Extra Care: Brokers, Carriers Trying to Help

Nursing home insurance specialists say that they are doing whatever they can to help their insureds during this trying time, either by sending out information from the CDC, answering questions, aiding with documentation, or helping them acquire resources.

CNA, for example, notified agents and insureds on March 27 that it would underwrite makeshift childcare operations as needed for healthcare facilities. CNA said insureds could create both offsite and onsite childcare operations to address the pandemic and the insurer would underwrite the exposures to accommodate its insureds and help the facilities remain staffed. CNA declined to comment for this story.

Metropolitan Risk’s Stoop said his team has been working to help obtain PPE for clients. One of his nursing home clients that couldn’t obtain adequate PPE for its staff opted to purchase plasma tests so employees could be tested for COVID-19 antibodies. The facility planned to use the results to segregate their patient population and staff based on who had the antibodies. Stoop was able help acquire and purchase 750 plasma tests to be donated. “That’s how the community is helping these folks,” he said.

He believes brokers need to be advocates for their nursing home clients now more than ever and ensure that they are reporting any potential incidents that could eventually be a claim to the carriers. Tell them to document everything, he added. “Brokers can really help them manage the information and the files because there is a battle coming,” he said.

TDCSU has been encouraging its clients and their agents to utilize the risk management services provided with its policies, Spina said, so they can take every precaution to protect staff and residents. They have also been answering questions for insureds worried about how to deal with potential exposures.

The job of an insurer right now, Spina noted, isn’t to make this situation harder on an industry that is already struggling.

“Our response has been that we want to be there for them. This is a very difficult situation that they’re in,” Spina said. “It’s really important that we defend their reputations because there’s a lot of good nursing homes out there and a lot of good people doing fantastic work. They are really the angels of mercy.”