The savings came about because of our passion for customer service and our on going pursuit of securing the best coverage for our clients at the most competitive price.

Longwood Summer Camp Sign-Ups

Longwood Summer Camp sign ups will be on going through May and June until camper capacity is reached.  Sign-ups are held at Longwood Elementary School (840 Orange Ave.).  Camp will start on June 4^th.

For more information, call (407)260-3484

Father & Daughter Dance 

The annual Father & Daughter Dance will be held on Tuesday, June 12^th at the Longwood Community Building.  Tickets are $5.00 per couple and $2.50 for anyone extra.  Music for dancing and light refreshments are provided for this semi-formal event.  Call (407) 260-3484 too R.S.V.P.

Downtown Longwood Car Show

The City of Longwood will host the “Downtown Longwood Cruise In” car show on the 2^nd Saturday of every month from 5:00 – 8:00pm in the historic district of Longwood.  There will be spectacular car displays, gourmet food trucks and a D.J. for the event.

 Senior Matinee

The Senior Matinee will take place on Wednesday, May 16^th as well as Wednesday, June 20^th at 1:30 pm at the Longwood Community Building (200 W. Warren Ave.).  This is a free event and light refreshments will be served.

Oil Painting

The City of Longwood is offering oil painting classes on Friday nights (6-9 pm) and Saturday mornings (9 – 12pm) at Longwood Elementary School (840 Orange Ave.). All skill levels are welcome. Classes will be $15.00 each.  For more information, please call (407) 260 – 3484. 

Aerobics/Pilates 

The City of Longwood presents Aerobics/Pilates classes on Tuesday & Thursday nights

at Longwood Elementary School (840 Orange Ave.).  An eight week session costs

$40.00.  For more information please call (407) 260 – 3484. 

Zumba 

The City of Longwood presents Zumba/Pilates classes on Tuesday & Thursday nights

at Longwood Elementary School (840 Orange Ave.).  An eight week session costs $40.00

for the evening classes and the morning classes are $8.00 per class.  For more

information please call  (407) 260 – 3484. 

Line Dancing  

The City of Longwood presents Line Dancing classes on Tuesday & Thursday nights at

at Longwood Elementary School (840 Orange Ave.).  An eight week session costs

$40.00.  For more information please call (407) 260 – 3484. 

Karate
The City of Longwood offers Karate classes for adults and youth on Monday and Thursday Evenings at Longwood Elementary School (840 Orange Ave.).  For more information please call 407-921-6775.

The Food Truck Bazaar The City of Longwood will host “The Foodtruck Bazaar”, central Florida’s original traveling Food Truck Event on every 1^st and 3^rd
Saturday in Downtown Historic Longwood off of Church Ave.  Enjoy gourmet food in a great atmosphere.  Call (407) 260-3484 for more information.

Using a car seat correctly can prevent injuries, but wrong usage is very common. Even a small mistake in how the seat is used can cause serious injury in a crash.

Tips to ensure you are using a child car seat correctly

1. Never put an infant in the front seat of a vehicle with a passenger air bag.
2. Route harness straps in lower slots at or below shoulder level.
3. Keep harness straps snug and fasten the clip at armpit level.
4. Make sure the straps lie flat and are not twisted.
5. Dress your baby in clothes that allow the straps to go between the legs. Adjust the straps to allow for the thickness of your child’s clothes. Do not use bulky clothes that could increase slack in a crash.
6. To keep your newborn from slouching, pad the sides of the seat and between the child’s legs with rolled up diapers or receiving blankets.
7. Put the car seat carrying handle down when in the car.
8. Infants must ride in the back seat facing the rear of the car. This offers the best protection for your infant’s neck.
9. Recline the rear-facing seat at a 45-degree angle. If your child’s head flops forward, the seat may not have reclined enough. Tilt the seat back until it is level by wedging firm padding such as a rolled towel, under the front of the base of the seat.
10. All new car seats are now required to come equipped with top tether straps. A tether strap is a belt that is attached to the car seat and bolted to the window ledge or the floor of the car. They give extra protection and keep the car seat from being thrown forward in a crash. Tether kits are also available for most older car seats. Check with the manufacturer to find out how to get a top tether for your seat. Install it according to instructions. The tether strap may help make some seats that are difficult to install fit more tightly.

Do not use a car seat if any of the following apply.

