The Best Cheap All Insurance

Thursday, March 31, 2016

International Travel Health & Accident Insurance when Traveling Abroad

There are so many kinds when you’re traveling, the important thing is to make sure you’re covered just in case. Now if you’re talking about medical insurance the first thing you have to do is call whatever the carrier is that you currently get insurance from, see if you’re going to be covered for medical needs being addressed when you’re going to somewhere else in the world, is your medical coverage going to carry you? Other types of insurance would be do you need to have insurance incase you have to cancel?

Be very careful some insurance premiums that you pay cover for cancellation for any reason, some only cover for cancellation for medical reasons. You get this kind of insurance, well any kind of insurance if you buy insurance for traveling this type of insurance or a type like it will cover you for things like baggage, medical, transportation if you need transportation, let’s say you become very ill and you need transportation to a hospital, you need to be brought back to the United States it can get very, very expensive.

My own sister-in-law paid insurance just to go to Alaska to cover just in case, she had a heart attack during the trip the insurance covered her for everything her medical transportation, she got reimbursed for the part of the trip that she didn’t use and it covered for her medical expenses while she was there. They call it gambling I wouldn’t gamble with just in case it might not happen be prepared cover yourself make sure you’re taken care of.

What if I'm Arrested for "Auto Insurance Fraud" in Nevada?

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Here in the state of Nevada, automobile insurance fraud is prosecuted by the Attorney General's office. And it can encompass a wide array of conduct designated under NRS 686A. Automobile insurance fraud could involve falsely claiming that your car was stolen, when it was really just abandoned. It could involve claiming that you were injured in an automobile accident, when in fact, you were not. It could involve claiming that items were stolen from your vehicle, when in fact, they were not. We also see a lot of cases where someone may be charged with insurance fraud in relation to an arson, where a car is found. It was set on fire. And it's later alleged that the person who made the claim was actually the person that set the car aflame, or had somebody else do it. The penalties for automobile insurance fraud can include state prison.

With the difficult times being faced by many people here in Las Vegas, due to the economic circumstances, it could be that someone bit off more than they could chew, got a car that was more expensive than what they could afford. They lost their job. They can't make the note. They're worried about how this is going to affect their credit. And so it seems like a rather simple solution, hey, if my car is stolen, my problem goes away.

And in terms of how these cases have been investigated by the Attorney General's office, it can be very difficult for the state to prove actual fraud. Oftentimes, in terms of negotiations, if the party is willing to pay some form of restitution, these cases can be dismissed or, in fact, never filed at all. If you've filed an automobile insurance claim and suddenly you have private investigators from the insurance company calling you repeatedly, or knocking at your door, or law enforcement agents contacting you about your claim, don't talk to them. Call us here at the Las Vegas Defense Group and we'll help you navigate through this process, with the objective to avoid any charges being filed at all.

Tuesday, March 22, 2016

Is Travel Insurance Right For You?

Unknown at 3:52 AM No comments:

Let's take a moment and talk about whether travel insurance protection is right for you? Let me ask you the following basic questions. Can you afford to lose your vacation investment? Most of us work hard for our money and saved up so we can take a nice trip every now and then. So what if something does go wrong? Say an unforeseen illness or injury, a death in the family, or some other unforeseen circumstance that causes you to cancel the trip. Would you like to have that non-refundable trip cost back?

If an emergency occurred while you are on the trip and you have to cut the trip short. Can you afford the cost of a return airline ticket home? Do you know if your regular health insurance covers you when you are away from home? Does it provide coverage for you in foreign country? If you become severely ill or injured while traveling who would you call for assistance? Who would arrange transportation to get you home. More importantly, who would pay for it? A Medical Evacuation from overseas can cost upwards of $100,000 dollars or more. That's slightly more than my credit card allows. What If your bags get lost or you have to spend an extra night in a hotel because of weather-related delays? Can you afford to pay for additional lodging and meals?

If you answered 'No' to any of these questions, chances are travel insurance may be a wise investment for you. In the end...Travel insurance just might save you a lot of money. There are a number of reasons why you may want to purchase travel insurance. The most common reasons are peace of mind, protection from the unexpected, and concern over losing the financial investment in a trip.

Here are some so good examples as to why you may want to buy travel insurance:
You have to cut your trip short because of illness. You have to cancel your trip because a family member had an accident. Your flight is delayed overnight because of bad weather, and you need a hotel room. Your baggage is lost or substantially delayed. You miss your cruise departure because of weather-related flight delays. You need medical assistance while abroad. You have an auto accident in a foreign country and need legal assistance. You have to cancel a trip because your home is flooded or uninhabitable. You can't get home because of a hurricane, floods or other natural disaster at your destination. You may have noticed our online Policy Picker tool on our homepage. The Policy Picker will help you compare premiums and benefits of several travel insurance plans offered by the top providers in the industry. Give it a try, or better yet, just give us a call. We'll be glad to help you find a travel insurance policy that does what you need it to do for the best price.

Monday, March 21, 2016

Life Insurance Advice for a Young Family

Unknown at 3:23 PM No comments:

Young families have a lot of financial things to keep in mind in addition to with their goals might be, whether they want to have a home for the future, as well as, you know, daycare expenses and baby expenses. There's so much for young parents and families to keep in mind. He just turned two, and already we're hearing, "Is he starting school? Is he doing this?" and it's bit overwhelming. Key basics to keep in mind: a will and life insurance, so things are taken care of.

There's just so much out there, and me and my husband want to provide for our sons so much. College saving for your children, general savings plan They're all really, really important, and it's not going to happen unless you do it. It's about taking care of the now, and planning for your future. I think that many women carry a lot of fear about money Definitely watching our pennies right now is really important for our family. It's like putting pennies in a piggy bank. Instead of putting it in a little piggy bank where it doesn't really do much, you could be putting it towards a life insurance policy where you're helping their future.

People don't think twice about getting luxuries for their children, whether it's the best stroller or carseat, but there's another consideration out there which is with the Grow Up Plan. Just for a little bit of money, you can really get a lot of protection for your family. We need life insurance. We need to make a plan for the future, what we want to do. It's just so much to do. It's kind of like, you can relax and feel good that you're protecting your family.

In their 18th year, the policy actually doubles, so if you purchased a policy for $10,000, in their 18th year, it actually doubles to $20,000. The payments stay the same, so you get the benefit of purchasing the policy at a very young age and you have that same payment throughout your life. It's an endowment plan and it's in the only one that combines adult life insurance protection for yourself along with a college savings plan I've heard really good things about the Gerber College Plan.

Parents can set aside money safely for college and they know exactly how much money they're going to have at the end. It's not volatile with the economy so it's not invested in the stock market where you're going to have ups and downs you know exactly what you're going to have

If your child doesn't want to go to college, you'll have the money to be able to give them or use for a wedding, use for a house down payment without having any penalties. We're also getting life insurance. There is future guaranteed insurability for the child, so regardless of health or occupation, a child will have guaranteed to have life insurance provided they continue the policy.

Disability Insurance - Disability Can be Expensive

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It’s impossible to predict if you’ll become disabled due to a sickness or injury and unable to work, but it is possible to imagine how much your finances could take a hit. Statistics show that most people would find it difficult to meet their current financial obligations if their next paycheck were delayed. With Disability Insurance, you can rest easy knowing you’ll receive an income in case of a covered disability.

