VIEWPOINT: Media-Interview Tips in a Socially Distant Digital Age

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Our routines were disrupted when the world as we know it paused earlier this year, but somehow, we have figured out how to traverse a new normal, balancing the demands of our “day” jobs with the 24/7 responsibilities that include life, home, families, and pets also require. Thanks to the magic of the internet and […]

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Thanks to the magic of the internet and virtual meeting rooms, set up through Zoom, Teams, WebEx (pick your platform), nearly every industry has found new ways to virtually connect, while maintaining a safe, social distance. Whether we realize it or not, these digital meeting rooms are also teaching us techniques to help us improve communications skills, verbally, non-verbally, and even how we interact with the news media.

Verbally, we’ve learned how to be more succinct and efficient with our word choices. I bet more than a few of us have already reduced our “ah” and “um” count.

From a nonverbal perspective, we’ve become more self-aware. You might feel a little bit uncomfortable watching yourself on camera to begin with. Where do I look? Does my hair look okay? Ugh, why did I just make that face? Wait, does that mean I actually make that face in-person? Good grief. Sound familiar?

Regarding media interactions — even if you don’t regularly interface with the media in your role right now — learning valuable skills will help you shine the next time a reporter comes calling.

What will fly as an excuse for being unable to do an interview has changed. Not having time isn’t one of them. We’re all just a call — and a good internet connection — away from an interview request.

Thanks to the magic of virtual video chats, there are seven simple steps you can take behind the screen to ensure success when the record button is rolling.

As a former television news producer, admittedly, I watch the news with a more critical eye than the average bear. The following seven tips were curated from interviews I have watched recently.

Disclaimer: In May, Strategic Communications, LLC president Crystal DeStefano hosted a virtual panel discussion with the Central New York Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) and three Syracuse–based journalists. The discussion was focused on how public-relations professionals can be helpful to the media in pitching COVID-19 and non-COVID stories. Brad Vivacqua, a reporter at Spectrum News, shared that computer screens and laptop screens are widely preferred over phones for video interviews. The following tips are written with this advice in mind.

1. Eliminate possible distractions before they become disasters: Always ask if the interview will be live or pre-recorded when you first speak to your media contact, so that you can communicate as best you can with members of your household to stay out of the picture (and be quiet) ahead of time. While the interview itself will probably only be about a five to 10-minute time commitment, in a live scenario, the need for this time to be uninterrupted will be paramount to your sanity (and greatly minimize your chance of going viral.).

Pro tip: In the event your interview is live, if there’s a TV in the room where you’re recording, resist the urge to put on the channel that will be airing your interview. If there is a delay by even a nanosecond, it might throw you off your A-game.

2. Sticky-note strategy: If curating detailed talking points is normally on your prep list prior to a media interview, proceed as normal. In a pre-COVID-19 world, if you were meeting a reporter for an on-camera interview, it wasn’t easy to refer to notes. But now, Zoom provides us with the luxury of being able to keep a few tricks up our sleeves — or in this case, just to the right of our screens. When curating your talking points, if you feel like you’re struggling to remember something — be it statistics, clunky information, or a hard-to-pronounce name — we recommend writing a reminders on sticky notes, and sticking them to the side of your laptop screen at eye level, or beside the camera lens.

Pro tip: Don’t go overboard. If you regularly prepare talking points, you already know your organization inside and out, and you naturally know the most important components of your message. Save the sticky notes for what may not come as easily. Think about your goals for the interview and try to limit yourself to three reminders.

3. Dress for success: While you may be in the privacy of your home, you’ll still be public when your interview airs on television. What are you comfortable being seen in? The nice thing is, technically, you only need to look nice from the waist up — but you may feel more put together if you get dressed all the way. And if you wear makeup, try not to go too dark around your eyes — depending on the lighting situation, that might make you look more washed out.

4. Get into a groove: Once you’re confident you look the part, practice speaking to make sure you can “talk the talk.” Run through your talking points, and if you can, watch yourself talk — in either a mirror or better yet, in a practice recording. This will help you get in the right groove for your conversation and show yourself grace by catching problematic facial expressions to prevent the non-verbal blunders mentioned earlier.

