It's about you! Your Health. Your Choice. Your Time. 
SFFMA members can now secure health insurance with Major Medical (Under 65) and Medicare (Over 65).

​Get familiar with the website and plans available before open enrollment starts.

With Tropical Storm Imelda upon us, we want to remind everyone to be as safe as possible, even as the need for your services increases. With that being said, here are some resources and procedures to help after the storm. ​

In order to keep you fully informed and up to date, we are providing advance notice of important news regarding a change in the insurance carrier supporting VFIS/Glatfelter Insurance Group for your Property & Casualty insurance. Starting with policies effective and renewing January 1, 2020 and later, all Property & Casualty insurance policies for VFIS will be transitioning from American Alternative Insurance Corporation (AAIC) to National Union Fire Insurance Company of Pittsburgh, PA. (an AIG company) as they renew.

You will be receiving a Notice of Non-Renewal in the mail for your current Property & Casualty insurance policy issued through AAIC. This official notice of the change in carrier uses language that may cause concern. Rest assured, although we are moving coverage to a new insurance company, we will maintain our best in class coverage, claims management and client solution services. The change in insurance companies is being managed to be as non-disruptive to you as possible. Please note that we will maintain your existing retroactive dates on any claims-made policies/coverages on your new policy, thus avoiding the need for you to purchase extended reporting period coverage assuming you renew with us.

There is no action required of you in this transition. We will work to assure continuity in your current insurance program. We look forward to continuing to provide industry tailored protection, efficient and fair claims service and informative client solutions. We are committed to continuously earning your trust.

Key Takeaway Points

• There will be NO coverage interruptions. When your policy ends, your new policy will be automatically underwritten with the new carrier.
• Although the transition officially begins 1/1/2020, policies will not move to AIG until your actual renewal date.
• AIG is rated A XV by A.M. Best and this only the 2nd change in carrier since moving from CIGNA to AAIC in 1996.
• You do not need to take any action. We and VFIS/Glatfelter will work together to ensure continuity in your insurance programs.
• Glatfelter Underwriting Services/VFIS will continue to provide the same great underwriting, risk management and claims handling that our clients have come to expect and value.

We appreciate your continued business! If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact your VFIS of Texas Agent or Account Manager.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

AUSTIN, Texas 
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WinStar Insurance Group dba VFIS of Texas has been selected to be part of an elite group of independent insurance agencies around the United States participating in the Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America Big “I” “Best Practices” Study Group.
 
Only 267 independent agencies throughout the U.S. qualified for inclusion in the 2019 Best Practices Study. An IIABA affiliated state association or an insurance company must first nominate the agency which then must qualify based on outstanding customer retention, growth, stability and financial management. More than 1,300 agencies were nominated this year.   
 
The Best Practices Study was initiated by IIABA in 1993 as the foundation for efforts to improve agency performance. The annual study of leading independent insurance agencies, which is conducted for IIABA by Reagan Consulting of Atlanta, Ga., documents the business practices of these high performance agencies and urges others to adopt similar practices.
 
Hundreds of workshops and seminars have been conducted at various producer association functions, company sponsored agency meetings and national automation users group conventions. 
 
The IIABA and Reagan Consulting jointly maintain the Best Practices Gateway website (http://www.reaganconsulting.com/research/best-practices) that provides executive summaries of the annual Best Practices Studies, the Best Practices Study Comparison Workbook tool and ordering information for Best Practices products.  The Gateway, as well as the annual study, is made possible in part through the financial sponsorship of various insurance companies and industry organizations. 
 
The 2019 Best Practices Study sponsors include:  Agency Business Solutions and Amerisure, Applied, Beyond Insurance, Central Insurance Companies, Chubb, EMC Insurance, Encompass/Allstate, The Hanover Insurance Group, The Hartford, Imperial PFS, InsurBanc, Liberty Mutual Insurance and Safeco Insurance, MetLife, Nationwide, Travelers, Vertafore and Westfield Insurance.
 
WinStar Insurance Group LLC dba VFIS of Texas purchased the assets of Regnier & Associates, Inc. on October 1, 2016.

Regnier & Associates, Inc. was founded in May of 1982 providing coverage through the VFIS program for emergency service organizations in Texas. WinStar Insurance Group LLC also dedicates our time insuring niche industries including craft beverage, water districts, commercial ambulances, child care facilities and more and is dedicated to continuing the vision and commitment that Regnier & Associates, Inc. has provided for the past 34 years.
 
For more information on the Best Practices Study, contact Jennifer Becker at IIABA, 1-800-221-7917.
 
Founded in 1896, IIABA is the nation’s oldest and largest national association of independent insurance agents and brokers, representing a network of more than 300,000 agents, brokers and their employees nationally.  Its members are businesses that offer customers a choice of policies from a variety of insurance companies.  Independent agents and brokers offer all lines of insurance – property, casualty, life and health—as well as employee benefit plans and retirement precuts.  Web address:  www.independentagent.com.