Coverage includes benefits that can help pay for total or partial disabilities, including disability due to pregnancy, recurrent disabilities, or organ donation. Disability coverage provides monthly cash benefits that can be used to pay mortgage or rent payments, utility bills, childcare, groceries, and more. It’s easy to see how this valuable disability insurance can help you replace lost income when you need it most.

Here’s an example of how the coverage might work. Andrea chooses $3,000 in disability coverage. Six months later, she suffers a disabling back injury and is unable to work for four months. After filing her claim, she receives cash benefits that can help provide an income to cover her everyday living expenses until she returns to work. You can’t predict if or when you will become disabled in your lifetime.

Insurance Tips - How to Pay For Your Pregnancy

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I'm Dr. Jill from Tampa, Florida here to tell you how to pay for your pregnancy. Well, fortunately, we're very lucky in this country and most of the time, if there's a financial need, you can get insurance when pregnant. So, there are a bunch of different ways to do this. One, if you have a job, and you have insurance, then that of course will pay for your maternity.

If you do not have a job and meet the financial requirements per state, then you can get on pregnancy Medicaid. Every state has it, you'll have to check with your local authorities on how to get on it, and then the other option of course is to pay cash. Most OB GYN providers do charge a cash fee with a discount to patients who are pregnant and need care. All of these things put together can help you have a safe and a paid pregnancy. I'm Dr. Jill from Tampa, Florida telling you how to pay for your pregnancy.

Friday, March 18, 2016

California Workers Compensation Insurance

Unknown at 4:46 PM No comments:

Whether your companies are based in Anaheim, Irvine, Mission Viejo, and engage in the construction industry, the retail, or wholesale sector, professional or consulting field, or one of the many different companies that make up the Orange County, California economy, one thing that is an absolute, is that if your company has employees, then having an Orange County, California workers' compensation insurance is not only a must, it is the law in California. Workers' compensation insurance provides coverage for your employees medical expenses and at least some portion of their lost wages, if they're injured on the job. Workers' comp.

Insurance is a form of state regulated no fault liability insurance, which covers employees medical expenses, lost wages, rehabilitation services, and death resulting from work related injury or illness. If an employee is injured in the workplace, regardless of fault, then they are eligible for workers' compensation benefits. When an injury occurs while performing one's jobs duties or conducting the employers' business, employees are entitled to receive workers' compensation benefits. Additionally, this coverage protects the employer from being sued by an injured worker, in most cases. PJO Insurance Brokerage has several markets for your Orange County, California workers' comp needs, and would welcome an opportunity to work with your company.

California Employment Practices Liability Insurance

Unknown at 3:42 AM No comments:

Whether your company's based in Anaheim, Newport Beach, Mission Viejo, or any other city in California, and has employees, then having an Orange County, California, EPLI insurance policy is a must. Employment Practices Liability Insurance, or EPLI for short, refers to an insurance policy, which covers businesses against alleged claims by workers, that their legal rights as an employees of the company have been violated.

In recent years, Orange County, California companies have seen the number of law suits filed against employees against their employers are on the rise, with the average claim paid approaching six figures. While the majority of suits are filed against large corporations, please be aware that no company's immune to such law suits and more small companies are seeing law suits being filed against them. Now, more than ever, small companies need this type of Orange County, California EPLI insurance coverage for their business, whether your company is a corporation, a partnership, or LLC. EPLI provides protection against many kinds of employee lawsuits, including claims of sexual harassment, discrimination or wrongful termination, to name a few.

Thursday, March 17, 2016

Arizona Workers Compensation Insurance

Unknown at 10:35 PM No comments:

Whether your Arizona companies engage in the construct industry, the retailer, wholesale sector, the professional consulting field, or one of the many different companies that make up the Arizona economy, one thing that is an absolute, is that if your company has employees, then having Arizona worker's compensation insurance is not only a must, it is the law in Arizona.

Worker's compensation insurance, provides coverage for your employees medical expenses, and at least some portion of their lost wages if they are injured on the job. Worker's Comp. Insurance is a form of state regulated no fault liability insurance, which covers employees medical expenses, lost wages, rehabilitation services, and death, resulting from work related injury or illness. If an employee is injured in the workplace, regardless of fault, they are then eligible for workers compensation benefits.

When an injury or illness occurs while performing one's job duties or conducting employer's business, employees are entitled to receive workers compensation benefits. Additionally, this coverage protects your employer from being sued by an injured worker, in most cases. PJO Insurance Brokerage has several markets for your Arizona worker's comp needs and would welcome the opportunity to work with your company.

The Best California General Contractors Insurance

Unknown at 4:39 PM No comments:

Over the past 10 years PJO Insurance Brokerage has been working with Orange County California general contractors on their insurance needs. It doesn't matter whether you've been Orange County California contractor for years or just starting your venture. PJO Insurance Brokerage has several markets who cater to the construction industry, including, but not limited to Colony, CBIC, Guardian, Mesa Underwriters, and Navigators, to name just a few markets.

In addition, we also have markets for hard to place contractors, such as roofers, framers and those that do track work. Besides coverage for general liability, we also offer additional coverages for Orange County California contractors, such as in the marine coverage, umbrella coverage, pollution coverage and workers comp.

Wednesday, March 16, 2016

Arizona Employment Practices Liability Insurance

Unknown at 3:20 PM No comments:

If your Phoenix or Scottsdale, Arizona company has employees, then having an Arizona EPLI insurance policy is vital to your insurance program. When discussing employment practices liability insurance, or EPLI for short, we are referring to an insurance policy which covers businesses against alleged claims by workers that their legal rights as employees of the company have been violated. In recent years, Arizona companies have seen the number of lawsuits filed by employees against their employers rise dramatically, with the average claim paid approaching six figures.

While the majority of suits are filed against large corporations, please be aware that no company is immune to such lawsuits and more small companies are seeing lawsuits being filed against them. Recognizing this fact now more than ever, smaller companies need this type of Arizona EPLI insurance coverage for their Arizona businesses. Whether your company is a corporation, a partnership, or an LLC, EPLI provides protection against many kinds of employee lawsuits, including claims of sexual harassment, discrimination, and wrongful termination, to name just a few.

Arizona Directors and Officers Liability Insurance

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When we discuss Arizona Directors and Officers Liability Insurance, we are referring to a liability policy whose coverage provides protection for past, present and future directors and officers of for-profit companies, privately held firms, non-profit companies and educational intuitions from damages resulting from acts alleged or actual wrongful acts that directors and officers may have committed in their positions with the company.

This type of liability policy provides protection in case there's any actual or alleged error, omission, misleading statement given or breach of duty. In effect, the policies function as a management of errors and omissions liability insurance covering claims resulting from managerial decisions that have severe financial consequences. When a company assembles a board of directors, it is a wise business investment to acquire a Directors and Officers Liability Insurance coverage.

Please note that this type of policy is not errors and omissions liability coverage. Many times, clients confuse these two types of coverage. An Arizona directors and officers insurance policy is very important for any company that has officers responsible to investors or a board or if there's a possibility a lawsuit is able to breach the business veil and hit executives directly. This insurance plan will be a safeguard against that scenario as well.