5. Lights. When it comes to lighting, don’t be too hard on yourself. After all, few of us are trained photographers. Just remember two things: 1) Natural light beats overhead light, but if you’re confident in your non-cluttered background, prioritize this over stressing about positioning yourself in the perfect natural-light situation. 2) Don’t sit in front of a window. If you position yourself in front of a window, and the sun shines behind you, your face will look too dark and the background will appear too bright. At best, this scenario is distracting. At worst, you will not be recognizable.

Pro tip: When possible, add depth to your background. Don’t sit right up against the wall; try to move yourself out by two to three feet. If you choose to position yourself in front of a bookshelf, make sure it’s not too cluttered.

Pro tip: Zoom also allows users to insert their own backgrounds as images (Account Settings – Account Profile – Background Image – Upload New Image). Use this to your advantage. Pop up your company logo, a scene related to the organization you represent, or create a background, showcasing a product sample on a neutral-colored palette.

6. Camera.: Clean the camera lens prior to the interview. If you’re using Zoom, make sure the touch-up feature (Settings – Meeting – Touch Up) is turned on. Think of this as your own personal Instagram filter — your skin looks softer and blemish-free, your teeth look whiter, and your background looks crisper. And finally, try your best to position yourself so that your face is at eye-level with the camera lens, but leave just a little space above your head. This way, you won’t look like you’re talking down to anyone, or talking up to anyone. You’ll be eye-to-eye with the interviewer when it airs on television or online.

Pro tip: If you need to raise the screen, books make a great leveler.

7. Action: When it’s go time, always assume that you’re on camera, even when you aren’t talking. While most reporters would have recorded “b-roll” video footage to be playing over your voice at some points throughout the story, it’s a good idea to nod as your interviewer is speaking and smile more than you think you should. In an interesting twist from the COVID-19 news world continue to look straight forward at the camera lens instead of at the person conducting the interview. If you look at the interviewer, you may actually appear to be giving “side-eye” on television. This goes against our best practices for in-person interviews, where you want to keep looking at the interviewer.

At the end of an interview, most reporters will ask: “Is there anything else you’d like to add?” Use this opportunity to reiterate the most important thing you hope they’ll take away from the interview. This is your “elevator pitch” moment, but in reverse. Often, this will wind up being your best soundbite and the most natural one for the reporter to use.

With free video-conferencing tools readily available, we encourage everyone to be taking advantage of the opportunities to practice these tips. It will help make you more comfortable doing virtual interviews with the media, increase your confidence for in-person interviews when they resume, and help boost your organization’s reputation.

Alice Maggiore is a consultant for Strategic Communications, LLC and serves as director of communications for the Downtown Committee of Syracuse. Syracuse–based Strategic Communications (www.StratComLLC.com) says it provides trusted counsel for public relations, including media strategy, media outreach, media monitoring, and analysis.

OPINION: Fewer Workers, Not More Jobs, Explains N.Y.’s September Jobless-Rate Drop

Opinion, Subscriber Only

New York state’s unemployment rate has fallen sharply since the economically devastating pandemic lockdown last spring. But as New York Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli points out in his latest economic report, the jobless rate doesn’t tell the whole story. In September, the state’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate of 9.7 percent was down 2.8 percentage points from

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In September, the state’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate of 9.7 percent was down 2.8 percentage points from the previous month, the second-biggest improvement in any state. The state’s official jobless rate had hit a record of 15.3 percent in April.

Based on unemployment claims and a monthly survey of a statistical sample of New York households, the unemployment rate represents the number of state residents aged 16 and over who are looking for work but unable to find it, divided by the total labor force, which is the total number of New Yorkers at least minimally employed or self-employed.

DiNapoli’s report notes: “Unfortunately, a deeper dive into the Bureau of Labor Statistics data reveals troubling context: New York State’s workforce [labor force] declined by nearly 363,000 last month, a 2.3 percentage point drop from August (based on preliminary figures), while the number of individuals officially considered unemployed declined by 302,000. In short, the unemployment rate went down in large part because of the decline in New Yorkers counted as working or seeking employment. Such a decrease in the size of the workforce may indicate that individuals have ceased searching for a job actively.”

On closer inspection, it’s even worse. Assuming the number holds up in re-estimates, New York’s September labor force decline of 362,889 residents was the largest monthly drop on record in the state — exceeding even the decline in April, when most New Yorkers couldn’t seek work. Excluding the pandemic period, the September change in New York’s estimated labor force was by far the largest decline on record — easily exceeding drop offs in job seekers during severe recessions and months affected by severe weather — dating back to the start of the current statewide statistical series in 1976.

