Insurance Tips and trik auto insurance, auto insurance quotes, auto insurance companies, auto insurance florida, auto insurance quotes online, auto insurance america

As summer winds down and back-to-school supplies are going on sale, a lot of folks are planning on one last trip abroad before Fall (or even for Fall). Our friends at Global Underwriters offers this helpful info:

"Medical emergencies are never planned and no one, especially when traveling internationally, wants to be caught off guard. The costs for medical care and emergency medical evacuations can be enormous. Often, these expenses come up unexpectedly and payment is required immediately. On average, emergency medical evacuations cost upwards of $25,000, and insureds requiring more specialized care can see that cost increase to over $100,000. Your clients entrust you with making good decisions about the different types of insurance coverage's that they need. Recommending international Travel Medical and Evacuation Insurance to your group and individual clients is the right thing to do and its far more cost effective than having your client stuck trying to pay for these expenses out of pocket."

So if you're planning a trip abroad (or even just south or north of the border), speak with your agent about a travel medical plan. They're usually surprisingly inexpensive, and easy to procure.

Safe travels!

Original content copyright © InsureBlog

from InsureBlog https://ift.tt/2KBZWUm
via

Insurance Tips and trik auto insurance, auto insurance quotes, auto insurance companies, auto insurance florida, auto insurance quotes online, auto insurance america

Into its citizens' DNA, that is. Via email from FoIB Holly R:

"Jan Meisels Allen, Chairperson of the IAJGS Public Records Access Monitoring Committee, reports that the UK National Health Service will offer five million Britons free DNA tests to help predict their risk of major diseases. Individuals will be able to volunteer to receive personalized reports based on the DNA analysis."

Oh, goody.

And who, exactly, will be privy to the results?

Well, let's look under the hood bonnet for a clue:

"The project is a £79 million government investment with an additional £160 million from charities and businesses to support research on early diagnosis, prevention and disease treatment." [emphasis added]

Gee, perhaps there's a clue there, Sherlock ans.

To be sure, there's this disclaimer:

"Ministers said the anonymised data"

Sure, if you say so. Still, as they say, "if you're not the customer, you're the product."

Britain's Much Vaunted National Health System© continues to cover itself in glory.

Additional details here.

BONUS: In a coincidental(?) development, Holly also alerts us to breaking news on this side of the pond:

"The U.S. Internal Revenue Service has ruled the health portion of 23andMe’s ancestry and genetics test is tax deductible because it constitutes medical care. Of the $199 cost, up to $117.74 of the total cost is deductible."

Which means that they're also HSA- and FSA-eligible. Nice.

Interestingly, it appears that this applies only to that company:

"Of the dozens of genetic testing companies operating in the US, the Food and Drug Administration has given only 23andMe approval to inform customers directly (rather than through a health care provider)" of various markers it finds.

Hunh.

Original content copyright © InsureBlog

from InsureBlog https://ift.tt/2OHg5gL
via

Insurance Tips and trik auto insurance, auto insurance quotes, auto insurance companies, auto insurance florida, auto insurance quotes online, auto insurance america

Three years ago we brought you the story of Derek Peterson, "the chief executive officer of Terra Tech, a publicly traded pot company based in Irvine, CA." Even though he didn't indulge in his product, still found obtaining life insurance quite challenging.

But that's nothing compared to retailers who can't find Workers' Comp or even just a Business Owners Policy:

Lack of #insurance is a huge problem for cannabis-related businesses. Think about no fire or #workerscomp coverage for example. https://t.co/9HUT6fttK7

— Rosalie Donlon (@RosalieDonlon) July 30, 2019

While not (yet) law, the new regulation "would help businesses operating in the growing cannabis sector to obtain insurance products."

And why, exactly, is this necessary?

"Without this legislation, insurers will understandably be reticent to insure businesses operating in the cannabis sector."

 

Good times ahead (perhaps).

Original content copyright © InsureBlog

from InsureBlog https://ift.tt/2MJ5DCS
via

Insurance Tips and trik auto insurance, auto insurance quotes, auto insurance companies, auto insurance florida, auto insurance quotes online, auto insurance america

I suspect most folks know that their group term life insurance plan isn't portable (meaning it generally stays behind when you leave), but some believe that their retiree-based coverage is sacrosanct.

As co-blogger Bob points out, maybe not:

"Workers who retired after years of folding shirts and selling refrigerators for Sears Holdings Corp. banded together earlier this year to complain when the retailer’s bankrupt shell terminated their life insurance plan."

Yikes.

Okay, bit what about those who've already shuffled off this mortal coil?