Tuesday, March 15, 2016

California Directors and Officers Liability Insurance

Unknown at 10:07 PM No comments:

When discussing Orange County, California Directors and Officers Liability Insurance, we are referring to a liability policy whose coverage provides protection for past, present, and future directors and officers of for-profit companies, non-profit companies, privately held firms, and educational institutions from damages resulting from acts alleged or actual wrongful acts the directors and officers may have committed in their position with the company.

This type of liability policy provides protection in case there's any actual or alleged comissions, errors, misleading statements given, or breach of duty. These policies function as management errors and omissions liability insurance covering claims resulting from managerial decisions that have severe financial consequences. When your Orange County, California assembles its board of directors, the wise choice is to acquire Directors and Officers Liability Insurance coverage.

Please take note that this type of policy is not errors and omissions liability coverage, so clients sometimes confuse the two types of coverage. An Orange County, California directors and officers insurance policy is very important for any company that has its officers responsible to investors or a board, or if there's a possibility of lawsuits able to breach the business veil and hit executives directly. This insurance plan will be a safeguard against that scenario as well.

The Best Arizona General Contractors Insurance

Unknown at 10:12 AM No comments:

PJO Insurance Brokerage has been working with Arizona general contractors on their insurance needs for a little over 10 years. Whether you've been an Arizona contractor for years, or just starting out, we have access to numerous carriers who cater to the construction industry, including but not limited to: Colony, CBIC, Mesa Underwriters, Cover X, and Casualty, to name just a few.

We also have markers for hard to place contractors such as roofers, framers and those who do trap work. In addition to general liability, we also offer additional coverages for our Arizona contractors such as inland marine coverage, umbrella coverage, pollution coverage, and workers comp to name just a few. So whether you're a large or small Arizona contractor, PJO Insurance Brokerage has the expertise to design a proper insurance program for your company.

Monday, March 14, 2016

Irvine, California Small Business Insurance Services

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Irvine, California, with a population of over two hundred and fifty thousand residents, is considered a planned city, developed by the highly regarded Irvine Company in the 1960's. Today, Irvine, California is considered one of the best cities in the country by several publications and home to several national and international companies in the technology and the semiconductor industry.

Business is alive and thriving quite nicely in Irvine, California, witnessed by the over 35,000 companies that are located in Irvine, California, and, as we know, new, exciting and innovative companies are being started by entrepreneurs each day. The experienced and professional brokers at PJO Insurance Brokerage can present a proper insurance program for your company's needs, regardless if you company is involved in the technology field, a distributor or product manufacturer, the construction field, as a General Contractor or as an artisan/sub-contractor, retailing, website designer, professional consultant, health care field, app designer, communications field, entrepreneur-startup, or one of the numerous companies that operate in Irvine, California.

With each business, comes a different set of risks, therefore your insurance program should be tailored to your company's particular needs. Whether you are staring a new company or expanding your current one, PJO Insurance Brokerage has the expertise and experience to put the proper insurance program together for your company's needs.

Sunday, March 13, 2016

Newport Beach, California Small Business Insurance Services

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Newport Beach, California, along with Newport Harbor and Newport Bay is one of the most desirable places to call home in all of Orange County, California. In fact, Newport Harbor is the largest recreational boat harbor on the U.S. west coast, and a popular destination for all boating activities, including fishing, sailing, rowing, paddle boarding ,and kayaking.

Newport Beach, California is home to such companies as Pacific Life, Conexant, PIMCO and the largest Mercedes-Benz dealership in the world, Fletcher-Jones among the more than twenty thousand companies that are located in Newport Beach, California. The experienced and professional brokers at PJO Insurance Brokerage can in most instances can secure the insurance coverage whether your company is engaged as a entrepreneur-startup, the communications field, professional consultant, a product distributor manufacturer, pharmaceuticals industry, the construction field, whether as a General Contractor or as an artisan/sub-contractor, app designer, health care field, retailing, the technology field, or one of the many different companies that operate in Newport Beach, California.

Each day, new companies are being formed in Newport Beach, CA and since all companies are different. each will need their own insurance program. Whether you are staring a new company or expanding your current one, PJO Insurance Brokerage has the expertise and experience to put the proper insurance program together for your company's needs. We would welcome the opportunity to work with your company in the near future.

Garden Grove, California Small Business Insurance Services

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Garden Grove, California which was founded in 1874, became a incorporated city in 1956 of forty-five thousand residents has now grown into a thriving community of over one hundred seventy-five thousand residents. Also, Garden Grove, California is home to the famous "Strawberry Festival", held every year since 1958 and attended by thousands.

With over thirteen thousand businesses based in Garden Grove, it has become a desirable area for entrepreneurs to start or expand their companies. Regardless of what area your company is involved with such as a product or distributor manufacturer, website designer, health care field, professional consultant, retailing, pharmaceuticals industry, app designer, entrepreneur-startup, the technology field, communications field, the construction field, whether as a General Contractor or as an artisan/sub-contractor or one of the various business field there are operating in Garden Grove, California, the professional brokers at PJO Insurance Brokerage can find the proper insurance program for your company's particular needs. Each day new ventures are being started in Garden Grove, California and as you know, no two companies are alike and will need their own specific insurance program.

Whether you are starting a new company or expanding your current one, PJO Insurance Brokerage has the expertise and experience to find the right insurance program for your company's needs. We would welcome the opportunity to work with your company in the near future.

Saturday, March 12, 2016

Lake Forest, California Small Business Insurance Services

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Lake Forest, California which was just incorporated in 1991, has grown to over eighty-thousand residents. Prior to that year, it was known as El Toro since the 1880's. Lake Forest, California is home to some nationally known companies as Oakley, the eyewear company, metals company Kaiser Aluminum, Panasonic Avionics, Barbeques Galore, Johnny Rockets and Del Taco to name just a few. There are just over sixty-seven hundred companies located in Lake Forest, California and every day, new and exciting business ventures are being started.

No matter what particular area of business your company is engaged in such as a professional consultant, website designer, product manufacturer or distributor, app development, the technology field, health care field, e-commerce, retailer, entrepreneur-startup, the construction industry either as a General Contractor or as an artisan/sub-contractor, communications field, or one of the many unique and different companies that call Lake Forest, CA home, our professional and experienced brokers at PJO Insurance Brokerage can secure the proper insurance program for your company's particular needs. We understand that each business comes a different set of insurance needs, therefore your insurance program should be tailored to your company's specific needs.

Laguna Niguel, California Small Business Insurance Services

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Laguna Niguel, California was developed as a master planned community located in the San Joaquin Hills in southern Orange County, California. Laguna Niguel, California is home to many community upscale neighborhoods such as Crest de Ville, Bear Brand Ranch, Laguna Crest Ocean Ranch, Coronado Pointe, Monarch Pointe, South Peak, and Niguel Coast, to name just a few and which come with some incredible ocean views. In addition, almost eight thousand companies call Laguna Niguel, California home, and as such, more people are taking the plunge and becoming business owners.

