DFIT Insurance Trust

DFIT is the first statewide group self-insurance workers compensation program exclusively for Delaware local governments (municipalities and counties) that are also members of the Delaware League of Local Governments.

History:

• DFIT is member owned, with a Board or Trustees (representing 10 municipalities throughout the State), elected by the Member
• July 1^st, 2008 - DFIT started as a Group Retrospectively Rated Plan
• September 1^st 2014 - achieved the member's ultimate goal and became a Group Self Insurance Program making insurance history in Delaware; Approval and Certificates of Authority were issued by the Delaware Department of Insurance and the Delaware Department of Labor
• Expanded to include all lines of Property & Casualty insurances in 2014
• Currently 29 members, including Kent County

Purpose:

Better control of its members' "insurance destiny:"

• A long-term insurance option exclusive to the Delaware municipalities and counties, that will enable stabilization of insurance costs, better budget planning
• Premier placement of Workers Compensation, Property & Casualty insurances for Delaware municipalities and counties
• Stronger buying power through economy of scale
• Access to comprehensive and "hands on" risk management, safety and other training resources at no additional cost
• Profitability component - all premium funds in the Workers Compensation pool stay with the member - surplus funds accumulated belong to the members, not to an insurance corporation

Structure:

• Program organized as a Trust; Board of Trustees consisting of ten members, elected by the Membership; By-Laws established for the Governance of the Board of Trustees and Members
• Membership meetings held quarterly, to report stewardship of the program; act as a consortium where peers can discuss and vote on important issues, exchange views, ideas and resources
• Safety Committee formed, to create annual risk management plans; work with DFIT Program Administrator to implement training specific to claims trends of the group; promote the building of a strong safety culture within the membership and their employees
• Claims Committee to monitor and approve claims payments;
• Finance Committee to oversee financial reports and make financial recommendations to the Board

Philosophy:

• Proactive management of the member's cost of risk, through the identification of the true cost drivers of the group's insurances
• Mitigate (manage & reduce) costs of risk by developing annual Risk Mitigation and Safety Plans for both the group and the individual municipality members
• Implementation and monitoring of these plans regularly, at Membership and Safety Committee meetings
• Adjusting these plans as necessary
• All members must commit to building and reinforcing a culture of Safety Awareness and Best Practices within their local municipality.
• Members support one another- 'All for one and one for all!'
• Please visit the DFIT Safety Program Facebook page.

Results:

• The award winning (Safety National excellance award) annual training and safety plans of the DFIT have shown proven results. Since its inception in 2008, the overall group claims have reduced by over 40%. Claims continue to perform at this level, consistently outperforming state and national industry claims history.
• Medical costs have been reduced by over 12%. DFIT's third party claims administrator, PMA Companies, has access to most medical providers in the State within their network (PMA also manages DE State employees, DelDOT, City of Wilmington, to name a few). This savings has been passed to the DFIT Members' Workers Compensation costs.
• Exceptional claims performance for the Workers Compensation program has resulted in financial benefits over the years- in the prior group Retro Plan, $1.8 million in surplus premium was returned to the participating members.
• Under the current group Self Insured plan, since 2014 the group has accumulated surplus funds in the millions. These funds are being contemplated for investments by the DFIT Finance Committee, toward future planning and use of these surplus funds.

Goals:

• Strategic Insurance Partners launched a proprietary group Property & Casualty in 2015. This is an insurance program that can only be accessed through SIP and the DFIT Program. It is a fully insured, guaranteed cost program, each member issued their individual policy. The coverages are competitive, manuscripted expressly for the needs of Delaware public entities, and Liability coverages addressed in a uniquely comprehensive way.
• There are currently 18 municipal members in the Property & Casualty program; many are coastal communities
• As with the Workers Compensation, the future goal is to contemplate a self-insured, joint insurance program for Property & Casualty insurance coverages, exclusively for all Delaware local governments that are members of DLLG.
• The DFIT wishes to continue to grow as a statewide plan, as the premier placement for Workers Compensation and Property & Casualty plan for all Delaware local governments, where claims are promulgated only within their group and not all other industries. Both the largest and smallest entities benefit from the support of each other.

Legacy:

The DFIT Program is borne from a collaboration of the long-time vision of former DLLG Executive Director -- the late George C. Wright, and Program Administrator Theresa DeSanto. The vision was  to create an insurance alternative for the Delaware local governments (that are members of DLLG) for Workers Compensation coverage, where in George’s words, they would have “Control over their insurance destiny.” Workers Compensation had been a significant cost burden due to unstable cycles for decades, for all employers in Delaware.

Contact

For more information on the DFIT Workers Compensation Program and/or the Trident Group Property & Casualty Program, and how to apply, please contact:

Theresa DeSanto, DFIT Program Administrator

Director Public Sector, Strategic Insurance Partners

Phone: 856-404-1798

tdesanto@siprisk.com

https://www.dfitde.com