One goal of the Affordable Care Act was to offer small group health insurance plans (typically 20 employees or less) on the upcoming health insurance exchanges. This difficult task has proved unobtainable and has been pushed back to 2015 at the earliest. While it appears that most of the state and federal exchanges will be up and …
May 20, 2013
Category: Group Health Insurance
If you’re shopping for Medicare supplement insurance, you might be considering Plan N as an option. With all Medigap coverage, you’re weighing benefits vs. premiums. It’s important to know that the gaps uncovered by Plan N are small. Rarely do they expose you to significant expenses. There are three gaps Plan N does not cover. …
March 18, 2013
Category: Medicare Supplements
Our independent insurance agency (Hyers and Associates) has offered Medicare supplement insurance from Standard Life and Accident Insurance Company for years. We offer this coverage direct to our clients – at no additional cost. Our clients appreciate that they can shop for new or replacement coverage with us direct. And we appreciate their loyalty and …
January 9, 2013
Category: Medicare Advantage, Medicare Supplements
Every year The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) make changes to the Medicare program. CMS has posted the numbers for 2013 and there are no alarming changes, but it is important to know what out of pocket expenses to expect going forward. Deductible and coinsurance amounts will increase January 1 and that will …
November 29, 2012
Category: Medicare Advantage, Medicare Supplements
Editors Note: AFLAC Medicare supplements have been taken off the market and are no longer for sale until further notice. Our independent insurance agency is now offering Medicare supplement insurance from AFLAC direct to seniors. We provide enrollment for those who are new to Medicare as well as those who would like to lower rates on …
November 13, 2012
Category: Medicare Supplements
If you are in the workforce beyond age 65 and covered by your employer’s group health insurance coverage, it is important to be aware of your Medicare insurance options. There are a few common penalties (both monetary and temporal) that you might face should you miss your enrollment deadlines. Penalties and Medicare enrollment delays can easily be …
September 12, 2012
Category: Medicare Advantage, Medicare Supplements, Retirement Planning
Our independent agency now offers United American Medicare supplement insurance direct to consumer in several states. There are no markups or additional costs to request quotes and/or purchase Medigap policies while using our services. That is one of the primary advantages of working with an insurance agency like ours; you can view the direct rates from several …
July 13, 2012
Category: Medicare Supplements
Now that the Supreme Court has upheld the Affordable Care Act (otherwise known as Obamacare) there are many questions about the individual mandate as it relates to new taxes and/or penalties for those who have not purchased health insurance. It is important to understand that these new taxes (or penalties) will be phased in over …
July 2, 2012
Category: Health Care Reform, Health Insurance
We offer Central States Indemnity Medicare supplement insurance direct to consumer. As an independent insurance agency offering Medigap plans, we are always looking for new companies with the lowest rates for our clients. We like Central States Indemnity as they are a highly rated carrier with strong financial backing. As a consumer, it can be difficult …
June 19, 2012
Category: Medicare Supplements
Vanishing deductible benefits are not for car insurance policies only. Health insurance providers are also offering policies with a deductible that decreases over time when the chosen limit has not been reached by the insured(s). This is being done in an effort to make older health insurance polices more attractive and to retain healthy customers …
February 14, 2012
Category: Health Insurance, Health Savings Accounts
What are Medicare Select insurance policies? They are traditional Medicare supplement policies (like Plans F, C and N for instance) that require the use of a preferred network of doctors and hospitals for routine care. Medicare Select Plans are sometimes popular as they are less expensive than traditional non-network driven supplemental plans. They are appropriate for …
January 24, 2012
Category: Medicare Advantage, Medicare Supplements
It’s almost a new year which means changes to the Medicare Part A and B deductible amounts for 2012 are here. The Part A deductible is increasing by a nominal amount, but the Part B deductible is decreasing. You read that correctly, the Part B deductible is going down which means that some Medicare supplement insurance plans …
November 22, 2011
Category: Medicare Supplements, Retirement Planning
The 2011 Medicare open enrollment window is almost upon us. Otherwise known as the Annual Election Period or AEP for short, this period of time can be used by Medicare beneficiaries to switch insurance plans. The dates are a little different this year as the window starts and ends early. AEP will run from October 15, …
September 16, 2011
Category: Medicare Advantage, Medicare Supplements
Rising group health insurance rates are one of the most significant expenses facing businesses and groups of all sizes. Premiums can increase year over year by 10% or more as insurance carriers struggle with rising medical costs and new benefit requirements. Companies and groups who wish to offer low deductible, high benefit plans are experiencing …
September 12, 2011
Category: Group Health Insurance
Upon retirement, you may lose the group health insurance coverage offered from your employer. In some cases, the insurance can be extended for a short period of time, but in most others it may discontinue altogether or become too expensive to maintain. The dividing line for most retirees is age 65. If you are younger …
June 8, 2011
Category: Medicare Supplements, Retirement Planning