How can agents and brokers help their clients find stability in a volatile market?

Hear from BHHC P&C execs in the latest issue of Rough Notes.

“The commercial auto market is still experiencing serious difficulties. Inflation is affecting claim severities and loss development, leading to increased uncertainty regarding necessary rate levels,” says Morris.

“The first thing I would recommend to an agent or broker is to let their customers know that their federal motor carrier safety data is very important for insurance purposes. This information has proven to be very predictive of loss experience.”

The Berkshire Hathaway Homestate Companies (BHHC) are a group of six insurance carriers that are part of the Berkshire Hathaway insurance group. Headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, and with over 50 years in business, BHHC has evolved from a regional carrier to a national insurance group writing a diverse book of policies from coast to coast. The Berkshire Hathaway Homestate Companies include Berkshire Hathaway Homestate Insurance Company, BHHC Special Risks Insurance Company, Continental Divide Insurance Company, Cypress Insurance Company, Oak River Insurance Company, and Redwood Fire and Casualty Insurance Company. Berkshire Hathaway Homestate Companies (BHHC) have earned an enviable record of success in the insurance industry. Supported by A.M. Best’s highest financial strength rating of A++ (Superior) (as of February 1, 2023), our corporate size enables our organization to react swiftly and effectively to opportunities in the insurance marketplace. Our financial strength provides our employees, agency partners, and policyholders the security rarely available in today’s marketplace. Browse bhhc.com to learn more.

Introducing Rick Fineman

We are excited to share that Rick Fineman, has joined the BHHC Workers Compensation Division as our new Vice President of Loss Control. Rick boasts more than 30 years of experience in insurance and occupational safety and health. Fineman brings his expertise to further enhance BHHC’s industry-leading loss control program, which is supported by a team of certified safety professionals with a diverse range of industry backgrounds. With the addition of Rick’s leadership in the insurance industry, BHHC will continue to strengthen its service offerings by providing consultative workplace safety education that emphasizes preventing accidents and injuries, thereby helping customers manage their workers compensation costs.

“Rick is a seasoned occupational safety and risk management professional with substantial experience working across a broad range of industries. He brings a depth of leadership and knowledge to our company that strategically positions us to deliver market-leading safety solutions and drive operational efficiencies – which are key to our continued operating strengths,” said Rob Darby, President and CEO of BHHC. “He has a breadth of experience and talent with risk management programs that supports BHHC’s goal of maintaining its competitive enterprising loss control market advantage.”

Alongside Danny Engell, Senior Vice President and Chief Underwriting and Data Analytics Officer, Rick’s expertise will further enhance BHHC’s industry-leading loss control program, which is supported by a team of certified safety professionals with a diverse range of industry backgrounds. The addition of his leadership to the Senior Management Team reinforces BHHC’s position as an industry leader in workers compensation insurance products and services.

“We are thrilled to welcome Rick to our organization,” said Danny Engell, Senior Vice President and Chief Underwriting and Data Analytics Officer. “His extensive risk management strategy and operations experience with industry-specific risk identification, evaluation and analysis to help clients reduce risk exposures, injury frequency, and severity is a great asset as we continue to grow and diversify to meet the needs of our policyholders.”

We warmly welcome Rick Fineman to our team and look forward to the risk management strategies he will bring to BHHC.

Read more on Business Wire

Introducing David Speights

We are excited to share that David Speights, PhD, has joined the BHHC Workers Compensation Division as our new Vice President of Analytics. Dr. Speights brings more than 25 years of analytics and leadership experience to our organization leveraging his expertise in machine learning, data engineering, and predictive solutions. Before joining BHHC, and for nearly two decades, Dr. Speights was the Chief Data Scientist of Appriss Corporate, which includes Appriss Retail, Appriss Insights, Appriss Health, and The Retail Equation along with a successful consulting business, Equity Decision Systems, LLC. Over the last two decades, his consulting engagements have included data analytics, solutions, and modeling engagements with companies like ASPCA, Hallmark, See’s Candies, Asurion Corporation, and more. He also held positions as the First Vice President of Credit Modeling at Washington Mutual Bank and Chief Statistician at HNC Insurance Solutions.

“Dr. Speights is an immensely talented leader and data scientist with substantial experience working with more than 100 of the world’s largest companies and government organizations to advance their analytical solutions and data-driven operations. He brings a depth of knowledge and education to our company that strategically positions us to deliver innovative customer solutions and drive operational efficiencies – which are key to our continued operating strengths,” said Rob Darby, President and CEO of BHHC. “He has a breadth of experience and talent with data science and modeling that supports BHHC’s goal of maintaining its competitive analytic market advantage.”