If your Laguna Niguel, California company is engaged in such fields as a product distributor or manufacturer, communications field, professional consultant, the technology field, the construction field, whether as a General Contractor or as an artisan/sub-contractor, website designer, health care field, app designer, media industry, entrepreneur-startup, or one of the many companies that call Laguna Niguel, California home, the experienced brokers at PJO Insurance Brokerage can find proper insurance program regarding your company's field. Every business comes with its own set of risks, so your company's insurance program should be tailored to your its particular needs. Whether you are staring a new company or expanding your current one, PJO Insurance Brokerage has the expertise and experience to put the proper insurance program together for your company.

Friday, March 11, 2016

Mission Viejo, California Small Business Insurance Brokerage

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Nestled in southern Orange County, CA sits Mission Viejo, California, which is considered one of the largest planned communities that was ever built in the United States. In fact almost one hundred thousand residents call Mission Viejo, CA home and considering that in 1970, only twelve thousand people lived there, there has been quite a lot of growth in this area.

With the largest hospital in southern Orange County, California and the home office of Marie Callender's, the area has seen its business profile grow over the past couple of decades. In fact there are over twelve thousand businesses in Mission Viejo, CA and new ones are being started each day. Regardless of whether your company is doing business as a professional consultant, health care field, general contractor, artisan/sub-contractor, product distributor or manufacturer, the technology field, website designer, app designer, retailing or one of the many different businesses that call Mission Viejo, California home, your first step in protecting your businesses assets is having the proper insurance coverage.

With each business, comes a different set of risks, therefore your insurance program should be tailored to your company's particular needs. Whether you are staring a new company or expanding your current one, PJO Insurance Brokerage has the expertise and experience to put the proper insurance program together for your company's needs. We would welcome the opportunity to work with your company in the near future.

Buena Park, California Small Business Insurance Services

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Located in northwest Orange County, Buena Park, California which calls itself the "Center of the Southland" and over eighty-four thousand residents call home. Just travel down Beach Boulevard and you will see the heart of the Buena Park business district cultivating in their number one attraction, one that no matter what age you are enjoys, Knott's Berry Farm.

In fact over six thousand businesses are located in Buena Park, California. Whether your company is doing business as a product manufacturer or distributor, the technology field, website designer, app designer, professional consultant, health care field, general contractor, artisan/sub-contractor, retailing or one of the many fields that entrepreneurs' are conducting business in and around the Buena Park, CA area, a vital step in protecting your company's assets is to have the proper insurance program in place.

Now with the economy doing much better these days, we have seen an explosion of new and innovative businesses being started every day in Buena Park, CA, as such, will each require their own specifically designed insurance program. Now whether you are staring a new venture or expanding your current one, PJO Insurance Brokerage has the expertise and experience to put the proper insurance program together for your company's particular needs. We look forward to working with your company in the near future.

Thursday, March 10, 2016

Anaheim, California Small Business Insurance Services

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The City of Anaheim CA, which is the most populous city in Orange County, CA and of course is home to three unique places such as Disneyland, which no matter what age you are is a great place to spend time, there is Angel Stadium, which is place to be to watch America's pastime, baseball and of course the Honda Center, where there is not only professional hockey, but world class concerts as well.

Currently in the Anaheim area, there are over 20,000 businesses and more being formed each day. Regardless of whether your company is doing business as a product distributor or manufacturer, the technology field, website designer, app designer, professional consultant, health care field, general contractor, artisan/sub-contractor, retailing or one of the many different businesses are located in Irvine, CA, an important step in protecting your company's assets is to have the proper insurance program in place.

Each and every day new business ventures are being started in Anaheim, CA and as you well know, no two companies are alike and will need their own specific insurance program. Whether you are starting a new company or expanding your current one, PJO Insurance Brokerage has the expertise and experience to put the proper insurance program together for your company's needs.

California Cyber Insurance Recomendation

Unknown at 3:49 AM No comments:

Whether your business is based in Anaheim, Newport Beach, Mission Viejo or anywhere in California and does transactions via the internet, especially if you are processing credit or debit cards, and if your business keeps any client information such as medical records, social security numbers or any other vital information, then having an Orange County California Cyber Liability Insurance policy is a must.

Think for a minute, would your Orange County California company survive the loss or theft of valuable company data stored on your servers, your website being shut down from a power failure, or the ultimate nightmare your site being hacked, or a false claims accusation triggered by a Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, a company blog or some other post? More times than not the answer likely would be no. No matter the size of the company these days, according to reports, there are over 100 companies being hacked each week. If you would like to learn more about having an Orange County California Cyber Liability Insurance policy, what benefits your company, please call the experienced professional brokers at PJO Insurance Brokerage.

Wednesday, March 9, 2016

Run for Rethink Mental Illness at Youth Enterprise Live

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In 2011, I ran 52 marathons for my charity, Rethink Mental Illness. The people from AXA saw me speak to a group of small businesses and asked me to come along to Youth Enterprise Live and talk to people about goal setting and motivation and really kind of turning the negative into a positive and making you the person that you are. I'm motivated to run like I do because, unfortunately, my dad took his own life. And I want to get out there and talk to people about challenging yourself, and I want to lead by example.

It took me a little while to get over the self-pity, which I don't think was a problem. But after that, I wanted to make his death worthwhile in some way or some form. So I decided to use myself as an example to try and encourage others. I saw a friend who I went to school with and instead of talking to me, he actually crossed the road to avoid me and it was at that point where I thought, actually, I need to get people talking. So I decided there and then that I was going to do something different to really bring this into the fore and make people sit up and look at what I was doing.

I run for the charity Rethink Mental Illness, who do a whole load of work with people who have mental health issues, anybody who might have attempted suicide through to self-harm. They do incredible work, and without funding and donations from people, they wouldn't be able to exist. Suicide and mental illness carry taboos because they're injuries that you can't see. They're things that people won't talk about because it's just not cool to do it. Especially young people, they really feel like if you can't see something that's wrong with you, it's not a real illness.

I don't think I was born a positive person. I think I've become a pragmatic person. I was quite selfish when I was younger. I was very into sport and that drove me an awful lot. After my dad's death I re-evaluated what was important to me. And as a result, I realized that every negative can have a positive. So using his death as a positive to encourage people to talk about mental health is the way I want to go forward. I can't bring him back to life, but I can make his life worthwhile to others.

I think everyone has the ability to achieve something and I think everybody has the responsibility to achieve something. It's not enough to survive through life now, you need to make the most of what you have. It doesn't matter how many barriers you come up against, you can succeed if you try hard enough and you want to do it. My seminar is based around my life story and it's based around just how you can overcome challenges that have come into your life, it's going to be funny, it's going to be quite daunting.

There's some issues in there that are quite cutting and deep. But ultimately, I want people to leave inspired and feeling like they can achieve anything they want to achieve. I think a lot of the time we are bogged down and told that we can and can't do certain things. We are the only people that can determine exactly what we do in our own lives and we have to take responsibility for our own learning, our own development and therefore, I think that we can achieve absolutely anything.

Tucson, Arizona Small Business Insurance Services

Unknown at 12:19 AM No comments:

Over the past thirty years , the greater Tucson area has seen a tremendous amount of growth. In 1985, the population of Tucson was estimated to be around 365,000, and the latest estimate is somewhere around 525,000 with the Tucson region estimate at over one million people.

