In an attempt to encourage consumers to purchase long term care insurance (LTCi), Ohio recently passed legislation making available partnership policies. Several insurance companies offer these plans, but not all LTCi policies are partnership qualified. By owning a qualified plan, the insured can be eligible for Medicaid benefits through the state without depleting all of …
April 23, 2009
Category: Long Term Care Insurance, Retirement Planning
Health care reform is coming and possibly soon. President Obama promised changes to the health care system during his run to office and has quickly taken measures to deliver on those promises. While several questions remain as to what these changes might entail, he has pledged to insure more Americans under a universal system. It …
March 26, 2009
Category: Health Insurance, Op/Ed
We work with prospective clients all across the country who need to purchase health insurance. Oftentimes, the client wishes to know why they should use a health insurance agent to complete the transaction. In other words, why shouldn’t they just buy direct from the company? There are several reasons to use an independent agent including price, …
March 24, 2009
Category: Health Insurance
There is good news for those who need stand alone dental and vision insurance. United Healthcare, through their subsidiary Golden Rule now offers dental and vision insurance in several states. Coverage is available for individuals and families from over 70,000 providers nationwide. States offering dental and vision insurance include Arizona, California, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, [...]
March 17, 2009
Category: Dental & Vision Insurance
A bankruptcy judge recently approved Delphi Corporation’s reorganization and subsequent request to terminate life and health insurance benefits to many of its retired employees. Benefits could be lost as soon as April 1st for the affected retirees. Former salaried employees will need to explore all available options in order to maintain medical coverage. Medicare Supplement …
February 25, 2009
Category: Medicare Supplements
Medicare has many gaps and will not pay for all of your health care related claims. For this reason, many Medicare recipients purchase a supplemental plan to fill in all or the most common gaps. The chart below details ten standardized Medigap plans and explains the different available coverages. It is important to note that private …
February 10, 2009
Category: Medicare Supplements
This most recent downward economic spiral is negatively impacting the bottom line for many corporations. Companies both large and small are laying off employees at record levels in order to maintain profitability. Many businesses are simply looking for immediate ways to lower costs. A simple, yet effective solution is to purchase less expensive group health insurance coverage. Changing health insurance plans or switching …
February 3, 2009
Category: Group Health Insurance
As a life and health insurance agent with fifteen years of experience, I am still unsettled by the number of inquiries I get from prospective clients who I cannot help. Pregnant mothers looking for maternity insurance, consumers who need dental insurance because of a root canal, family members trying to purchase long term care insurance for …
January 21, 2009
Category: Health Insurance
Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield offers several comprehensive health insurance plans in the individual, family and group marketplaces. We work direct with Anthem to provide those quotes to our clients – both on and off of the federal exchange. While Anthem may be more well known for their employer sponsored plans, medical coverage for …
December 18, 2008
Category: Health Insurance
Our agency receives several inquiries regarding health insurance including maternity coverage with a short waiting period. Our clients usually want their coverage to begin quickly and need to know which insurance company offers the shortest waiting period for pregnancy. UPDATE January 1, 2014: All Carriers Now Offer Maternity Coverage. If pregnant, coverage must be purchased [...]
December 10, 2008
Category: Health Care Reform, Health Insurance
Aetna is a leading carrier in the group health insurance marketplace, but more recently expanded into the individual and family markets. They offer a wide array of plans including traditional coverage, first dollar PPO plans, high deductible health savings accounts and hospital care only policies. Dental insurance can be added to any individual or family plan. Click [...]
November 6, 2008
Category: Health Insurance
There are several events that guarantee a consumer’s right to purchase Medicare supplement insurance coverage. It is important for seniors to take advantage of these periods or they may no longer qualify medically for enrollment. Listed below are the most common occurrences that allow for guaranteed eligibility into a supplemental plan as well as rules …
October 27, 2008
Category: Medicare Supplements
The final presidential debate of 2008 highlighted the stark differences between the two candidates health care plans. In a nutshell, Senator McCain favors tax cuts, choice and portability while Senator Obama is looking for an increase in corporate and government responsibility. Either way, it may be years before any significant legislation is passed to reform …
October 16, 2008
Category: Health Insurance
The bankruptcy of General Motors Corporation has forced the cancellation of health insurance coverage for many retirees. The changes will be effective January 1, 2008 for former employees. The good news for G.M. retirees over the age of 65 is that they will be in a “guaranteed issue” period for Medicare supplement and prescriptions Part …
October 16, 2008
Category: Medicare Supplements