1. It is too old. Look on the label for the date it was made. If made before January 1981, the seat may not meet strict safety standards and its parts are too old to be safe. Some manufacturers recommend using seats for only 6 years.
2. It does not have a label with the date of manufacture and model number. Without these, you cannot check on recalls.
3. It has been in a crash. If so, it may have been weakened and should not be used, even if it looks all right.
4. It does not come with instructions. You the instructions to know how to install and use the car seat properly. Do not rely on the former owner’s instructions. Get a copy of the manual from the manufacturer.
5. It has cracks in the frame of the seat.
6. It is missing parts. Used seats often come without important parts. Check with the manufacturer to make sure you can get the right parts.

To find out if your child safety seat has been recalled, you can call the Auto Safety Hotline ( 888-DASH-2-DOT ). If the seat has been recalled, be sure to follow the instructions for the recall or to get the necessary parts. You should also get a registration card for future recall notices from the Hotline.

For more information about infant or toddler car seats, go to the Web site of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety at  (www.highwaysafety.org). Also check out the National SafeKids Campaign (http://www.safekids.org) which offers a free Child Car Seat Locator which allows you to enter your child’s age and weight, and get back a list of recommended car seats. Another good source of information on car seats is the American Academy of Pediatrics website  (http://www.aap.org/family/), which offers a detailed shopping guide to car seats.

Is your child ready for a regular seat belt?

Keep your child in a car seat for as long as possible. When he or she is big enough, make sure that seat belts in your car fit your child correctly. The shoulder belt should lie across the shoulder, not the neck or throat. The lap belt must be low and flat across the hips, not the stomach. The child’s knees should bend easily over the edge of the vehicle seat. Seat belts are made for adults. If the seat belt does not fit your child correctly, he or she should stay in a booster seat until the belt fits.

Never tuck the shoulder belt under the child’s arm or behind their back.

Use lap belts only as a last resort. Try to get a lap-shoulder belt installed in your car if it doesn’t already have one. If you must use a lap belt, make sure it is worn tight and low on the hips, not across the stomach.

Source: Insurance Information Institute; www.iii.org

As the Foundation states: “This study is among the first to directly measure the occurrence of distracted driver behaviors and distracting conditions among teenage drivers. It also describes how distractions vary based on the presence of passengers, time of day,sex of the driver, and other potentially important factors. Finally, it documents how distracting activities were related to several aspects of driving importance, including serious accidents.”

We, at Blackadar Insurance Agency, are committed to helping you become the most informed and knowledgeable drivers in the state of Florida. Please drive with care and we would welcome any comments you might have regarding this or any other insurance related issues.

The study can be found at:

http://bit.ly/GT3Zbs

We, at Blackadar Insuranec Agency, want to help you think about things that you can do to make your driving as safe as possible. Consider the following:

Consider these sobering statistics on teen driving:

• Automobile accidents are the number one killer of our nation’s youth.
• Drivers under the age of 20 were involved in 13% of all accidents, yet they account for only 5% of all drivers.
• 5,000 teenagers die each year from auto accidents.
• Alcohol is responsible for almost half of all teen motor vehicle deaths.
• 25% of all teen accidents involve speeding.
• Half of all teenage traffic fatalities occur between 6:00 p.m. Friday and 3:00 a.m. Sunday.
• In one year, drivers 19 and under were involved in close to 3 million motor vehicle accidents.
• The price of a bad decision can include injury to yourself or others, loss of life, loss of life style or loss of personal freedom.

Ways to prevent accidents

While no one has full control over the circumstances surrounding a motor vehicle accident, there are things that can be done to reduce your chances of being the cause or being involved in one. Here are some smart decisions you can make while you’re behind the wheel:

• Drive defensively. If you assume that other drivers are not as skilled and thoughtful as you are, you will instinctively become more careful and cautious when on the road.
• Try not to speed. When you speed, you have less time to react, less time to make the right decision.
• Never drink and drive. Alcohol can seriously impair your decision-making skills and reaction time.
• Take the keys away from friends who have been drinking.
• Adults can set an example by practicing safe driving habits.

Ways to keep insurance premiums for teens as low as possible

A number of factors are taken into consideration when insurance companies set rates for automobile policies. Among those factors are the type of vehicle and the age, gender and driving record of the insured. Companies pay close attention to the number of accidents a driver has had and the traffic tickets (from speeding, running a stop sign, etc.) received. In their view, past performance serves as a meter for future behavior — therefore, these drivers pose a higher risk.