DiNapoli’s observation on this point bears repeating: a shrinking labor force “may indicate that individuals have ceased searching for a job actively.” The job market is so bad that many New Yorkers have — for now, at least — stopped looking.

Although there has been significant and steady improvement since the spring, and many of the initially unemployed have found or regained employment, New York’s jobless ranks continue to add tens of thousands of newly unemployed people every week. During the week ending Oct. 24, another 52,566 initial unemployment claims were reportedly filed with the state Labor Department. This represented a decline of roughly 7 percent compared to initial claims the previous week — but an increase of 286 percent over the same week in 2019.

Worse, the number of employed New Yorkers also dropped in September, by nearly 61,000 below the August estimate, to 8.25 million. While that’s an improvement over the dreadful April total of 7.7 million, the September figure is still below any pre-pandemic employment total in New York since 1996.

In other words, New York’s unemployment rate was down in September mainly because the number of people seeking work declined — not that they’re finding jobs.

Labor-force ups and downs

Prior to the pandemic, starting with the onset of the Great Recession in 2008, the combination of falling unemployment rates and a shrinking labor force was concentrated in economically struggling regions of upstate New York, as [I have] frequently noted. By contrast, during the economic recovery, the jobless rate decreased in downstate suburbs and New York City, even as their labor forces expanded.

That has all changed since the novel coronavirus hit New York in March, however.

The declining upstate labor force bottomed out in mid-2019, 5 percent below the 2000 level and 10 percent below the peak just before the start of the Great Recession in December 2008. It had begun to increase slowly until the pandemic shutdown hit in March, at which point it tumbled in April, shot up in July to its highest level in nearly five years, then resumed declining in August and September.

The New York City trend had been strong with increases in the city labor force starting in 1995, peaking at roughly 13 percent above the 2000 level before slightly decreasing in 2018 and 2019, then dropping sharply when the pandemic hit in April. The downstate counties of Long Island and the Hudson Valley had lower labor-force growth than the city, but higher than Upstate’s, with a similar pattern of a crash during the pandemic, a recovery in July, and another drop in August.

The employment statistics for September could be revised in future reports. However, combined with slowing growth in the number of private-payroll jobs based in the state, the data suggest a worrisome weakening in New York’s recovery.

E.J. McMahon is the founder and a senior fellow at the Empire Center for Public Policy, Inc. Contact him at ejm@empirecenter.org. This article first appeared in the Empire Center’s blog.

OPINION: Report Shows New Yorkers Eager to Leave

Opinion, Subscriber Only

Tax climate and COVID weigh on residents Residents in New York want out; and as recent tax rankings show metrics that illustrate New York continues to have one of the worst economic climates in the U.S. — it is no surprise they are fleeing in droves. According to the latest study from Redfin, New York and

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Tax climate and COVID weigh on residents

Residents in New York want out; and as recent tax rankings show metrics that illustrate New York continues to have one of the worst economic climates in the U.S. — it is no surprise they are fleeing in droves.

According to the latest study from Redfin, New York and California were the two states exhibiting the most interest from residents looking to relocate. In just the third quarter alone, close to 47,000 more users were looking to leave New York than move into the state. That number represents a 35-percent jump from the same period last year.

For years, New York’s outmigration problems have been well documented. The state’s overall population has fallen to fourth in the nation (not too long ago, we were ahead of Florida) and its diminishing numbers have threatened our Congressional representation and tax base. The reason for the mass exodus is simple, and it’s the same reason people have been fleeing since Gov. Cuomo took office — the tax climate here is toxic.

Each year, the Tax Foundation publishes a ranking based on the theoretical amount of time it takes each state’s residents to pay off their local, state, and federal-tax obligations. Of all 50 states, New York ranked dead last with the latest such date: May 3. This “Tax Freedom Day” is more than a month after states like Oklahoma and Alaska. Florida’s Tax Freedom Day is April 4. That means New Yorkers have to work harder and longer than any other states’ residents in the entire nation just to pay their tax bill. This trend is unsustainable.

To that end, the Assembly Minority Conference has consistently advocated for reforms to the state’s prohibitive tax climate and has railed against the liberal majority’s failure to acknowledge the long-term harm it is imposing on New York. We have proposed a number of initiatives, ranging from making the 2-percent property-tax cap permanent, to eliminating unfunded mandates, and cutting business taxes in order to reduce the burdens facing residents and business owners.

