Happy Wednesday! In this week's Big I Buzz, we are discussing the in-person IIAW Emerging Leaders event happening in February, new travel insurance regulations and the new update on Biden's COVID-19 shot-or-test rule for workers at large employers. 

IIAW Emerging Leaders Broken Bat Beer, Pizza and Wiffleball Event

Come meet the IIAW Emerging Leaders and learn more about how this committee values professional development, networking and giving back to the community. Join us February 24 from 3:30 to 7 p.m. at the Broken Bat Brewery in Milwaukee! We'll be enjoying Broken Bat beer, ordering pizza, networking and playing wiffleball. From 3:30 to 5:30, we'll be renting out their indoor wiffleball field and through the entire event, we'll have their private "Outfield" available for our networking event. All agents, carriers, brokers, vendors and other working int he independent insurance agency channel are welcome! Register for the event here: https://www.iiaw.com/event/wiffleball 

Biden's Shot-or-Test Rule Abandoned After Supreme Court Loss (2)

On January 13, the U.S. Supreme Court in a 6-3 decision stated that OSHA could not enforce the shot-or-test mandate. OSHA's temporary mandate would  have required most employers with 100 or more workers to either require employees be fully vaccinated or pass at least weekly COVID-19 tests. An announcement on Tuesday noted that the Biden administration is withdrawing its COVID shot-or-test rule for workers at large employers following the block from the Supreme Court on January 13th. Now that this withdrawal has been announced, OSHA has stated that they will continue to work on permanent COVID-19 standards. According to Bloomberg Law, "The decision to withdraw the temporary standard doesn't prevent OSHA from continuing to pursue a permanent version of the vaccination and testing standard, said Alka Ramchandani-Raj, a shareholder with Littler Mendelson P.C. in Walnut Creek, California, and co-chair of the firm's workplace safety and health practice. For permanent rule, OSHA wouldn't need to prove there was a "grave danger" since the grave danger threshold only applies to emergency temporary standards." Read more about the regulation update here. 

Wisconsin Updating Travel Insurance Regulations

Starting March 1, 2022, Wisconsin's travel insurance law will put regulations in place for 'travel retailers'. According to NU Property Casualty 360, "Wisconsin's travel insurance law will classify travel insurance as part of inland marine lines as well as accident and health lines if the policy includes sickness and disability coverage, according to the state's office of insurance." The OCI reported that the law will prohibit the use of "negative option" or opt-out processes that require a traveler to take an affirmative action to decline coverage when buying a trip.

NU Property Casualty 360 lists these as the rules for 'travel retailers':

"Business entities that offer travel services can now "offer and disseminate" travel insurance in Wisconsin under the licenses of a travel insurance producer if they adhere to the following guidelines: 

• The purchaser of travel insurance is provided required information such as a description of the material terms and the process for filing a claim.

• The limited lines travel insurance producer keeps a register of each travel retailer that offers and disseminates travel insurance on the producer’s behalf.
• The limited lines travel insurance producer designates an employee who is a licensed producer as the person responsible for compliance with the statutes and rules of this state.
• The designated responsible employee, the officers of the limited lines travel insurance producer, and any other person who directs or controls the limited lines travel insurance producer’s insurance operations complies with insurance intermediary fingerprinting requirements.
• The limited lines travel insurance producer pays all applicable licensing fees.
• The limited lines travel insurance producer requires each employee and authorized representative of the travel retailer whose duties include offering and disseminating travel insurance to receive a program of instruction or training.

The law stipulates that travel retailers, or their employees and authorized representatives, which are not licensed limited line travel insurance producers can’t take the following actions:

• Evaluate or interpret technical terms, benefits, or conditions of travel insurance coverage.
• Evaluate or provide advice concerning a prospective purchaser’s existing insurance coverage.
• Hold himself or herself out as an insurer, a limited lines travel insurance producer or an insurance expert.

For more news, check out the Action news section of our weekly e-newsletter, Big I Buzz. If you aren’t subscribed, click here to add your email to our emailing list.