states, is stable and there is no reason for concern. 

While HB6 is still under discussion, there are four main components of the legislation we want to highlight. 
1.       For customers receiving electric distribution service from an investor-owned utility, $170 million will be collected on an annual basis through charges included on consumers’ monthly invoices. A majority of this money will be used to support Ohio’s nuclear power plants.
2.       Through additional funds collected via your monthly electric utility invoices, money will be used to support legacy generation resources, including two OVEC coal-fired generating plants.
3.       Ohio’s renewable energy resource goals, known as Renewable Portfolio Standards or RPS, will be revised. The revision states that 8.5% of electricity sold in Ohio must by generated by renewable sources by the end of 2026, with no requirement thereafter. This revision also eliminates the separate solar carve-out that exists in the current RPS legislation.
4.       Finally, HB6 will terminate investor-owned utility energy efficiency and peak-demand reduction programs, as long as each utility has met certain criteria. This change will also create rate schedules specifically applicable to county fairs and agricultural societies.
If you have questions or concerns over information you may have seen or received, or additional questions surrounding House Bill 6 in general, please contact your CES representative.

Natural Gas:  
Similar to the early-summer period, late-summer & fall 2019 gas prices have averaged around $0.60 per MCF cheaper relative to 2018 gas prices. The Appalachian region of the country is swimming in gas production. Despite the number of drilling rigs actually declining relative to past figures, overall gas production has rapidly climbed higher due to advances in technology. These onshore gas producing sites have changed the natural gas industry for the better as supply interruptions (and, in turn, gas prices) are far less susceptible to severe weather events (e.g. hurricanes, tsunamis, etc.).

As always, old man winter will have his say in the supply & demand balance when all is said and done. In order to aid in protecting against spikes in gas market pricing this winter, hedges have been executed on Chamber participants’ behalf. A natural gas hedge is a financial transaction that secures a % of gas to be consumed in a given month at a set price.


Chamber Energy Solutions Consultant- Phill Dysard 419-491-1011 pdysard@palmerenergy.com Feel free to call or email me with any questions!
CareWorks Comp

Nov/Dec 2019 BWC News from CareWorks Comp
“Clutter is nothing more than postponed decisions.” ~Barbara Hemphill 
Deadlines Approaching: 2020 Rate Year Group Rating & Group Retrospective Enrollment

The deadline to enroll into Group Rating with CareWorks Comp for the upcoming July 1, 2020 policy year is
November 20, 2019.  Group Rating is an upfront discount (as much as -53%) off of your EMR (Experience Modification Rate).. 

The deadline to enroll into Group Retrospective Rating with CareWorks Comp for the upcoming July 1, 2020 policy year is
January 24, 2020.  Group Retro is a performance based program where the group’s claims incurred for the policy year are compared to the group’s premiums paid to the BWC. The participants will receive premium rebates as long as the claims incurred for that policy year is lower than the overall premiums paid to the BWC. 
BWC: New Reserving System Coming
Now that the Ohio BWC has moved away from using ICD-9 Codes to using ICD-10 Codes for categorizing injuries and illnesses, they will be changing from the MIRA II Reserving System to the new ACES Reserving System. The ACES (Actuarial Claims Estimating System) process will be implemented on 7/1/2020. ACES uses very similar cost drivers (input variables) as MIRA II. Reserves are a key component in determining what your company’s EMR (Experience Modification Rate) will be for the upcoming policy year. Simply put, Reserves are estimated future costs of a claim. If Reserves are present on a claim when the BWC takes their annual EMR “snapshot” on September 30th, then there is a possibility that your EMR will be higher than anticipated for the upcoming policy year. The BWC’s calculation for how they arrive at a claim’s Reserve is proprietary, but they do look at such variables as claimant’s age, type of injury and expected recovery time. 
 