Top-earning entrepreneurs, small-business owners, and valuable human resources do not want to live and work here, and the impact of that reality becomes more obvious with each new report and ranking. Compounding the problem, businesses and residents are now faced with the years-long process of recovering from COVID-19’s economic devastation. Unfortunately, the governor and legislative majorities have been unwilling to reverse course and devise common-sense solutions to fix these problems. I’m not sure what could possibly be more alarming than being ranked the worst state in the nation, but clearly this has not motivated them to act. Until they do something else, New York will continue to flounder, and it will continue to slide further away from viability, growth, and prosperity.

William (Will) A. Barclay, Republican, is the New York Assembly Minority Leader and represents the 120th New York Assembly District, which encompasses most of Oswego County, including the cities of Oswego and Fulton, as well as the town of Lysander in Onondaga County and town of Ellisburg in Jefferson County. Contact Barclay at barclaw@assembly.state.ny.us

Mercer survey: Health-benefit costs expected to grow 4.4 percent in 2021

Employee Benefits & Human Resources, Insurance & Financial Services, Subscriber Only

Employers expect their health-benefit costs to increase 4.4 percent, on average, in 2021 compared to 2020. That’s according to early results from Mercer’s National Survey of Employer-Sponsored Health Plans 2020. The increase — based on 1,113 employer responses since early July — is “largely in line” with the average annual cost growth over the past six

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Employers expect their health-benefit costs to increase 4.4 percent, on average, in 2021 compared to 2020.

That’s according to early results from Mercer’s National Survey of Employer-Sponsored Health Plans 2020.

The increase — based on 1,113 employer responses since early July — is “largely in line” with the average annual cost growth over the past six years, Mercer, a global consulting firm, said.

Still, health-benefit cost growth is now far outpacing the Consumer Price Index and wage growth, which have fallen to nearly zero.

Health plans face many unknowns in developing cost projections for 2021, according to Tracy Watts, a senior consultant with Mercer.

“Different assumptions about cost for COVID-related care, including a possible vaccine, and whether people will continue to avoid care or catch up on delayed care, are driving wide variations in cost projections for next year,” Watts said in an Oct. 1 release.

Survey findings

The Mercer survey found that employers won’t cut benefits to slow cost growth next year.

Even amid economic uncertainty caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, only 18 percent of employers responding to the survey say they will take cost-savings measures for 2021 that shift more health-care expense to employees, such as raising deductibles or copays. In fact, the majority of survey respondents (57 percent) will make “no changes whatsoever” to reduce costs in their medical plans in 2021. That compares to 47 percent making no changes last year, and just 44 percent in 2018.

“This is different from what we saw at the start of the economic recession in 2008, which drove many employers to trim health benefits,” Watts said. “Given all the turmoil employees have been through this year, employers are putting big changes on hold, looking to balance economics with empathy.”

The survey found that many employers are adding new resources to “support and engage” employees in the COVID era.

At the top of the list are virtual office visits and other digital health-care resources. More than a fourth of all respondents (27 percent) and well over a third of the largest employers (37 percent of those with 5,000 or more employees) are adding or improving digital health-care resources. Those resource include telemedicine for episodic care, artificial-intelligence-based symptoms triage, “text a doctor” apps, and virtual office visits with a patient’s own primary-care doctor.

“The pandemic has proven not only that we need virtual care, but that providers and patients will embrace it once they try it,” Watts said.

Responding employers also have other enhancements planned for 2021 that include voluntary benefits (22 percent), such as critical-illness insurance or a hospital indemnity plan and adding or improving behavioral health-care resources (20 percent).

More than half of employers (59 percent) have provided managers with training on how to support employees’ emotional and behavioral health since the onset of the pandemic or are planning to do so.

With schools and daycare schedules disrupted across the country, 45 percent of responding employers are permitting flexible schedules to allow parents to care for children during daytime working hours. However, even among the largest employers (5,000 or more employees, who tend to offer more generous benefit programs), just 16 percent provide a financial subsidy for in-home childcare, and only 12 percent provide a backup child-care benefit.

Mercer’s full survey results will be published in mid-November, the company said.

