Colony West Business Risk Solutions

⚠️ California employers: 2026 compliance changes are coming, and many organizations aren’t prepared!

These updates go beyond surface-level policy changes and can affect areas like:

• Employment agreements
• Pay transparency and reporting
• Leave usage and documentation
• Job postings and recordkeeping
• Wage thresholds and enforcement practices

For many employers, preparing for these changes will require updates to handbooks, internal processes, payroll practices, and manager training.

Waiting until enforcement begins can create unnecessary risk.

OutlookHR is currently helping employers understand how the 2026 changes apply to their organization and what steps to take now to stay compliant.

If you’re unsure whether these updates affect your business, that’s usually a sign it’s worth a conversation.

👉 Comment “2026” or send us a message and we’ll walk through what applies.

Here’s how we streamlined benefits, improved compliance, and secured bundled savings for a growing physical therapy group.

Meet our client:

A multi-location physical therapy company with 10 locations and 7 FEINs came to us with a complicated and fragmented benefits structure. They had six small group medical plans and six separate ancillary policies through Blue Shield. To make things more complex, they were self‑administering Cal‑COBRA for some locations and Federal COBRA for others, creating compliance and administrative challenges, and needed divisional billing across all 10 sites. On top of it all, they were still working with another broker.

The Challenge: 🚩

With the group transitioning from small group to large group status, they needed a complete benefits overhaul. Their structure wasn’t just inefficient, it was misaligned with their actual eligibility, creating compliance concerns and preventing them from fully leveraging their scale. They also required a billing solution that could accommodate each of their 10 divisions individually.

Our Strategy: 🛠️

We consolidated the six small group plans into a single, unified large group policy and went to market across all fully insured carriers. By bundling medical, dental, and vision, we unlocked additional savings opportunities. We also introduced a supplemental benefits package including accident, critical illness, and hospital indemnity and ensured a smooth divisional billing structure that aligned with each location’s operations.

The Result: 🏆

The group selected Aetna large group for medical, dental, and vision, which gave them access to the bundling discount. We also placed Principal as the carrier for supplemental benefits. Enrollment was completed seamlessly through EASE, and the group now has consistent, compliant COBRA administration across all locations.

This was a big win, not just in terms of coverage, but in giving the client clarity, efficiency, and long-term scalability. Huge thanks to Yuet Y. and Drake Moncur for driving this success!

🌞 Please join us in congratulating Liana Balayan on receiving a 2025 Global Recognition Awards! 🏆

Liana was selected for her outstanding contributions to the commercial insurance industry, recognized globally for her leadership, innovation, and service excellence.

Her thoughtful and strategic approach goes far beyond traditional insurance — combining Commercial Insurance, HR Solutions, Payroll, and Risk Management into a seamless, tailored framework that ensures no gaps across her clients’ operations. Through this comprehensive method, she helps businesses reduce costs, enhance compliance, and strengthen protection, redefining what it means to be a trusted advisor in today’s evolving marketplace.

As a working mother and industry leader, Liana exemplifies resilience, balance, and innovation — inspiring professionals across all industries to lead with purpose and creativity. Her expertise has helped companies in healthcare, manufacturing, construction, and entertainment navigate complex challenges while achieving long-term success.

This award celebrates her innovation, research, and commitment to client advocacy — values that represent the very best of what we do at Colony-West.

👏 Congratulations, Liana, on this incredible achievement. You continue to inspire us all!

Landlords, if a tenant sued you tomorrow, how protected would you actually be?

If you manage your own rental properties or hire a third-party property management company, you may be more exposed than you realize. Standard General Liability insurance often excludes claims tied to professional services, leaving a critical gap in coverage.

That’s where Professional Liability insurance comes in. Whether it's a missed repair, a delayed response, or a failed inspection, landlords can face lawsuits tied to alleged mismanagement. These types of claims can include:

1. Injury Claims from slips, trips, or falls due to poor maintenance

2. Habitability Lawsuits for unresolved issues like plumbing,
heating, or unsafe living conditions.

3. Business Interruption Claims from tenants operating commercial
businesses out of your units.

If you self-manage, Professional Liability coverage protects you directly. If you use a management company, be sure to request a Certificate of Insurance (COI) and verify that you’re named as an Additional Insured on their Professional Liability policy.

This is one of the most effective ways to protect your assets from legal and financial fallout, especially as courts increasingly hold landlords accountable for property oversight.

We’re here to help ensure you're properly protected. If you have questions about your current coverage or would like a quick policy review, contact us today.

Dear Valued Customers,
We understand how challenging and frustrating the current insurance market is. This is yet another hurdle in an already uncertain environment — one none of us asked for — and we want you to know you are not alone.

At Colony West, we’re going above and beyond to fight for your coverage, your pricing, and your peace of mind. Here's what we’re doing behind the scenes to support you during this difficult time:

• Prioritizing our loyal clients: We’re turning away a significant amount of new business to focus our time, energy, and resources on serving you — our valued existing customers.

•Expanding our team: Our staffing has increased by 20% over the past year to meet demand and improve service.

• Exhaustive market outreach: We’re approaching every viable carrier — no matter how niche or challenging — to find the best fit for your coverage needs.

• Leveraging our relationships: Our 30+ years of industry connections, volume, and experience are being brought to bear like never before to secure the best possible terms.

• Constant communication: We are in ongoing, real-time contact with our staff, markets, and partners — and with you — to ensure nothing is missed and no opportunity is left unexplored.

We deeply appreciate your trust in us. Please know that every step we take is with your success and security in mind. We are committed to seeing you through this market and into a more stable future.

Thank you for being part of the Colony West family.
Warm regards,
The Colony West Team