ADVANTAGE. The ARMtech. Fall Training Schedule. Inside this Issue: New Online Features. Print Center. Mobile Claims. Smart Quote

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1 The ARMtech ADVANTAGE Farm Bill Update Little has changed over the last month with respect to the 2012 Farm Bill currently under consideration by Congress. Though the Senate voted on and then passed its version of the bill some months back, the House has been reluctant to bring the bill to the floor for a vote to ratify what the Ag Committee has put before them, and since Congress has now gone into recess to campaign for the upcoming elections, the bill appears to be in a perpetual a state of limbo. There are those that feel members of the House will hear from their constituents when they return to their districts over the recess and feel pressure to vote on the bill when Congress gets back in session. Senate Agriculture Committee Chairwoman Stabenow is of this mindset and has even gone so far as to begin preliminary conference discussions in anticipation of the House vote. However, the House has shown little interest in bringing the bill to the floor, hoping that elections will bring about changes in leadership that will allow for the bill to be revisited. In short, no one knows what the Farm Bill s fate will be, and the odds of it passing prior to the November elections, or even before the first of the year, appear to be long, so rather than focus on the unknown, we can take a look at what we do know. Continued on Page 2 Inside this Issue: Fall Training Schedule New Online Features Print Center Mobile Claims Smart Quote

2 Farm Bill Update Continued from Page 1 The 2012 Farm Bill, in its current version, contains these key elements, which could have a significant impact on crop insurance and the delivery system under which we now operate: Shallow Loss Programs Both the Senate and House versions contain shallow loss programs, intended for insureds to use in addition to traditional Multi-Peril coverage o The Senate version calls for the implementation of the Ag Risk Coverage (ARC) program Triggers indemnities when an individual s actual crop revenue falls to between 75% and 87% of a 5-year average revenue To be delivered by FSA Is free to producers o The Senate version also calls for the implementation of Supplemental Coverage Option (SCO ) and the Stacked Income Protection Plan (STAX) SCO allows insureds to add an area-type coverage on top of their traditional individual Multi- Peril insurance STAX allows cotton acreage to be insured with area-type coverage over and above individual Multi-Peril insurance Both will be delivered by the crop insurance industry Though premiums will be heavily subsidized, there will be a cost to insureds Non-Commodity Crop Commission Reduction UDSA is in the process of re-rating non-commodity crops, which could result in a reduction in premium o Premium reductions mean a reduction in A&O and agent commissions The House version include a $41 million offset to these commission reductions The Senate version does not include an offset Insurance Coverage Congress is considering allowing producers to insure their crops based on practice The House version includes a provision that would let producers elect different coverage levels for Irrigated and Non-Irrigated acreage o The Senate version includes no such provision, though an amendment has been proposed that would allow for separate coverage levels by practice within a single Enterprise unit Data Correction / Reconciliation Both the Senate and House versions include language that allows for data to be corrected and/or modified at any time throughout the crop year o This would be used in the event data submitted to the insurance agent differs from that submitted to the FSA The language also specifies that no penalty be assessed for such corrections. Concerns with the language as it implies FSA is the controlling information entity. Page 2

3 New Online Features The ARMtech website at is a valuable resource for agents and insureds. It is available from any computer with an internet connection, and is continually being updated and improved. Below, we have outlined some of the newer features. Batches/Reports Available via the Agent Portal Agents and Policy Holders will now receive SOIs and Approved APHs online due to ARMtech s new Print Center distribution system (see the Print Center overview on page 4 this newsletter). The files can be viewed, downloaded, or printed from the Batches tab of the Agent Portal or Policy Holder Access Portal. The Buy Up Policies Report can also be accessed through the Agent Portal. Users can select the Post to Agent Portal option while running the Buy Up Policies print wizard in AgriNet, and the report will become available on the Reports tab of the Portal. Though only a few documents can currently be accessed online, we will be expanding both of these features in the future. Check Compliance Status Online Agents Compliance Status can now be viewed under the Compliance tab on the Agent Portal. A grid with the following forms will be displayed: Conflict of Interest, Non-Disclosure Statement, Covenant Not to Sue, Controlled Business Practice and Agency Non-Disclosure Statement. When a form is received, the date it was received will appear in the corresponding cell of the grid. If the form is still needed, this space will be left blank. If the form is not needed, it will be marked as such. Register for Marketing Meetings Online On the ARMtech main page, hover over the Agent heading on the navigation bar and select Training from the menu that appears below. This will take you to the current training schedule. To register, simply click the sign up button to the right of the event you would like to attend. Page 3

