November 12 , 2007
By Rebekah Binger
Rockland Business Association members with insurance expertise are teaming up to form the first committee solely devoted to the topic. “Insurance has become a significant and stand alone topic that has enough substance to support a continual review,” said Richard Kohlhausen. Kohlhausen, of Capital Risk Management in Nanuet, who will head the group.
The committee will focus mainly on health care insurance issues as they relate to employers and small business, as well as workers compensation reform and torts. “Our purpose will be more for identifying issues that are occurring and translating them,” Kohlhausen said. “There are matters around us that no one is paying attention to.”
One way the committee will translate complicated insurance items is through the creation of White Papers. The White Papers will outline the insurance item in a way that is understandable to all business owners and employees.
Scott Liebert of CLG Financial Corp. in Nanuet will also be heavily involved in the committee. “I am thrilled to be on the insurance committee and I look forward to the challenging issues we will be discussing and addressing,” Liebert said.
One such issue will be state mandates concerning the federal Family Medical Leave Act. State additions to the act would force employers to give time off to employees at smaller businesses. “Our objective is to make it less burdensome,” said Kohlhausen, who plans to fight the changes at the state level.
Easing complications related to business owners providing health insurance is a top priority for the committee. “We’re going to find a way to get our people in government at the local and state level to make things easier for the average person to obtain health insurance,” said Robert Salmon of H&S Sales and Consultants, Inc. in Suffern. Salmon will offer his expertise in the area of health insurance to the committee.
Sheldon Horowitz of Safe Harbour Group, Ltd. in West Nyack said he thinks much can be done to improve the way business owners use property and casualty insurance, which includes workers compensation. “We can group together and build up our strengths and roll up our sleeves to make changes,” Horowitz said of the committee. “This could mean advocating in Albany, or coming up with different suggestions or ideas to bring to the RBA membership or politicians.”
RBA members interested in joining the Insurance Committee can contact the RBA at 845-735-2100 or rba@rocklandbusiness.org. |