SOS promotes two to management roles at one-day surgery center

Employee Benefits & Human Resources, Subscriber Only

DeWITT, N.Y. — Syracuse Orthopedic Specialists (SOS) on Oct. 19 announced two recent promotions within the management team of the Specialists’ One-Day Surgery Center (SODS). Geoffrey Smith, who previously served as SODS administrator, has been named executive director, while Michele Flavin has been promoted to CFO of SODS. The surgery center is located at 5801

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VIEWPOINT: 5 Tips to Help Employees Make the Most of Health Benefits

Business Mentors, Employee Benefits & Human Resources, Subscriber Only

The COVID-19 pandemic has prompted many companies in New York state and nationwide to operate differently, presenting new challenges and requiring some to respond to a newly at-home workforce. Whether employees are working remotely or in-person, this fall’s open-enrollment season for health benefits will likely be different than in the past. In fact, a recent

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The COVID-19 pandemic has prompted many companies in New York state and nationwide to operate differently, presenting new challenges and requiring some to respond to a newly at-home workforce.

Whether employees are working remotely or in-person, this fall’s open-enrollment season for health benefits will likely be different than in the past. In fact, a recent UnitedHealthcare survey (https://newsroom.uhc.com/2020-consumer-survey.html) found that 44 percent of respondents expect to change the health plan they select due to COVID-19, including 16 percent opting for an option with lower out-of-pocket costs and 10 percent selecting more comprehensive coverage. More than one-third (35 percent) of respondents said they expect to spend more time evaluating their benefits this year, and with good reason: The financial and health-care challenges created by COVID-19 may make health-benefit decisions especially important.

In most cases, the practice of employees gathering in a conference room to review health-plan options has been postponed. Even before COVID-19, technology was reshaping how many employers select and offer health-care benefits to employees, improving access to information and creating a more seamless and interactive health-care experience. To help simplify the health-care experience for employees, support their well-being, and potentially curb costs, here are five tips New York state employers should consider during open enrollment and year-round.

Help improve health-care literacy: According to a UnitedHealthcare survey, more than 78 percent of Americans say they are prepared for open enrollment, yet previous research (https://www.cdc.gov/healthliteracy/learn/Understanding.html) has shown that some people struggle to fully understand common health-care terms and concepts, including plan premium, deductible, and co-insurance. Employers may help improve “health-care literacy” by sharing public resources such as JustPlainClear.com, which provides definitions for thousands of common health-care terms in English, Spanish, and Portuguese.

Make virtual care a priority: Given that COVID-19 has changed how and where people obtain health-care services, it may be important to offer a health plan that includes coverage for virtual care, ideally including options for telehealth visits with their own doctors and 24/7 access to a national provider network. If fact, the use of virtual-care resources has surged more than 10-fold compared to 2019, enabling some people to connect with a health-care provider via a smartphone, tablet, or personal computer. Telehealth resources are designed to be a more convenient way to visit with a doctor about various health issues, ranging from urgent and routine care, ongoing chronic condition management, behavioral health, and specialty care, such as oral and eye health.

Leverage big data: Employers now have important access to online resources (https://www.uhc.com/content/dam/uhcdotcom/en/landing/pdf/health-plan-manager-leave-behind.pdf) that may enable managers to analyze and make sense of health data, taking into account aggregate medical, prescription, and specialty claims; demographics; and clinical and well-being information. This may provide an analytics-driven roadmap to help employers implement tailored clinical management and employee-engagement programs, which may help improve health outcomes, mitigate expenses, and help employees take charge of their health.

Encourage employees to move more: Some health plans offer programs for employers that may enable their employees to earn financial incentives, such as gift cards or deductible credits, for completing health assessments, signing up for health coaching, lowering cholesterol, going to gyms, or using fitness trackers to monitor daily movement. For instance, employers may be able to provide virtual programs (https://newsroom.uhc.com/experience/real-appeal-Christina.html) that give employees personalized, interactive online weight loss and exercise support, while other initiatives may provide various wearables (https://newsroom.uhc.com/experience/level2-diabetes-program.html) to help with the early detection of COVID-19 and assist people during recovery (if needed).