What type of Exam is your injured worker getting?
      BWC 90-Day examination:
      90 day examinations are required by statute and are conducted when an injured worker has received 90 consecutive days of temporary total disability compensation. This exam addresses a number of issues, including continuing compensation, return-to-work barriers, potential RTW solutions, need for further medical treatment or supportive care and potential for rehabilitation.
      BWC Physician Review (MEDCO-21)
      These file reviews are normally regarding an additional allowance request or anything that had been requested in the claim that requires a medical opinion but does not need a full exam to make a decision.
      BWC Independent Medical Exam (IME)
      An IME is an objective medical evaluation conducted by an independent, qualified medical specialist at BWC’s request and is for the purpose of clarifying an injured worker’s medical and disability status.
      C92 Examinations
      C-92 examination provides an unbiased, objective estimate of the whole person, percent of impairment for a given allowance referred to as percentage of permanent partial ( %PP, %PPD, or, most frequently, C-92) awards. This must be based on the most current edition of the American Medical Association's Guides to the Evaluation of Permanent Impairment , using the available medical documentation, history and physical examination.
      These are initially completed by the BWC to determine a PPD% award and will support their tentative order. The injured worker/attorney and the employer/TPA/attorney can also have this exam completed to obtain their own PPD% as defense to get it increased or lowered.
      Industrial Commission - IME
      This is normally done in regard to permanent total disability (PTD). A physical and psychological (if psych is allowed in the claim) IME will be completed based on the industrial commission request.
      For a PTD issue, there will be IME reports from the IC, IW and the employer, if needed.
      IME/IMR – TPA/Employer
      These are reports obtained by the TPA claim examiner, the employer, or the employer’s attorney.
 
$4 Million Saved for CareWorks Comp Customers: House Bill 207
As an Ohio employer participating in the State Fund, if one of your employees is injured in a motor vehicle accident and you can establish that the claim is a result of a non-at-fault incident involving a third party, the BWC may exclude 100% of the claim's cost from your experience.

With the passage of House Bill 207, any motor vehicle accident occurring on or after July 1, 2017 can apply for this cost relief.  CareWorks Comp has a dedicated Cost Containment team who will assist you in navigating this process and will guide you through securing the necessary information to file a claim under this provision. Our team has assisted Ohio employers in removing over $4 million in claims cost since the passing of HB 207.

Some important facts to remember regarding eligibility are:
     You must have active BWC coverage on the date of injury
     You must be current on all BWC payments
     The third part at-fault driver must have active insurance coverage at the time of the accident or your business must have active uninsured motorist's insurance coverage
     A copy of the police motor vehicle accident report from a law enforcement agency must be secured
     A copy of the citation showing that the third party is responsible for the accident
     You have 12 months from the date of injury to file the application for relief
If you have an employee that was involved in a motor vehicle accident, please reach out to our office to discuss whether the claim qualifies for the Non-at-fault motor vehicle accident application process.

Important Deadlines:
      November 20, 2019:  Group Rating Enrollment deadline for the 2020 Rate Year.
      November 21, 2019:   BWC Premium Installment due if you pay on a Monthly basis.
      December 21, 2019:  BWC Premium Installment due if you pay on a Monthly, Bi-Monthly, Quarterly, or Bi-Annual basis.
      January 24, 2020:  Group Retrospective Enrollment deadline for the 2020 Rate Year.
CareWorks Safety Library: Now Live!
Looking for an easy way to fulfill your 2-hour Safety Training Requirement for this current 2019 Policy Year? We’ve got the answer!
Simply go to:  CareWorks Safety Training Library web link   Here you will find previously recorded webinars that you can register for to fulfill your 2-hour Safety Training Requirement. Each webinar is 2 hours and costs $25.00. Currently, there are 4 webinars to choose from:
      Employee Engagement
      OSHA Inspections; Prevention, Preparation, & Minimizing Fines
      OSHA Recordkeeping
      Preventing Slip, Trip, Fall, & Overexertion Injuries
Looking for a do-it-yourself Toolbox Talk to give to your employees? Go to:    CareWorks Safety Training Library web link  
click on the orange “VIEW TOOLBOX TALKS” link and you will see 13 different Toolbox Talk programs that you can download and use to train your employees. The topics range from Emergency Evacuation Plans to Diffusing Workplace Violence and even Parking Lot Safety . Print out each of them and use one at your next employee meeting!
 
 
DCCC Events