Also in that time there has been much creation of new businesses in and around Tucson, and the suburbs of Oro Valley and Marana. Now whether you particular company is engaged in the construction industry, either as a General Contractor or as a artisan/sub-contractor, a retailer, product manufacturer or distributor, web or app designer, health care field, consultant, or one of the hundred different field that conduct business in the greater Tucson, Oro Valley and Marana area, one important step in keeping your company safe and viable is having the proper insurance coverage.

Here at PJO Insurance Brokerage, we understand with the current market, new and exciting companies are being formed each and every day in and around the Tucson, Oro Valley or Marana Arizona area and as such will each require their own designed insurance program. PJO Insurance Brokerage has the expertise and experience to put the proper insurance program together for your company's particular needs.

Tuesday, March 8, 2016

Fullerton, California Small Business Insurance Brokerage

Unknown at 4:11 PM No comments:

Fullerton, CA, which is home to California State University, Fullerton, St. Jude Medical Center, Raytheon, Alcoa Fastening Systems, and Kraft Foods, are the most prominent names among the more than thirteen thousand companies that are based in Fullerton, CA.

In fact on the years, there have been a steady growth of residents in Fullerton, CA and the recent population estimated to be over one hundred and forty thousand residents. Many of these Fullerton, CA companies are in involved is such sectors as the construction field, whether as a General Contractor or as an artisan/sub-contractor, entrepreneur-startup, health care field, the technology field, a product distributor or manufacturer, professional consultant, the pharmaceutical industry, app designer, the communications field, retailing, or one of the many unique companies that operate in Fullerton, CA. When looking over your company's insurance needs, you will need an agency who will work with you to protect your assets.

so regardless of your company's field of operations, the experienced brokers at PJO Insurance Brokerage can find the proper insurance program for your company's particular needs. We understand that each company has a different set of risks, therefore your insurance program should be tailored to your company's particular needs. Whether you are staring a new company or expanding your current one, PJO Insurance Brokerage has the expertise to create the proper insurance program for your company's needs.

Cyber Security and Your Small Business

Unknown at 3:04 AM No comments:

Today's businesses rely on technology to not only perform daily functions, but to stay connected, informed, and involved. Unfortunately, with these increased conveniences comes increased risk. Credit card fraud, identity theft, embezzlement - all can and are being committed online. No business is immune to cyber attacks, but small businesses are especially vulnerable. In fact, 40 percent of all cyber attacks target businesses with fewer than 500 employees.

With limited budgets and few or no technical experts on staff, small businesses are a prime target. SO what can you do to protect yourself and your business? First, assess your risk and identity your weaknesses. Is your sensitive information linked to the Internet? What type is linked? Social Security numbers? Bank account numbers? Do you capture customer's personal data?

Create a contingency plan. Enact security practices and policies to protect the sensitive information of your organization and its employees, and then hold employees accountable to the policies. Make sure your employees are routinely educated on new and emerging threats and the best ways to identify and report suspected incidents.

Require that employees use strong passwords and regularly change them. Establish a schedule to perform data backups to ensure that critical data is not lost in the event of a cyber attack. Store all backup files offsite, and encrypt any sensitive data about the company or customers. Secure your Internet connection by using and regularly updating antivirus and antispyware software on all computers. Use a firewall, encrypt information, and hide your Wi-Fi network.

While these tips can be very effective in helping prevent a cyber attack, your business could still be a victim despite your best efforts. This is why cyber liability insurance is so critically important. Should your business suffer an attack, cyber liability insurance will help cover costs for recovery efforts such as data restoration and recreation, system restoration, business income losses, and public relations services.

Cyber liability coverage will also help defend you should you become the target of a lawsuit due to a security breach in your company. As a business owner, you can earn customers' respect as a trusted business partner, and retain their business, by promoting security practices to protect their data, including protecting yourself with cyber liability coverage. Talk to your independent insurance agent today about cyber liability coverages and how you can protect your business from a cyber attack.

Monday, March 7, 2016

Filing Your Small Business Insurance Claim

Unknown at 6:48 PM No comments:

Wind, water and fire can leave behind a considerable amount of damage in just a few mintues. Being prepared to handle the aftermath can help get you back in business as soon as possible. Your first priority is to make sure that you and your employees are safe. Then move on to preventing further dmage and initiating the claims process. Contact your insurance agent or company. They will advise you on filing your claim.

Inspect the building to determine its safety and the extent of the damage. Before you move or attempt to fix anything take inventory and pictures of the damage to aid in the claims process. Just be cautious of possible hazards such as downed power lines or debris or shock hazards from flooded basements when the power is still on. Your insurance company will send an adjuster to inspect the damage and provide an estimate for repairs. Make basic repairs to mitigate further damage. Board up the building and cover holes in the roof. Consider hiring a professional licensed contractor to help make any temporary emergency repairs.

Secure your building from casual entry or post guards. Restore the utilities as soon as possible. If necessary, install a temporary electrical generator. Use temporary signs to redirect parking or traffic access. Partition the building if some areas are not usable or locate an alternative location if the building is not usable. Consideration should be given to controlling damage to your stock by moving it to a safe location. Above all, keep detailed records of the repair process and any expenses you incur. No matter the extent of your damage, your agent and company claims representative will be there to help guide you through every step of the claims process.

About Small Business Health Care Tax Credit

Unknown at 3:32 AM No comments:

Are you an employer with fewer than 25 employees? Get the credit you deserve. The small business health care tax credit. Whether you are a for-profit business or a tax-exempt group, if you pay at least half the cost of premiums for single coverage health insurance for your employees, you may qualify. The credit has been around since tax year 2010, but some of the rules change for tax years beginning in 2014 or later.

First, the maximum credit increases from 35 percent to 50 percent for small business employers, and from 25 percent to 35 percent for small tax-exempt employers. Next, to claim the credit, generally employers must offer employees insurance purchased through the small business health options program, known as the shop marketplace. And finally, in 2014 and subsequent years, the credit is only available to eligible employers for two consecutive taxable years.

Although the maximum credit amount changes, the definition of a small employer has not. Usually a small employer for the purpose of the credit is an employer with fewer than 25 employees and those employees must earn low to moderate wages. There are other special rules. For example, two half-time employees generally count as one full-time employee. So if you have more than 25 employees, and some are not full-time, you may still qualify for the credit.

If you're a small business, you'll claim the credit as part of the general business credit on your income tax return using form 8941. If you have no tax due, you can carry the credit back or forward to other years. And since the credit will be less than the full amount of your premium payments, you may be eligible to claim a business expense deduction for the difference.

That's both a credit and a deduction for employee health insurance premium payments. If you're a tax-exempt employer, you'll claim the credit on form 990-t and for you the credit is refundable. That means you can get it even if you owe no tax.

Sunday, March 6, 2016

Business Insurance Agency Santa Rosa Review

Unknown at 5:22 PM No comments:

Did you know that one car out of three has no insurance? How do you protect yourself against that? I'm Jeff Lecoeuche, owner of the Jeff Lecoeuche Insurance Agency right here in Santa Rosa. As you may have heard, I have an accent. I'm French, I can't help it. We all spend a lot of money and time choosing the right doctor, the right dentist, but insurance will make sure your kids go to college if you die today.

Insurance will make sure your house is rebuilt after a fire. Insurance will protect your business from a lawsuit. You will see me around town with my car. Stop me, ask me questions, people do everyday. I'm extremely lucky with my team. We all have the same drive, the compassion, the care for the community.