Bundle benefits: While many people may focus on medical coverage during open enrollment, it may be important that employees avoid overlooking specialty benefits such as vision, dental, hearing, and accident protection. In fact, the recent UnitedHealthcare survey found that 84 percent of employees said having access to specialty benefits is “important.” Also, companies that combine medical coverage with specialty benefits through a single health-care company may be able to leverage data to help improve health outcomes, flag gaps in care, drive productivity, and reduce costs. Some “bundle and save” programs enable employers to save up to possibly 4 percent on medical premiums, through administrative efficiencies and proactive clinical interventions. (Note: Savings may differ depending on the employer size, plans chosen, and premiums; the program may not be available in all states or for all employer sizes.)

By considering these tips, employers may help increase employee retention, satisfaction, and build a culture of well-being.

Michael McGuire is the CEO of UnitedHealthcare of New York.

State introduces regs on insurance for mental health and substance-use disorders

Employee Benefits & Human Resources, Insurance & Financial Services, Subscriber Only

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“This regulation provides important protections so that New Yorkers receive the coverage and benefits they need. It is particularly critical now as more people experience increased stress from the three simultaneous crises in public health, the economy, and civil rights,” Linda Lacewell, New York State Superintendent of Financial Services, said in a statement. “DFS is proud to stand with Gov. Cuomo in supporting New Yorkers with a mental-health condition or substance-use disorder by requiring that insurers have robust programs in place to meet their statutory mental health and substance-use disorder parity compliance obligations.”

Designating experienced person

The regulations require insurers to designate an “appropriately experienced” individual who will be responsible for assessing, monitoring, and managing parity compliance. That person shall also report directly to the insurer’s CEO or other senior manager.

In addition, the individual will report at least once a year to the insurer’s board of directors or other governing body, or an appropriate committee, on the activities of the compliance program.

Additional requirements

The compliance program must also include written policies and procedures that implement the compliance program, and describe how the insurer’s parity compliance is assessed, monitored, and managed.

It must also include methodologies for the identification and remediation of improper practices, along with a process for the actuarial certification of the analyses of the financial requirements and quantitative treatment limitations.

In addition, the compliance program must also include training and education for employees and directors; the methods by which employees and directors may report parity compliance issues; and a policy of non-intimidation and non-retaliation for good-faith participation in the compliance program.

Prohibited practices

The regulations also outline practices that are prohibited and must be remediated within 60 days of discovery.

They include a utilization-review policy that uses standards to determine the level of documentation required for mental health or substance-use disorder benefits that are not comparable to or are “more stringently applied” than the standards used for medical or surgical benefits.

The practices also include requiring preauthorization, concurrent, or retrospective utilization review for a higher percentage of mental health or substance-use disorder benefits in the “absence of defined clinical or quality triggers.”

They also include implementing a methodology for developing and applying provider reimbursement rates for mental health or substance-use disorder benefits that is not comparable to or is more stringently applied than the methodology for developing and applying provider reimbursement rates for medical or surgical benefits.

In addition, they include implementing claim edits or system configurations that provide for higher rates of approval through auto-adjudication of claims for inpatient medical or surgical benefits than for inpatient mental health or substance-use disorder benefits, per the state’s release.

Savitch Agency of Binghamton partners with Michigan firm

Energy, Environment & Sustainability, Regional News, Subscriber Only

BINGHAMTON, N.Y. — Savitch Agency, an independent insurance-brokerage firm in Binghamton, has partnered with Acrisure, LLC a Caledonia, Michigan–based insurance-brokerage firm. The deal closed a few months ago, says Jamey Savitch, agency principal, VP of the Savitch Agency. The partnership discussions began in 2019, he told CNYBJ on Oct. 30. “They were looking for a

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BINGHAMTON, N.Y. — Savitch Agency, an independent insurance-brokerage firm in Binghamton, has partnered with Acrisure, LLC a Caledonia, Michigan–based insurance-brokerage firm.

The deal closed a few months ago, says Jamey Savitch, agency principal, VP of the Savitch Agency. The partnership discussions began in 2019, he told CNYBJ on Oct. 30.

“They were looking for a new agency partner in this area and they approached us,” says Savitch.

The Savitch Agency has 11 employees and services more than 1,500 clients in 28 states.

“It’s a true partnership where we are now shareholders … they own the assets but on the other side of the fence, we are shareholders of Acrisure,” says Savitch.

Under its deal with Acrisure, the Savitch Agency continues operating under the same name and with the same employees, according to Savitch. It allows the business to go “next level” by expanding its resources with “enhanced” access to the insurance marketplace, per the agency.