Well:

"Retirees who died after the plan was terminated but before the proposal is approved would receive an administrative claim of $5,000"

The bottom line is that most of these folks' beneficiaries will receive the princely sum of $135.

Exit question: Are these funds taxable?

Original content copyright © InsureBlog

from InsureBlog https://ift.tt/2YKyn0n
via

Insurance Tips and trik auto insurance, auto insurance quotes, auto insurance companies, auto insurance florida, auto insurance quotes online, auto insurance america

A regular reader and commenter has given us permission to share his story:

"I have used GoodRX for prescription pricing in the past, although my local pharmacist has found some other codes to get me better pricing; I take what they give me if it seems reasonable. Recently I was sold on getting Kroger's in-house plan, which you have to pay for, and it auto renews each year. I get two of my meds for "free," and a better price on the other two. So I do save about a hundred dollars a year. But I take a 5th med, and if I were to use the Kroger plan pricing, I would pay about $70 more for it than with GoodRX at the same pharmacy.

Okay, here is where it gets interesting: the Kroger plan is administered by GoodRx. So some of GoodRx's prices are actually better than the plan that they administer for Kroger. Go figure.

And I note that prices change, and I have been blindly going to Walmart for that 5th med, when I should have checked GoodRX each time and just picked the best price and location.

One of the frustrating things about buying meds is that the pharmacist can't tell you how much it is going to cost until they fill the prescription. So if you don't like the price, you can either bargain for a better price with a different code (if you are the kind of person who can graciously create confrontation and hold up the line behind you), or transfer somewhere else, if you want that hassle. GoodRx has done a good job making prices transparent before you go to the pharmacy. But the pharmacies don't always honor the prices you see on the GoodRx website.

It is a brave new world, a big game, and I play it. I have told this to the pharm tech: "look, these prices are a game, and I am willing to play it." I don't think they appreciate when I say that."

Thanks, Todd!

Oh, he adds this helpful advice, as well:

"1. It pays to check your meds against various codes each time you fill, and present that code to the pharmacy for a better price. I know this is a game, you have to play it. 

2. Membership plans offered by retailers like Kroger, Target, and CVS discourage price shopping.

3. Don't assume that a membership plan will give you the best price or that the membership plan is cost effective.

4. Code pricing or coupons though plans like GoodRx may or may not be honored at the counter (maybe you can ask your readers about their experiences)."

This is especially helpful if you have more than a few, and/or expensive, meds.

Caveat emptor, indeed.

Original content copyright © InsureBlog

from InsureBlog https://ift.tt/2M1OXqD
via

Insurance Tips and trik auto insurance, auto insurance quotes, auto insurance companies, auto insurance florida, auto insurance quotes online, auto insurance america

Healthcare "Down Under" is a bit different than here; it's kind of an amalgam of public and private coverage.

(Come to think about it, maybe it's not so different, after all).

How they handle requiring folks to be insured it quote different.

How's that working out for them?

Interesting to note that the ability to qualify for discounted premiums by maintaining continuous coverage did far more to boost private insurance enrollment in Australia than an individual mandate tax. https://t.co/SxFwiflcJG

— Chris Pope (@CPopeHC) July 26, 2019

Hunh.

Original content copyright © InsureBlog

from InsureBlog https://ift.tt/2YBVZZ0
via

Insurance Tips and trik auto insurance, auto insurance quotes, auto insurance companies, auto insurance florida, auto insurance quotes online, auto insurance america

So the latest "shiny new thing" out on the employee benefits horizon is called the Individual Coverage HRA, or ICHRA for short. These are not to be confused with the previous "shiny new thing," QSEHRAs.

Thanks to the folks at Benefits Consulting Training (formerly NAABC), we have a recap of what these are all about (please see your own benefits advisor for details as they relate to your own situation):

■  Any employer can offer this HRA
■  Available to any employee not eligible for the employer group health plan and the employee is covered by an individual health insurance plan that meets ACA guidelines
■ Amounts can differ between classes of employees
■ The HRA can reimburse all Section 213(d) expenses and be designed to be compatible for those covered under an H S A health plan.
■  Employee portion of premium not paid by the HRA can be pay deducted pre-tax through a Cafeteria Plan.
■  Employers who want to offer this for January 1, 2020 need to begin working on their plan designs for the marketplace open enrollment periods beginning in October. 

These officially go love the first of next year, but if you're even remotely interested in learning about them, now's the time to start asking questions.

Keep in mind, though, that this may interfere with one's eligibility for Marketplace subsidies, and they're not available to pay for DPC or Sharing Ministry fees.

Yet.

Original content copyright © InsureBlog

from InsureBlog https://ift.tt/2ypYuir
via