Alongside Danny Engell, Senior Vice President and Chief Underwriting and Data Analytics Officer, Dr. Speights will lead the company’s analytics strategy and operational teams to advance the organization’s growth in this key business discipline. The addition of Dr. Speights to the organization will drive advanced predictive solutions that will continue to differentiate BHHC’s market presence as an industry leader in workers compensation insurance products and services.

“We are excited to welcome Dr. Speights to our organization,” said Danny Engell, Senior Vice President and Chief Underwriting and Data Analytics Officer. “His extensive experience with data analytics strategy and operations, along with his passion for big data and modeling, is a great asset as we continue to grow and diversify to meet the needs of our policyholders.”

We warmly welcome Dr. David Speights to our team and look forward to the innovative data strategies he will bring to BHHC.

Read more on Business Wire

Introducing a New Security Measure – Multifactor Authentication.

Berkshire Hathaway Homestate Companies are committed to the security and privacy of your business. That’s why we’ve invested in another layer of security to the login process with BHHC’s new multifactor authentication (MFA), which launched on February 2.

This new identity verification process offers a convenient self-service application for users accessing account information through our portals and other applications. Now, all registered workers compensation portal users must sign up for MFA by resetting passwords using the “Forgot Password” feature. Property & Casualty portal users will complete identity verification through MFA using existing credentials. 

For our agency partners, how you access the portal environments will change if you are dually appointed and have accounts with our Property & Casualty and Workers Compensation Divisions. Moving forward, portal accounts for each division will be accessed independently, and each division will roll out a new identity verification application. You will receive separate instructions about verifying your identity for each portal. 

What is MFA?

MFA is a secure method of verifying your identity using more than just a password. If you have ever received a temporary code via text or email as a second step when logging into a website or app, that is an example of multifactor authentication. 

How does MFA protect my data and information?

MFA makes it more difficult for unauthorized users to access your account. For example, even if someone attempted to log in with your username or password, they wouldn’t gain access to your account without a second form of authentication, such as a code sent to your mobile device, email, or generated by an app on your smartphone. 

How do I enable MFA in the Property & Casualty and Workers Compensation Portals?

Check your email for detailed instructions, including a how-to guide, FAQs, and an explainer video to help you register and set up multifactor authentication when you log in to BHHC portals and other applications. 

Why is the single-sign-on portal login experience changing for agents?

To better serve our agency partners with dual product appointment and portal access, this enhanced data security, separation of portals, and introduction of identity verification will streamline each division’s digital and service experience

Workers Compensation Specific

How do I verify my identity using MFA for the Workers Compensation Portal if I have an existing account?

1. Find resources from BHHC in your email.
2. Go to bhhc.com to select the appropriate portal and log in.
3. Sign up for MFA and reset your password using the “Forgot My Password” feature.
4. Verify your identity and access the portal.

Have Workers Compensation Portal questions? Reach out to our Webmaster team or Customer Care for assistance and guidance, or you may call (888) 495-8949. 

Property & Casualty Specific

How do I verify my identity for the property & casualty portal if I have an existing account?

1. Find resources from BHHC in your email.
2. When logging into one of the below-listed applications for the first time, it will recognize that you do not have MFA currently set up. After entering your existing BHHC username (email) and password, you will be prompted to register an MFA type. 
3. To better safeguard your account, the following MFA types are being utilized: Okta Verify smartphone app, SMS, or email. Updates to privacy statutes may impact the MFA types utilized in the future.
   Applications affected include: Online Raters, P&C Portal, Submission Portal, Online Admin Portal, Manage Your Policy 
4. Once you have successfully registered the selected MFA type, you’ll be directed to the application to continue working.
5. If you access the other applications identified to use MFA, you will not need to re-register with each application, but you will need to provide the MFA code supplied by the type you chose to register with originally.

If you ever need to reset your MFA or require assistance in general, please contact Property & Casualty Client Services at [email protected] or 877-680-2442 Mon – Fri 7 am – 6 pm CST.

We’re here to support you.

Our commitment to service excellence extends to security enhancements like identity verification, and we will support you through a smooth transition

Workers Compensation Portal Users 

Contact our Customer Service team at [email protected] or [email protected] if you have questions or need assistance. 

Property & Casualty: Auto and Property Portal Users 

Reach out to Client Services at 877-680-2442 for further assistance or email [email protected]. 

Berkshire Hathaway Homestate Companies (BHHC) have earned an enviable record of success in the insurance industry. Supported by A.M. Best’s highest financial strength rating of A++ (Superior) (as of February 1, 2023), our corporate size enables our organization to react swiftly and effectively to opportunities in the insurance marketplace. Our financial strength provides our employees, agency partners, and policyholders the security rarely available in today’s marketplace. Browse bhhc.com to learn more.