“When we’re servicing clients in Utah or California or Georgia, it just really allows us to go next level with the services and support for all our clients, including [those] in the Southern Tier but also outside the Southern Tier,” Savitch says.

By partnering with Acrisure, Savitch Agency will now have access to a “deep bench” of technological, administrative, and operational support specialists and increased purchasing power in the global insurance marketplace, “while keeping business as usual on a local level,” the Savitch Agency contends.

“We do very little construction business. Now, we’re able to do a lot of construction business,” Savitch explains.

On its website, Acrisure describes itself as a “community of agencies — united by our shared passion for growth and excellence. Our entrepreneurial partners maintain local autonomy while having access to best-in-class resources from our Home Office teams. This unique approach makes us an attractive home for entrepreneurs planning their long-term perpetuation and for clients seeking high levels of service.”

Majority-owned by the operating partners and management team, Acrisure says it has 200 agency partners with more than 200 locations in 37 states, 14 international locations, and more than 6,000 employees.

Savitch tells CNYBJ that his agency represents insurance carriers that include the Travelers Companies (NYSE: TRV), Hartford Financial Services Group Inc. (NYSE: HIG), Chubb Limited, Ace American Insurance Company, the Hanover Insurance Group (NYSE: THG), and American International Group, which is also known as AIG (NYSE: AIG).

The agency offers personal lines of insurance, including home and auto. It also has a life and health division that handles employee benefits and a commercial unit that works with the agency’s commercial clients.

NO NONSENSE MARKETING: Checking out the CEO before taking a job

Business Mentors, Employee Benefits & Human Resources, Subscriber Only

It’s all about the culture Arguably, the biggest mistake many job applicants make is focusing on possible advancement, benefits, working conditions, and pay. Obviously, each one plays a role in making a job decision. But taken together, they pale in comparison to scrutinizing the one person perched on the top rung of the ladder, the one

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It’s all about the culture

Arguably, the biggest mistake many job applicants make is focusing on possible advancement, benefits, working conditions, and pay. Obviously, each one plays a role in making a job decision. But taken together, they pale in comparison to scrutinizing the one person perched on the top rung of the ladder, the one called CEO, president, or owner.

No matter how near or far you may wind up from the corner office, the decision maker, the one who calls the shots, affects your destiny.

This could seem like a questionable exercise when millions of workers are unemployed or underemployed. At a time like this, checking out the person at the top may seem absurd when all they need is a job.

However, it’s worth bearing in mind that the culture fostered by a leader can make a difference when it comes to your future, no matter where you are on the company hierarchy. If you understand the dynamics of the corner office, you’re better prepared to manage your future in the job.

To see where this is going, here are eight CEO scenarios to help get a reading on those at the top (there are more but eight makes the point):

1. Rearview-mirror thinker

Looking to the past as the guide to the future may seem incomprehensible given where life and the economy are today. Yet, there are those who view their role from a rearview mirror, clinging to past successes when challenges were more manageable.

2. Talks one way, acts another

There are those who use all the right words, the ones you want to hear when you’re looking for a job. This makes it easy to be tripped up since the individual’s actions go in another direction, telling a totally different story.

3. Always suspicious

You are left walking on egg shells, fearful, stressed, and worried you will say or do something that will set off the executive’s paranoia. Such conditions stifle creativity, restrain open and honest discussion, and inhibit a collegial environment.

4. Stubbornly confident

Organizations, including businesses, are often attracted to a confident leader. But some exude too much confidence. In times of crisis, that doesn’t work. What can keep overconfidence under control, suggests Leon Eisenstaedt in a Financial Poise blog, is repeatedly asking the question, “What do you think?”

5. All-knowing guide

Then, there are those at the top who act as if having all the answers is the way to demonstrate their competence. When making appropriate decisions depends on data-support, they lean on “going with their gut,” which Annie Duke, a former professional poker player, says in a Knowledge@Wharton conversation, “Your gut is not a decision tool. It’s not reliable, no matter how reliable you think it is.”

6. Indecisive decision maker

This executive’s indecisiveness drives everyone nuts. As plans are left up in the air, the pressure builds. It isn’t until circumstances force the issue that decisions are made, leaving everyone scrambling to get the job done. The pattern is permanent and people eventually leave.

7. Phony optimism

There are two options when something goes wrong: be transparent or cover it up. The former works, while the latter doesn’t. Even so, some chief executives put a happy face on anything they perceive to be negative or troublesome. They do it for one reason; they don’t believe people can pull together and solve problems in crises. Rather than allaying fears, fake optimism only creates distrust, confusion, and low morale.