We all understand that the business is not about taking but about giving. I value justice, and I always like to fight for the underdog. Our agency provides families and businesses with the same risk management system that protects big corporations. So, thank you for visiting my website. Our motto is listen, educate, protect. There is no sell in that motto. So when you have a question come and see us, call us. If you see me driving in my car, stop me, ask me. I live in the same community as you and I want to make it a better place.

How to Get Insurance For a Business

Unknown at 3:16 AM No comments:

Having good insurance for your company is paramount. It's very important. This is Clayton Christopher, founder and CEO, sweet leaf tea company. There's plenty of great places to go to get advice on the types of insurance you need for your company. Going to an insurance agent with most insurance companies is probably the est place to go for advice. I suggest trying to find and insurance company that really specializes in businesses rather than residential or auto.

You just, you're going to deal with a completely different set of challenges when you need insurance for your company versus just insurance for your home or car. That being said, whoever you choose to get your insurance through will probably lay out. They should lay out for you a lot of options for different types of insurance from liability insurance to auto insurance if you're using automobiles in your business, to property insurance, to loss of business insurance, so, in case you were to have a fire and you're out of business for a month, there's insurance for that. But that being said, you're going to get more options than you can probably afford, or your insurance person is probably going to lay out more options and more ways, more types of insurance to buy that you really need. So I'd say early on in your business, especially in a start up scenario it's usually a scenario where you need to be willing to take more risk.

Which often times means less insurance. When I first started sweet leaf tea, we ran really bare boned, so. I mean it was, liability insurance only for our delivery trucks. It was, we had no property insurance, it was just, I just couldn't afford it. So, you get the type of insurance that you need, but maybe necessarily type of insurance that you want. As your company gets bigger and it's actually worth more money it becomes a lot more important to protect those assets. You probably want to increase your insurance. There's also going to be insurance some of your customers may dictate that you have to have. So it's good to have that and to talk to some of those customers. So, but your local insurance person that specializes in business insurance, corporate insurance, will be great resource for what you need. This is Clayton Christopher, founder and CEO of sweet leaf tea company.

Saturday, March 5, 2016

Business Income Coverage - Business Insurance

Unknown at 11:11 PM No comments:

Owning your own business can be a rewarding experience. There are many perks to being your own boss, but there are also many responsibilities. Your employees, your customers, and your vendors all rely on you to keep your business operational. Let's say your manufacturing business suffers a fire. Your building and its contents are a total loss. Without a building, your employees are unable to return to work. Without your employees, sales orders go unfulfilled. When they don't receive their orders, customers resort to taking their business elsewhere.

While it may only take a few months to rebuild or establish your business elsewhere, the loss of income during that time could take months or even years to recoup. This is where Business Income Coverage becomes critically important to a business owner. First, let's define Business Income Coverage. Business Income Coverage covers the business income lost when your business operations are suspended due to a direct physical loss of property on your premises resulting from a covered cause of loss.

Unless all three of these requirements are met, Business Income coverage will not apply. Business Income Coverage is sometimes called Time Element Coverage because it provides coverage for loss of business income over a specific time span called the Period of Restoration. The Period of Restoration begins 72 hours after the loss, and ends when either the business is rebuilt or resumes at another location. For example, we noted earlier your business has suffered a fire.

It happens on a Saturday afternoon and causes extensive damage. However, you are able gather enough stock to reopen your business at another temporary location on Monday. Because it has not yet been 72 hours since your loss, you have not yet entered the Period of Restoration, so you would not be covered for any income lost on Saturday and Sunday. There are two types of Business Income Coverage: with extra expense and without extra expense.

Business income with extra expense coverage helps pay for extra expenses you incur to keep your business operational after a loss caused by a covered peril. This coverage kicks in immediately after the loss occurs and can cover expenses such as moving costs, renting temporary premises, and renting or purchasing temporary equipment that does not replace equipment which is already part of your inventory. So in our fire example, while you would not recover the lost income from Saturday and Sunday, you would be reimbursed for the moving expenses because they will allow you to be operational while you rebuild your business.

The second type of Business Income coverage -without extra expense - does not include coverage for extra expenses incurred to keep your business operational after the loss, leaving you to cover those expenses. For businesses that require more specialized coverage options, there are several coverage add-ons available to help meet your needs. These include changing the period of restoration, extending the length of time you can receive benefits from the Business Income policy (called the Period of Indemnity), or limiting or excluding payroll expense of your employees.

Sometimes, a business may suffer an income loss involving a unique set of circumstances that are excluded on the Business Income policy. Endorsements are available to help you address situations such as a delay in rebuilding due to an ordinance or law, or a disruption in utility services. Your independent insurance agent can help you determine which coverages are right for you. Contact them today about the vital protection Business Income Coverage provides to help your business recover after a loss.

Friday, March 4, 2016

Navigator International Medical Insurance

Unknown at 3:47 PM No comments:

Navigator is one of our best plans. It's good health insurance overseas. It's great missionary insurance. And it's also got great coverage in the U.S. Most of the other plans we have require you to be outside of the U.S. for six months. So that means you have up to six months of coverage in the U.S. per year. But the Navigator is special in this area because coverage is unlimited.

There's only one requirement, and that's the first year, you must have, you must be outside of the U.S. for at least three months. So that means you have up to nine months of coverage in the U.S. before you have to leave, if you want to do that. But after your renewal, there's unlimited coverage, so even if you move back its OK. If you take a really long furlough, you're OK. You can renew. So basically, you can renew as long as you want. It's not ACA compliant, so that's one thing about this. The ACA is Obamacare, or Affordable Care Act. Basically, health plans have to have a certain amount of coverage and otherwise you may receive a tax penalty.

For expatriates, there is no penalty or anything, so just keep in mind that these plans, nor any of our individual plans are ACA compliant. Despite not being ACA compliant, you can still get coverage anywhere. The Navigator also has a great network: Blue Cross Blue Shield and Aetna. I actually have a link to the other information video on that right below. So you can check that out if you need to. So we always recommend going in network, and overall the health coverage in the U.S. is excellent, so wherever you are in the world, Navigator is up there. It's top of the line. So this is why it's excellent missionary insurance. It's got the excellent U.S. coverage and simultaneously has the health coverage overseas. So, there you have it. That's about it for the U.S. coverage.

Trip Medical Insurance Buying Guide

Unknown at 5:38 AM No comments:

I want to share with you a couple quick tips when you're comparing trip medical insurance. One thing that you would want to look at is having a network in the destination they're going to. You want to make sure that you're able to have access to physicians and hospitals that speak your language when you're on the ground and the company that you're working with is able to communicate with it.

Second, you want to make sure that you have access to your online confirmation documents showing that you have insurance whether you're buying that in the airport or you're already at your destination, it's important to have access to that material at all times. Lastly, you want to make sure that you have emergency medical evacuation coverage. A lot of countries will require that for you to even enter the country. You want to make sure that the company that you're looking at not only offers that that is able to perform it quickly.

Thursday, March 3, 2016

What is private medical insurance?

Unknown at 5:33 PM No comments:

Private medical insurance covers the cost of diagnosing and treating a variety of illnesses, allowing you to be treated privately, and under certain policies, at the hospital you choose. If you’re feeling unwell, you can have your illness diagnosed quickly.

