It’s Open Enrollment season for millions of people across the country. Whether you are on a company-sponsored benefits program, an individual plan, or Medicare, the Open Enrollment period often brings about change and confusion. Many employees report that they spend little time contemplating their benefit elections during their Open Enrollment period each year, even though choosing the appropriate plans could have significant financial implications on individuals and their families. This lack of deliberation is primarily due to the complexity and lack of education provided regarding their opti ..read more

There are many elements to consider when choosing to first purchase or renew a directors & officers liability (D&O) policy. These include the limit of insurance you wish to carry, whether that limit will be shared with other coverages such as employment practices or fiduciary liability, and how much risk you wish to retain via a policy retention. However, there are many other provisions of a D&O policy that warrant taking a closer look at when final decisions are made. In this article, we will review retroactive dates, the duty to defend provision, and the hammer clause. As you may ..read more

Spring House, PA., December 6th, 2023  – Capstone Group, a leading provider of risk management, employee benefits, and insurance brokerage services headquartered in Spring House, PA, is pleased to announce the appointment of Erica Hain as Practice Leader for the firm’s Employee Benefits Division. In this new role, Hain will be responsible for overseeing many core functions of Capstone’s Employee Benefits Division, including but not limited to: vendor & partner relationships, product & strategy development, account management, client services, and continuing to ensure an exception ..read more

The desire to shop around and remarket your personal insurance policies (homeowners, autos, umbrella, etc.) annually is a common practice.  Many policyholders believe that by seeking out new quotes and potentially switching providers, they can secure lower-cost policies. This can certainly be the case but there are several other factors outside of cost that need to be considered when making these decisions.  I strive to advise my clients that while there are times when this strategy can be advantageous, it’s essential to recognize that it’s not always beneficial to remarket your insu ..read more

Prescription drug costs in the United States have been rising steadily over the past few decades, and the impact of these rising costs on corporate health insurance plans has been significant. The high cost of drugs and pharmacy services has been a major contributor to the rising cost of healthcare in the United States, and it is a problem that affects everyone, from patients to employers. According to a recent report by the Kaiser Family Foundation, the cost of prescription drugs has been rising faster than any other component of healthcare spending in the United States. The report found that ..read more

In the wake of the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) has been brought to the spotlight. The FDIC provides certain levels of insurance for depositors in case their bank fails, becomes insolvent, or goes out of business. Over the last few days, our Capstone Team has fielded questions regarding similar scenarios in which insurance companies fail or become insolvent, and protections or backstops that might be available to insureds in those situations. Those questions lead to an important distinction between: Admitted vs. Non-Admitted insurance carrie ..read more

Capstone Group is pleased to announce the appointment of Briana Scafidi to the Greater Philadelphia Association of Health Underwriters (GPAHU) Board of Directors. The GPAHU is the largest and most active local chapter of the National Association of Benefits and Insurance Professionals (NABIP), formerly the National Association of Health Underwriters. GPAHU represents hundreds of licensed health insurance agents, brokers, consultants and benefit professionals throughout the Greater Philadelphia region who serve the health insurance needs of employers and individuals. The GPAHU’s mission is to ..read more

Author: Erin Saunders, Account Executive - Personal Insurance/Private Client Many personal insurance policies (Home, Auto, Umbrella, etc.) are set up for automatic renewals. Meaning these policies will often renew each year, or every six months, without having the opportunity to review coverages, costs, or to update personal information or report life events. While we encourage reporting all major life events to your insurance advisor to update policies accordingly, at a minimum we recommend reviewing your policies annually to make sure you and your family continue to receive the most compreh ..read more

Capstone Group is pleased to announce the promotion of William Mooney to the position of Director within the firm’s Commercial Property & Casualty division, effective October 1, 2022.  Bill joined Capstone in 2016 as an Account Executive and has since been promoted to Senior Account Executive. Over the years, Bill has been involved in the onboarding and ongoing management of key accounts within the firm’s Commercial Property & Casualty division. As the team has expanded, Bill has served as a mentor for new hires and continues to be a technical resource for all team members. “Bill ..read more

Introduction Since 2019, the commercial insurance industry has been grappling with a hardening marketplace, one characterized by increased premiums, stringent underwriting criteria, restricted terms of coverage and less competition amongst insurance carriers. This was caused by a combination of increased claim frequency and severity, increasing jury awards in liability cases, lasting complications created by the COVID-19 pandemic, evolving cyber security threats and natural catastrophes causing large-scale property damage. Trends to Watch As we enter 2023, developing trends such as labor short ..read more