Source: Insurance Information Institute; www.iii.org

Anytime you consider hiring a contractor or other business to perform work on your property, it is important to verify that they are covered by the right type and amount of business insurance.

Exactly how much business insurance and which type they need is variable depending on the service they’re providing. At the very least, you should verify that they have:

• General Liability Insurance. This insurance will cover damage if the contractor’s accident or error causes damage to your property or a neighbor’s property.
• Workers’ Compensation Insurance. This insurance will cover hospital bills and lost wages if the contractor’s employee is injured on the job.

In the absence of either insurance, you may be financially responsible if an accident or injury occurs while the contractor is working on your job.

Before signing a contract, tell the contractor that you need to verify insurance coverage. Have the contractor request that a Certificate of Insurance from his agent be e-mailed, faxed or mailed to you. A certificate of insurance will show all of the insurances they have and the policy limits. Once the contractor supplies proof of insurance, record the policy number, the name of the insurer and the limits of the policy. Keep this information in a safe place.

In addition to verifying that the contractor carries general liability insurance and workers’ compensation insurance, you should determine exactly what coverage you have on your own homeowner’s insurance. Would your homeowner’s insurance cover you if the tree being cut down by the contractor falls on your neighbor’s car or home and does extensive damage?

Frequently, homeowners’ insurance policies do not cover contractor accidents. This makes it especially important for you to verify that the contractor has adequate insurance.

• Inspect your smoke detectors. Make sure that there is one on each floor of your home.Test them and change the batteries at least every six months, when you change your clocks.
• Check the light bulbs in all your fixtures to be sure that they are the correct wattage as recommended by the manufacturer.
• Replace lamps that use high-producing bulbs (such as halogen) with those that use fluorescent bulbs and operate at much cooler temperatures.
• Check your electrical outlets for potential fire hazards such as frayed wires or loose-fitting plugs. Be sure not to overload electrical outlets, fuse boxes, extension cords or any other power source.
• Keep a multi-purpose fire extinguisher accessible that is filled and ready for operation.
• Have your air conditioning system inspected by a professional as recommended by the manufacturer.
• Check for damage to your roof, and clean gutters and downspouts to keep debris from accumulating.
• Check your water heater for leaks and corrosion, and keep surrounding area clear.
• Clean and/or replace your furnace filter.
• Clean the clothes dryer exhaust duct and space under the dryer. Remove all lint, dust, and pieces of material or cloth.
• Inspect washing machine hoses and replace hoses that show signs of wear or leakage with stronger reinforced hoses.  Turn off the water when not in use to prevent water damage if a hose breaks.
• In your yard, remove all dead trees and keep healthy trees and bushes trimmed and away from utility wires.  Do not attempt to remove tree limbs from power lines yourself.  Instead, call your power company to request assistance.
• Safely store oil and gas for lawn equipment and tools in a vented, secured area.
• Repair driveway and walkways that are cracked, broken or uneven to provide a level walking surface.

Many people are under the impression that they are ineligible for flood insurance because of where they live, or their mortgage status. But the truth is, as long as your hometown is a National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) community, most homeowners, business owners and renters can get flood insurance. We urge you to learn the flood insurance basics:

• You CAN get flood insurance nationwide.
• You CAN get flood insurance if you live in a floodplain or high-flood-risk area.
• You CAN get flood insurance if you live outside a floodplain, or a low-to-moderate flood-risk area – and at lower cost.
• You CAN get flood insurance if your property has been flooded before.
• You CAN get flood insurance from insurance agents in your area.
• You CAN get flood insurance even if your mortgage broker doesn’t require it.

As with any other type of insurance, it’s important to know what a flood insurance policy does and doesn’t cover. For example, damage caused by a sewer backup is only covered by flood insurance if it’s a direct result of flooding. The damage is not covered if the backup is caused by some other problem. For a complete summary of residential coverage, go to What’s Covered.

Having the proper information about your flood risk and protection options, will allow you to make better informed decisions to protect your home and personal belongings.

In order to be in a better position to answer this and other questions about rental car insurance, we have attached two articles from The Florida Association of Insurance Agents.

Rental Car Coverage and the PAP

Rental Cars, Credit Cards, and the Loss Damage Waiver

These articles contain copyrighted information of the Florida Association of Insurance Agents and are used with permission. Please call Blackadar Insurance Agency at 407.831.3832 if you have further questions about these articles. FAIA is not staffed to take consumer calls.