Cover includes tests such as x-rays, blood tests and scans. You should see your GP and contact your private medical insurance provider, and they will arrange a referral to a consultant if required. If you’ve been diagnosed with an illness, private medical insurance can ensure that you receive the necessary treatment to get better. This could include surgery, medication or psychiatric treatment. Some policies will cover treatment for heart conditions and cancer as standard. On others this may be an additional level of cover.

Why the Most Dangerous Thing You Can Have is Good Medical Insurance

Unknown at 5:28 AM No comments:

Ty Bollinger: So Robert, here’s a couple quotes I want you to talk about. First one, I’ve heard you say that "the most dangerous thing a person can have is good medical insurance." What do you mean by that?

Dr. Robert Scott Bell: Well, it’s a funny thing to say and some people get offended when I say that because you know the biggest bulk of the American population, unfortunately, we’ve been clamoring for affordable health care or affordable health insurance, which really nothing about the system supports health. It is, as you said, medical insurance. It is covering management of disease; it’s not preventive of disease and if we were to look at the appropriate role for insurance it would be dealing with catastrophic unexpected scenarios. That is a legitimate role for insurance. Not the way it is utilized today as a third party intervener in the doctor, patient relationship.

And going back to the monopoly of medicine and the Flexner Report, they limit your choice of doctors - any kind you want as long as it’s allopathic, right? That’s like old Communist Russia or East Germany. You can have any color car you want as long as it’s black. It’s not much of a choice, but we’ve been convinced that we have to have a choice within the no choice scenario. And so when we talk politically about whatever you want to call Obamacare, and it could have been Bushcare, it doesn’t matter to me. That it embraces an exclusivity and a monopoly and mandates your participation, and it is a corruption to begin with.

So, if I say the most dangerous thing you can have is good medical insurance, the reason is this. It’s because it guarantees the doctors will order every invasive test possible and give you access to every invasive medical procedure, drug... anything. And these things are deadly, deadly. And when you find out what really cures cancer and heals cancer, I mean, heck, just read "Cancer - Step Outside the Box" by this guy... who is this guy? Oh Ty, that’s you.

You’ll see that the reality is more people die of the treatment of that form of monopoly medical oncological treatment. And that if you did nothing, if you did nothing you would at the very least survive the same amount of time, but with a much higher quality of life and in most cases you may live far longer if you did nothing. Although there are some things, many things in fact that you can do, and that’s what we’re doing here, revealing at least some of those things that you can do. So yes, I believe as it is today the most dangerous thing you can have is good medical insurance.

Wednesday, March 2, 2016

Why Are American Health Care Costs So High?

Unknown at 10:19 PM No comments:

I want to talk today about why healthcare costs in the United States are so phenomenally, fascinatingly expensive, but first I have to blow your mind: Alright, so you've probably heard that the reason that people enjoy "free" healthcare in Australia and the UK and Canada, etc, etc is that they pay higher taxes. That money then goes into a big pot and is used to pay for people's healthcare, but in fact, in the US, we spend more tax money per capita on healthcare than Germany, Australia, the UK, or Canada.

That's right Hank: you pay more in taxes for healthcare than you would if you were British, and in exchange for those taxes, you get no healthcare. In fact, only about 28% of Americans get their health insurance through government funded programs, mostly poor people, old people, and Congresspeople. But as you can see in this graph our private healthcare spending (most Americans are privately insured through their employers) is WAY higher than anywhere else in the world. In total, the US currently spends about 18% of its gross domestic product on healthcare costs. Australia by comparison? 9%. Why is this? Well because everything costs more, which seems obvious, but apparently isn't, because every article you read is like "Oh it's because of malpractice insurance" or "it's because we're obese" or we go to the doctor too much or people are prescribed too many medications. Well, not really.

It's because everything costs more. A hip replacement in Belgium costs $13,000. In the US it's often over $100,000. Colonoscopies average over $1100 a piece in the US; in Switzerland they're $655. And on average a month of the drug Lipitor will cost you $124 if you live in the US. If you live in New Zealand? $7. Now we are also—not to brag—richer than all of these countries, so it makes sense that we should spend a little more on healthcare. But we don't spend a little more. We spend a ton more. And vitally, we don't get anything for that money, which means we are essentially paying people to dig holes and then fill those holes back up. Like we don't live longer—in fact we're 33rd in life expectancy—and in everything from asthma to cancer, according to one recent nonpartisan study, American healthcare outcomes are "not notably superior."

So why are we spending all of this money for nothing? Well first, let's discuss some of the problems that are not actually problems. For instance, the problem is not so-called "overutilization:" the idea that Americans go to the doctor more and get more tests and spend more time in hospitals. We know this because Americans actually go to the doctor less than Europeans and spend much less time in hospitals, although to be fair, you can stay in a Dutch hospital for seven nights for what it costs to stay in an American hospital for one night, so no wonder we're hesitant. Also it is not because we're sicker than other people. Everyone likes to blame obesity on our rising healthcare costs, but yeah, no. That argument is just not supported by data. For one thing, disease prevalence does not affect healthcare costs that much. And for another thing, while we do have more obesity in the United States, which sometimes leads to health problems, we have fewer smokers and less alcohol consumption (really? Apparently yes). So that saves us a little money, and if you compare us to like the British or the French, in the end it's probably a wash.

Hank, the truth, as usual, is complex. Like, there are obvious inefficiencies in our healthcare system. For instance, not everyone has insurance. If you don't have insurance, you still get healthcare, but you're responsible for paying for that healthcare, which often you can't do, so you end up going bankrupt. That sucks for you, obviously, because you're bankrupt, but it also sucks for the rest of us because we have to pay not only for your care, but also for all the money the hospital spent trying to get you to pay for your care. Also the only options available to uninsured people are usually the most expensive options, like emergency rooms, which is just BANANAS. But those inefficiencies are hard to measure. Fortunately, there are things we can measure.

So like I said before, because the US is one of the richest countries in the world, you would expect us to pay a little more for healthcare than most people. The question is, when do we pay MORE than you would expect us to pay, and that turns out to be pretty interesting. Let's start with malpractice and so-called "defensive medicine." The idea here is that doctors are scared of huge malpractice suits so they order a lot of unnecessary tests in order to, like, cover their butts. That does contribute to our healthcare costs, like there are more MRI and CT scans in the US than anywhere else. However, there are a bunch of states like Texas that have passed tort reform to limit malpractice suits, and in those states healthcare costs have dropped by an average of a whopping 0.1%. The biggest estimates for the total costs of defensive medicine put it at around 55 billion dollars, which is a lot of money, but only 2% of our total healthcare costs.

Another smallish factor: doctors (and to a lesser extent, nurses) are paid more in the US than they are in other countries, and by my possibly-faulty math we end up spending about 75 billion dollars more than you would expect us to there. And then we have the cost of insurance and administration costs, like paperwork and marketing and negotiating prices. That's about 90 billion dollars more than you would expect us to spend. We spend about $100 billion more than you would expect on drugs, not so much because we take MORE of them, but because the ones we take cost more per pill. Okay, and now for the big one. I'm gonna lump inpatient and outpatient care together, because in the US we do a lot of things as outpatient procedures, like gallbladder surgeries, that are often inpatient procedures in other hospitals. We're just gonna make a big ball [gestures]. That big ball is $500 billion more than what you would expect given the size of our economy.

