Questions from the Discussion on Liability Insurance at the 109Th Convention

Questions from the Discussion on Liability Insurance at the 109th Convention

Does this include Assemblies?
No Assemblies already have their own coverage
Statement -Suggestion that a per capita type of charging would be better than cost per council
The method of charging Councils has yet to be determined. Various suggestions have been put forth, and the State Board will consider these as we move forward.
Are you covered for food poison or allergies for a major fund raising event that involves food?
Yes, the members and the Council as an entity are covered as long as the proper health regulations have been put into place and are being observed.
Are Directors and Abuse policy attached to this plan?
Directors and Officersof the Council are covered. Under the abuse section there is defence coverage for the Council to cover the costs associated with defending a claim; the individual member charged with an offense is not covered.
How is information and questions being asked to be shared with others?
All Councils, members, officers, directors can use our website to see FAQ or contact the State Board Office directly. Questions are asked to be in writing so that they can be logged and shared via our website.
Are Squirettes of Mary covered by this policy?
Squirettes of Mary are not part of the Knights of Columbus and as such as are not covered.
Are organizers of events such as pilgrimages and trips covered by this policy?
Yes if the event is part of a Knights of Columbus Council program
Does this policy cover trips in Ontario or Ontario / Quebec or into the United States
This policy covers all trips Canada wide only.
Does this policy cover the Council, halls and structure?
This policy does not cover Council halls or structures; it is a personal liability policy. Council halls are operated by a separate coporation, which requires its own separate policy.
What happens if we do not get 90% return of the Comments sheet and 80% positive
This indicates to the State Board that the Councils are not in favor of obtaining this program.
Would this insurance cover a locally sponsored Scout Troop?
If the scout troop are acting on a Knights of Columbus Council program. As a separate entity, they would be required to have their own insurance.
When will this policy come into effect and what will happen if a Council has already renewed the liability insurance policy that they have obtained locally?
It is in our best interest to get this policy into effect as soon as possible, exact timing is difficult to state, we are working towards January 2013. If Councils have policies in place they can discuss a transition with their provider once a decision has been made.
Are there any requirements for specialized training for members e.g. Smart Serve and First Aid, to qualify for the policy?
All requirements under special occasional licences need to be followed to ensure coverage (for example, smart serve training.)
How do you sell the concept to a smaller Council that the cost will be $700 to $900 when a per capita cost would be easier sell?
Smaller councils are most likely currently buying insurance for 1 or 2 events and are paying approximately $500 now. For a few hundred dollars more, they will have complete coverage for the Council.
Events such as District or Regional Free Throw or Diocesan events will they be covered under this policy?
Yes these are Council sponsored events.
If the results of the Comment Sheets meet the requirement to proceed, does that mean all Councils must participate?
If the threshold of 90% Councils respond and 80% agree than State would move forward to insure all Councils. It is important to understand that this is an ‘all in’ policy, meaning that all Councils must participate if a decision is made to forward.
Does this coverage include Officers and Directors?
This policy has full coverage for Officers and Directors.
Does this coverage include a financial piece such as fraud?
Yes there is coverage for both internal and external fraud.
Does this coverage include contents owned by the Councils, e.g. robes etc.?
Yes this policy covers all content to a total of $25,000.00
Are District Deputies (acting in this role) covered under this policy?
Yes they are a member acting in an appointed role.
How much is the deductible for this policy?
See details of the coverage supplied with the detailed information.
What number of Councils has been sued in the recent past?
To the best of our knowledge no Councils have been sued. However, statistics on this factor will be collected as the policy continues.
Statement – It doesn’t matter if you are aCouncil of 12 members you may host an event that involves many more people and the 12 members are just as exposed as the Council members from a large Council.

What happens if a Council does not pay the premiums?
State will have to pay the premiums for the policy and recoup the costs from the Councils. We can only afford to pay for non-paying Councils for a short period of time; if we find his becoming an issue, we will have to back out and go back to Councils getting their own policies.

If a Council makes aclaim will the individual Council have to pay a higher premium or a part of any payout that was made?
The premiums are based on our experience rating.A claim by one Council will affect all Councils, not just the one where a claim has happened.
Statement: smaller Councils are concerned about the cost of the premium.
State has heard this, and is working toward an equitable solution for everyone.
If a 4th Degree Assembly attends a 3rd degree event where they are invited to attend, are they covered by this policy, or by their 4th degree policy?
The Council policy will cover all Knights of Columbus that are involved or attending an event.
Some malls ask for $5 million in coverage when selling CARS tickets, but the maximum coverage under this policy is $3 million.
We will take this back for review
Can we re-circulate the info from Catholic Mutual showing the Councils are not covered?
If a Council has permission to bring a vehicle into a mall, and is responsible for driving the vehicle to the mall, and gets in an accident along the way, will this be covered?
Yes the Council will have coverage under the automobile section of the policy.
If a Council were selling tickets in the mall, and they were to be robbed while doing so, would this be covered?
Yes the council would be covered under theft protection section of the policy.
Can a Council donate from a charity account to a parish, and have the parish pay the premium?
No, paying funds out of your charity account to cover operation expenses are not allowed. It is also against the law.
Instead of going the route that we have, can we get a rider under Catholic Mutual on their existing policy for the same coverage?
No because the Catholic Mutual policy covers volunteers, helpers and employees. There is no interest on the Church’s part to be attached to other associations, or societies through insurance.
If a Council wishes to conduct an event that will take them outside of Canada, can they obtain a rider on this policy (knowing added costs will be incurred by the Council) so as to provide coverage in these situations.
Yes, the Council would have to apply in time so the provider can acquire coverage and pricing. Also Ontario State Office must be notified.
Does any of this policy apply to councils that own their own halls
This policy was developed for the councils that are not a corporation or Limited company which all hall councils are. This policy does not address all the insurance issues and areas that a corporation/ limited company must address. What we are suggesting to all corporation/limited companies is to look at carrying this policy and re-negotiate your current corporation/ limited company policy. Now by having this Council policy in place, you will see your current rates will drop significantly on the corporation/ limited company policy because of this new added coverage for Knights of Columbus Council members.
Will Ontario State report occasionally (once a week in EDRC, or daily on the website) on the status of the council surveys, in particular the percentage of returned surveys? Will councils that have not replied with a week to go, get a reminder?
We are currently adding FAQ (frequently asked questions) to the website now on weekly bases. Results of submissions of comments will be addressed as we get closer to June 30th
Will councils have input on how the premium will be funded?
If you mean what formula will be used to calculate the way the Council will be charged has not been determined. We are still at the stage of gathering information from the councils as to their interest level.
A formula of a combination may be ideal, where 50% of the total premium be split evenly between councils and the other 50% split on a per capita basis.
Your suggestion is one that may be taken under consideration once we get to that phase.
Is the policy coverage proposed for a one year term? If coverage for more than one year commitment what is the penalty to opt out during coverage period?
The policy is for a 1 year period and would be renewed annually. It would not be in our best interest to drop coverage within a contract period.
How often will State do an RFP to insure we have a competitive rates going forward in the future?
One of the difficulties we are incurring now is that we do not have an insurance history. This needs to be established before going out for future RFP’s. Having this history will give us more bargaining power for future RFP’s.