We, at Blackadar Insurance Agency, believe that an informed customer will make the best decision based upon their own personal circumstances. Please drive safely.

Reducing the cost of physician-dispensed repackaged prescription has been a top priority for business groups such as the Florida Chamber and Associated Industries of Florida and insurers during this year’s legislative session.

At issue is the amount of dollars physicians can charge insurers when they directly dispense prescription drugs to injured workers out of their office.

Florida’s workers’ compensation law specifies that pharmacies are to be reimbursed at a drug’s average wholesale price, plus $4.18. However, the law is silent when it comes to doctors who sell and repackage drugs in their office. As a result, there has been a sharp increase in the number of physician-dispensed drugs, with several studies showing markups as high as 600 percent or more.

An insurance industry’s rating organization, the National Council on Compensation Insurance (NCCI), calculated that in 2003, only nine percent of drugs were dispensed by doctors. NCCI says that number has now risen to more than 50 percent, making Florida the highest of 46 states.

NCCI calculated that out of an 8.9 percent rate increase approved by regulators earlier this year, 2.5 percent was directly attributable to physician-dispensed drugs, representing $62 million in additional costs to the state’s workers’ compensation system.

The House is moving forward with a bill that would limit physicians’ reimbursements to the pharmacy fee schedule. However, that proposal has been met with stiff resistance in the Senate.

The Senate Health Regulation Committee last week took up SB 668, sponsored by Alan Hays, which in its original form mirrored the House bill.

Associated Industries of Florida representative Tami Perdue, pointing to the NCCI study, said the bill is necessary to help reduce costs. “This would close a loophole to make workers’ compensation more affordable in the state,” she said.

That position has been heavily criticized by Automated Health Care Solutions, which provides physicians with the computer software to administrate their drug claims. The company has been an outspoken critic of NCCI’s figures, claiming they are not justified by the facts.

Physicians have also stepped forward to argue that the proposed change would effectively end the ability of doctors to provide repackaged drugs. As a result, they say, patients would be less likely to get their medicine and less likely as a result to return to work early.

“Don’t prevent us from taking care of patients,” said Gary Kelman, an orthopedic surgeon out of Broward County.

Senator Rene Garcia (R-Garcia) successfully convinced the committee to substantially alter the bill in a way that would heavily favor physicians over the interest of the business and insurer groups.

Under his amendment, insurers would be given a $15 credit on any repackaged drug costing more than $25. It would also force insurers to reimburse drug-dispensing physicians regardless of whether they have a contract with that physician. Insurers found improperly reimbursing those drug claims could face fines of $250 per incident, a figure that would increase to $1,000 if the insurer is found to have improperly pay claims 15 times in one year.

NCCI responded that the bill as amended would do the opposite of saving money and would increase costs.

For example, NCCI said the $15 credit would quickly be recouped by physicians since there are no controls on the cost per pill. The insurer penalties also would be likely cause insurers not to challenge claims, if for no other reason than to avoid the penalties.

NCCI said that if this amendment becomes law, workers compensation rates would be increased by 1.4 percent. The 1.4 percent associated with this amendment is not an offset to the estimated savings of 2.5 percent.

For his part, Hays vowed to kill his bill unless Senate lawmakers dramatically changed course, a sentiment shared by business groups and insurers.

“We’re going to get this thing back under control,” Hays said.

Rate Cut Possibility

In an effort to place pressure on a possible compromise with the House, Senate lawmakers are calling for a cut in workers’ compensation rates.

Senator Don Gaetz (R-Destin) convinced lawmakers to tack on an amendment to the Senate bill that would calls for a statewide average 2.5 percent reduction in workers’ compensation rates, effective July 1.

Lawmakers do have the power to implement rate changes without the consent of regulators. The House bill contains a similar rate cut, but requires it to be actuarially justified.

However, based on the NCCI’s analysis of drug costs on rates and the other provisions of the Senate bill, the rate reduction effectively would not be actuarially justified and would add to costs.

The Senate’s political posture, however, would place pressure on House lawmakers to compromise on the bill or face having to reject an election year proposed rate cut at a time when small employers are struggling and the state’s unemployment rate stands at around 10 percent.

By Michael Adams | February 27, 2012  Insurance Journal