Why? Because in the United States we do not negotiate as aggressively as other countries do with healthcare providers and drug manufacturers and medical device makers. So like in the UK the government goes out to all the people who make artificial hips and says "One of you is going to get to make a crapton of fake hips for everybody who is covered by the NHS here in the United Kingdom. But you better make sure your hips are safe, and you better make sure that they are cheap, because otherwise we're going to give our business to a different company." And then all the fake hip companies are motivated to offer really low prices because it's a really huge contract. Like think if your company got to put hips inside of everyone in England and Scotland and Wales and Northern Ireland (I guess not everyone. Just the people who need hips). But in the US we don't have any of that centralized negotiation, so we don't have as much leverage. The only big exception is Medicare, the government-funded healthcare for old people, which, not coincidentally, always gets the lowest prices.

So basically, Hank, in the United States, providers charge whatever they think they can get away with, and they can get away with a lot, because it's really difficult to put a price on, like, not dying. This is a phenomenon called "inelastic demand," like if you tell me that this drug will save my life costs $7 a month, I will pay you $7 a month for it. If you tell me that it costs $124 a month, I will find a way to find $124 a month to pay for it. You can't negotiate effectively on your own behalf for healthcare services because you NEED them. And not like you need a Macbook Air or the new season of Sherlock, but actual, physical need (I guess it is like the new season of Sherlock). So basically, Hank, until and unless we can negotiate as effectively with the people providing healthcare as Australians and British people do, US healthcare costs will continue to rise faster than anywhere else in the world and we WON'T get better healthcare outcomes. Hank, I know this video is long, although it could have been much longer, but I am so tired of people offering up simple explanations for what's wrong with our healthcare system.

They say "Oh, it's malpractice," or "it's doctors who must also be businesspeople" or "it's insurance companies" or "it's insane rules for who can GET insurance." It's drug companies, it's government bureaucracy, it's an inability to negotiate prices. It is all of those things and more! It is not a simple problem, there will not be a simple solution, but it is probably the biggest single drag on the American economy and it's vital that we grapple with it meaningfully instead of just treating healthcare costs as political theatre. So I hope I've at least introduced the complexity of the problem. I've put some thoroughly nonpartisan links in the doobly-doo for further reading. Hank, welcome back to the United States. As you can see, everything is peachy here. I'll see you on Friday.

Fun Health Insurance Explained With The YouToons

Unknown at 3:07 PM No comments:

Millions of us now have health insurance many things in life, your health insurance can often be confusing and complicated. Whether you've been insured for years or you're new to the game, understanding your policy is important to your health...and your wallet. First things first, you have to pay your premium every month or your insurance could get cancelled - kind of like your cable subscription.

You can also think of it like a shared health care piggy bank -- we all chip in each month, even if we're healthy, so the money is there when we need it. If you get insurance at work, your employer probably pays most of your premium and the rest comes out of your paycheck automatically. If you have Medicaid, you most likely don't have to pay any premium at all -- the federal government and your state take care of that. If you're insured through a new health insurance marketplace, depending on your income, you may be eligible for a tax credit that pays a portion of your premium. Once you have that shiny new insurance card, you'll want to try really hard to keep it in your wallet!

To better your odds at staying healthy, be sure to take advantage of the free preventive services that all new insurance plans provide. But of course...stuff happens. And that's when insurance really comes in handy. Now, having insurance helps a lot, but it doesn't mean all your health care is going to be free. There are lots of details about your insurance plan that affect how much you pay when you get sick or injured. If you have Medicaid, a lot of these services could very well be free. Otherwise, you'll likely have to pay something when you go to the doctor or fill a prescription. This is called a copay when it's a specific dollar amount -- like $25 per visit...or coinsurance if it's a percentage of the bill. There's also the deductible -- that's how much comes out of your own pocket before your insurance starts paying. Depending on your plan, you might have a deductible for all your care, or it might only apply to some types of care, like hospital stays and prescriptions.

So read your plan material, because it can run into the thousands of dollars! Another important part of your plan is the out of pocket maximum. This is the most you'll ever have to pay in any one year. At least for the benefits your plan covers. Your insurer will pay 100% of anything beyond the maximum for the rest of the year. It can be just as confusing dealing with prescriptions! Your plan has a list of drugs it will pay for, called a formulary, but the prices vary. Check with your doctor or pharmacist, because a generic drug might fix you up the same as a brand name drug, but the price difference could be huge. So, those are the costs typically involved, but remember that they'll be affected by your insurance plan's provider network.

This is a list of doctors and hospitals that are connected to your plan. Insurance companies negotiate discounts with these providers. Stay in-network, and the discounts get passed to you. Go out of network, and you could end up paying full price. And remember that out-of-pocket limit? It won't work if you go out of network! In some plans -- like HMOs or EPOs -- your insurance would pay nothing if you go out-of-network. In other plans -- like PPOs -- your insurance will cover you no matter where you go, but you'll pay a lot more if you go out of network. Also, if you want to visit a specialist - like an orthopedist - some plans require a referral from your primary care doctor. Sound easy enough? Well, sometimes staying in-network can be tricky!

In a hospital, it's possible that your surgeon could be in-network, while your anesthesiologist is not. Don't be afraid to negotiate with your provider or file an appeal with your insurer. So as you can see, there's a lot to think about when you choose an insurance plan each year. Some plans may have low premiums, but fewer doctors or hospitals and high deductibles. There are tradeoffs, and understanding and choosing among plans isn't always easy. Remember, if you have questions call your health plan and ask, or check with your hospital or doctor. If you still have questions, your state insurance department or Consumer Assistance Program can help.

Start a Career in Medical Insurance Billing and Coding

Unknown at 3:12 AM No comments:

Welcome to the Allen School!As a premiere leader in health care education since 1961,the Allen School offers our100% online Medical Insurance Billing and Coding program.Our accelerated 9-month MIBC program allows studentsto manage their daily challenges and responsibilitieswhile being able to complete their education 24/7 from anywhere.Students can participate in live or recorded virtual classroomsand benefit from small class sizes,allowing one-on-one interaction with instructors and fellow students.

While studying online, students will also enjoy the benefits ofbeing a part of the convenient, flexible, yet disciplined learning environmentwhile having individual attention and meeting interesting peoplefrom around the world. The Allen School is a selective institution, as such,the admissions department will help direct youthrough the application and admissions process.

If admitted, students at the Allen School will beinstructed by faculty and industry leaders,as well as being supported by our enrollment management team,who will guide them towards a successfultransition from student to graduate.The Allen School has a lifetime career services department for alumni.

Upon graduation, career services will work one-on-one with each student in developing a resume while fine-tuning their interviewing techniques so that they can become introduced and placed within the type of medical health care facility or office of their choosing.

If you are a career-minded individual seeking a health care path in one of the nation's fastest growing fields, Medical Insurance Billing and Coding, and looking for an alternative to the constraints of traditional, on-campus school, then our online program is for you!

Allen School graduates have told us they're enjoying the ability to help people while having career security, better working conditions, flexible hours, promotional opportunities, and time for family. Call today and join our family of over 65,000 graduates.

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