Special Section sponsored by

PROGRAM ADMINISTRATOR

Irwin Siegel Agency, Inc.

Key programs include: Social Service Providers, Foster Care and Adoption Agencies, Addiction Treatment and Behavioral Healthcare Programs, Developmental Disabilities Service Providers, Home Healthcare Programs and more...

Irwin Siegel Agency, Inc. (ISA), provides comprehensive package insurance programs and risk management services to organizations in the developmental disability service, behavioral/mental healthcare, addiction treatment rehabilitation and community/social service fields, along with youth-focused programs, such as Boys & Girls Clubs, Head Start, and many more.

ISA, based in Rock Hill, New York, provides essential insurance coverage to the human service industry that includes broad coverage, including agreed value property form, general liability, professional liability, replacement cost, abuse, business auto, umbrella and more. In addition, ISA’s package insurance products include value-added services to help clients reduce expenses, enhance training capabilities, maintain compliance standards, promote safety, and prevent future losses.

For the past 35 years, ISA has been heavily involved in this market segment. “We’ve been doing this longer than any of our competitors and, during this time, we’ve developed a unique understanding of the market, each risk within it, their community involvement, the services they offer, and more,” says Howard Siegel, ISA chief executive officer.

Over time, ISA’s strong reputation in the human services arena has helped it attract employees with industry background, know-how and, most important, commitment. “For instance, our risk management department is managed by people who come from the social services and developmental disabilities field,” Siegel notes.

While focusing on the needs of insured clients is the message behind ISA’s motto of “Supporting Those Who Support Others,”™ ISA believes that administering these programs to clients through their local broker or agent has been the most effective and successful method to supporting these individual risks.

“We have stepped up our efforts to further develop existing relationships within the independent agent and broker community,” says Sheila Shaw, VP of underwriting. “In addition, we’re reaching out to producers and agents who may not have much experience—or any at all, for that matter—in the social service niche.”

Such partnerships represent a win-win, Siegel believes. “We can grow our business and better serve the social services arena if we increase the knowledge and skills of retail partners,” he says. “And, of course, by building up their own expertise in the niche, retailers have a new source for increased revenues—something that’s increasingly important in today’s tough marketplace.”

Cultivating and establishing new carrier relationships is also part of the mix. “We’ve been successful in establishing new partnerships with a number of carriers,” Siegel observes. “This has contributed to our organization’s stability while expanding the list of programs available to retail brokers and agents.”

ISA recently forged a new carrier relationship with ACE Medical Risk, part of ACE USA. Through this partnership, the agency is offering a new program designed to meet the unique needs of addiction treatment and behavioral healthcare providers. This program, written on “A+” admitted paper, is available to independent retail insurance agents and brokers exclusively through Irwin Siegel Agency.

Other recent additions include miscellaneous medical, assisted living facilities, home healthcare and hospice programs. The agency has also expanded product offerings available through Chartis, with its addition of a new package product focused on foster care and adoption agencies.

Given its rich history and broad experience in the human services field, it would be easy for ISA to rest on its accomplishments. Not so. The organization continues to add new partnerships, support services and industry-specific training to help insured facilities operate their organizations and fulfill their missions.

These ongoing efforts are evolving. “We continue to partner and participate in social services events, organizations and initiatives,” notes Sara Ruggiero, ISA director of marketing and communications. “We’ve expanded this involvement to include online networking and social media communication ventures, which drive deeper connections between us, our agent and broker partners, and individuals working in the social services field.”

Bolstering relationships is made easier through ISA’s participation with Target Markets Program Administrators Association (TMPAA). “It’s been an easy, exciting and beneficial venture for our agency,” Ruggiero notes. “Supporting our online communication efforts, TMPAA has provided ISA with great new relationships and opportunities.”