8. Self-serving self-view

There are top executives whose picture of what it means to be in their position requires exaggerating their expertise, knowledge, and skills, while undervaluing those same assets in those around them. It should also be pointed out that they have difficulty retaining talented employees.

The 9th CEO scenario

All this may come across as overly critical. If your goal is landing a job, it’s easy to justify or ignore a top person’s “limitations.” Even so, the eight “CEO Scenarios” come with a warning: “Be careful. May be harmful to your career.”

All of this begs the question, “What should you be looking for in a CEO?” If you’re diligent or lucky, you may find a number one whose attitudes and ideas will advance and grow your career. That is to say, someone who really “sees” you. While no profile of such a CEO is ever final or complete, here are some attributes to look for:

• Has a nurturing and forward-thinking attitude

• Takes others and their ideas seriously

• Views employees, customers, suppliers, the larger community, and not just investors, among the company’s stakeholders

• Possesses an inquiring mind, asks questions, and listens intently

• Values diverse views and understands improvement comes from dialogue

In a Harvard Business Review article, Walt Rakowich tells of meeting with his team at the company he had founded four years earlier. In the depths of the Great Recession, they faced bankruptcy, and everyone there looked to him for an answer. With head spinning, he left the room, and sat down alone to get his bearings.

Going back to the meeting, he didn’t know what to say, except this: “I don’t know what to do,” and “I need your help.” What happened next, he says, was amazing. His colleagues gave him a remarkable response. In effect, they let him know they were with him — “We’ll figure it out.” And, as you might guess, they did.

Walt may be the type of CEO worth looking for. If you find one who comes close, take the job.

John Graham of GrahamComm is a marketing and sales-strategy consultant and business writer. He is the creator of “Magnet Marketing,” and publishes a free monthly eBulletin, “No Nonsense Marketing & Sales Ideas.” Contact him at jgraham@grahamcomm.com, (617) 774-9759, or johnrgraham.com

Excellus says new programs will help members deal with diabetic-medication costs

Employee Benefits & Human Resources, Health Care, Subscriber Only

Excellus BlueCross BlueShield, Central New York’s largest health insurer, announced it is introducing three new programs to reduce the out-of-pocket cost of diabetic medications for members in 2021. One in 10 adults has diabetes and the cost of medications such as insulin “continues to dramatically increase,” the health insurer said in an Oct. 20 news

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One in 10 adults has diabetes and the cost of medications such as insulin “continues to dramatically increase,” the health insurer said in an Oct. 20 news release.

More than $1 billion a year is spent on drugs to treat diabetes in upstate New York alone.

Beginning Jan. 1, 2021, some Excellus programs will offer “significant savings” on insulin and certain diabetic medications for members enrolled in select commercial and Medicare health plans, the insurer said.

Commercial insurance and individual exchange programs

The New York State $100 insulin max program limits the out-of-pocket expense for prescription insulin medications. Members will pay no more than $100 for a 30-day supply of a covered insulin. This applies to all out-of-pocket expenses, including copayments, deductibles, and coinsurance.

Under the patient-assurance program, members will pay no more than $25 for a 30-day supply of eligible Tier 2 diabetic drugs.

Medicare Advantage direct pay

Nationally, about one in every three Medicare beneficiaries has diabetes and more than 3.3 million Medicare beneficiaries use one or more of the common forms of insulin, according to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).

Under the Part D senior savings model, to keep out-of-pocket costs “low, consistent, and predictable,” Excellus says it will lower the cost of select insulin products to a maximum copay of $30 through the deductible, initial, and coverage-gap phases on select Medicare Advantage direct-pay plans.

CMS says this program will save Medicare beneficiaries an average of $446 in annual out-of-pocket costs for select insulins, or more than 66 percent, relative to their average cost-sharing today.

“Out-of-pocket costs can fluctuate one month to the next because of the different phases in the Part D prescription drug benefit. This program provides Medicare members with a set copay for their insulin from the beginning of the plan year through the coverage gap,” Mona Chitre, chief pharmacy officer and VP of integrated clinical strategy at Excellus, said in the release.

“Ensuring a consistent co-pay for members can lead to better adherence, and taking medication as directed can result in better health outcomes.”

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