4 Print Center What is it? The ARMtech Print Center is a new, electronic method of distributing policy documents. Via the Print Center, all Approved APHs and Schedules of Insurance are now sent to agents and policy holders in a PDF format. The PDFs are available online, where users can view, download, print, and distribute them however they like. Though only Approved APHs and Schedules of Insurance are currently a part of this process, other documents will be added soon. I think it s great! We don t have to wait for all the SOI s and Approved APH s. They are right there once they are generated. I have been able to keep on top of what is still outstanding much better than last year. Leanne Vielma Premier Insurance Idaho Falls, ID Why should I use it? This new system will provide multiple benefits for both agents and insureds. In particular, it will make accessing policy documents easier and more efficient. Agents and policy holders will be able to access their documents instantly, the moment they are generated; there is no longer any need to wait for the forms to be printed and mailed. Automatic alerts will notify you as soon as documents are ready for viewing. The documents can be accessed easily anywhere you have internet access: your home or office, a library or café, or even in the field with an ipad or similar device. Distributing the documents online means that there is no risk of the papers becoming lost or delayed in printing or shipping process. How does it work? The Print Center automatically posts Approved APHs and SOIs to an Agency s FTP folder. This folder can be accessed online through the Agent Portal on ARMtech s website, To do so, simply log in to the Portal using the Agents link at the top right of the page and navigate to the Batches tab. All of your available documents will be listed here, and can be viewed, downloaded to your computer, or printed at any time. The documents can also be viewed through Policy Holder Access with the same process; just click the Policy Holders link on the ARMtech website, directly to the left of the Agents link. Finally, the documents can be viewed with AgriNet Imaging whenever you have access to AgriNet. Page 4

5 Mobile Claims What is it? The ability to open a mobile claim is a feature of the free ARMtech smartphone app, which can be downloaded to any ios or Android device. Users can open claims from anywhere, using nothing but the app--no paperwork or phone call is necessary. Why should I use it? The app allows users to open claims instantly, from anywhere; the entire process takes moments, and nothing is needed aside from a smartphone and an internet connection. Submitting a claim has never been easier. There are no forms to fill out or calls to make. All it takes is a few simple clicks on your phone or ipad. The ARMtech app has a user-friendly and intuitive interface that anyone can use. Claims can be opened from anywhere in the world, as long as your ARMtech app is connected to internet. A confirmation will be sent to you as soon as the claim is submitted, so you can be sure that each claim goes through correctly. How does it work? The ARMtech app can be downloaded for free from the Apple App Store or the Android Marketplace. Once it is downloaded, users can log in under the Settings tab using their AgriNet username and password and their Tax ID. After logging in, go to the Policies tab and select the policy for which you would like to open a claim and click the Open a New Claim button. A few simple screens will appear to collect the necessary information, and then the claim will be opened. You will receive a confirmation within a few minutes letting you know that the claim was submitted correctly. It connects very quickly and very reliably no matter where I am. I even use it on my desktop since it is a Mac and it works perfectly on it too. For me, it has been an awesome tool in helping me service my customers needs. I would highly recommend it. Aflatoxin Sweetie McNair Agri-Insurance Driscoll, TX Aflatoxin is a damaging fungus most commonly found when a period of drought is followed by a period of high humidity. It can be caused by moisture, insects, and high temperatures, and is often found in corn, peanuts, and tree nuts. If a crop has been damaged by Aflatoxin, it is important that a Notice of Damage or Loss be filed immediately. For more information, please go to ARMtech s website and read the Aflatoxin Fact Sheet at the bottom of the Product Brochures page. Page 5

6 Smart Quote What is it? AgriNet Smart Quote is the newest quoting component of the ARMtech suite of programs. It combines the functionality of a Multi-Level Estimate with the ease of the traditional Quick Quotes by generating succinct quotes that allow you to take insured-specific information into consideration without having to edit policies. Why should I use it? Smart Quote is more versatile and easier to use than the traditional quoting system, and give you access to three powerful quotes: the Max Estimate, Combo Quote, and Quick Quote.= The Max Estimate is similar to the traditional Multi-Level Estimate in that is uses actual policy-level data to create quotes. With the Max Estimate, however, you can make changes to crop and/or acreage line data without affecting the policy itself. The Combo Quote is a one page estimate that provides per acre premium and minimum guarantees for all of the coverage levels and unit structures available for the Combo plans of insurance, including yield protection, revenue protection, and revenue protection - harvest price exclusion. The new Quick Quote is similar in function to the version previously available in AgriNet in that it allows you to quote several different plans, coverages, and unit structures on a single quote without having to load an entire policy. How does it work? Smart Quote can be accessed by choosing Combo Quote, Max Estimate, or Quick Quote from the Quotes menu on Agri- Net s main screen. Choosing the Traditional Quotes option will allow you to run quotes without using Smart Quote. Whichever quote you choose, you will be able to switch to any of the three once you are in the Smart Quote program. You can do this using the Home menu at the top left of your screen. We love the Max Estimate Quoting system. We flip acres all of the time and run various scenarios. TA didn t work for all of our customers so it was great to be able to find out in a few minutes. Fantastic program! Bruce Travis Travis Crop Insurance Creston, IA Page 6