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Top Five Reasons:

1) It could save your life.

2) Disasters are traumatic.

3) A support network will be in place.

4) You will have more control.

5) You expectations will be more realistic.

Having a plan could mean the difference between life and death.  Having a plan can help to reduce stress and anxiety. Knowing who you can count on brings peace of mind. You may not have control over a disaster, but being prepared for one can give you some control in the aftermath.  It is easier to put your life back together when you know what to expect.

Young Adults – Must be convinced of the value of health insurance.  These are young, healthy, have never been married or had children. Majority are enrolled in school, are establishing careers and independence. Do not anticipate the need to medical care.

Young Newlyweds  – Want minimal coverage for the lowest cost.  These do not anticipate frequetn doctor visits. Have active lifestyles. Have no immediate plans for children.  Beginning to plan for their future and understand their value of insurance.

Families – Want affordable, comprehensive family care. Planning a family or have a least one child under 18.  Anticipate frequent doctor visits and want comprehensive coverage.  Are budget and value conscious; may have growing assets to protect and want to ensure their future financial security.

Empty-Nesters & Pre-Retirees – Are shifting away from family coverage and want asset protection.  May have assets to protect and want to ensure financial security.  May use medical care more frequently and want comprehensive coverage.  Priorities shift from their children to life insurance, personal insurances and possible luxury items.

How to find the right health insurance plan for your Life Stage http://www.hendersoninsurances.com/pages/health.php

Natural catastrophes are low-probability with high-consequence events.  What makes some people plan for them while others do not?  And how does a person\’s understanding of risk affect their actions?

People who live in an area that regularly experience natural disasters are more likely to feel at risk and to prepare.  It is important to recognize that your past experiences with disasters may not always be a reliable guide to your future experiences.  Don\’t be lulled into a false sense of security.  The reality is it could happen to you. 

Peoples\’ attitudes about natural disasters has found that Americans are an optimistic bunch!  We do not concentrate on the negative, nor do we expect bad things to happen in our lives.  While that positive attitude is to be applauded, it means many of us have a tendency to avoid planning for \”what if\” events. 

When it comes to preparing for natural disasters, it may seem easier to hang on to the belief that \”it will never happen to me\”.  But there are compelling reasons to have a plan that protects in case it does happen to you. 

Here are some resources:

www.fema.gov

www.ready.gov

As insurance brokers our job is to help our clients prepare for the \”what if\’s\” and planning for a Disaster it not something people tend to think about on a daily basis.  Over the next couple of weeks we will discuss the different types of \”what if\’s\” or better put, Disasters to prepare for.

Today we will discuss about how having a family conversation can make a difference.  Although we cannot control natural disasters, we can – to some extent- control how they affect us.  By communicating with your family, friends and neighbors and preparing in advance, you can more safely and confidently deal with natural diasters.  Planning can lesson your stress and help prevent loss of life and reduce property damage or loss. 

Insight from a Claims Adjsuter:

          \”I think most people are of the opinion \’It can\’t happend to me\’. Although they may have made some modest preparations, I find that, generally, folks are unprepared to deal with a natural disaster.\”

Diasters and Older Adults: Benefits of Planning –

     Disasters are frequently the time when we see the very best in people – strength, bravery, generosity and compassion.  People of all ages rise to the occasion.  Older adults are ofter resilient in the face of disaster.  Their experience and judgment, which increase with age, are important attributes when responding effectively to crises.

When it comes to preparing for – and responding to – disasters, many older persons play important community roles.  Their skills and talents are invaluable for such things as:

•  Identifying and supporting people in their neighborhoods who need assistance.
• Volunteering for direct disaster relief roles in their communites
• Assisting in shelters.

Because disease-related conditions and the functional limitations they cause may be more prevalent in later life, older adults as a group are particularly vulnerable during emergencies and disasters.  Recent history tells the story all too clearly.  Nearly three quarters of the people who died in the New Orleans area as a result of Hurricane Katrina were age 60 and over, although only 15 percent of the population of New Orleans fell into that age group.  This painful experience underscores the important need for older adults to have a reliable plan for immediate, easy and safe evacuation in the event of a disaster. 

For more information visit the following wesbites:

American Red Cross – www.redcross.org

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention – www.cdc.gov

The newly enacted federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (the \”Act\”) Makes significant changes to the health and other benefits that employers offer to their employees. Additionally, there are administrative requirements required in the act with which an employer will need to comply.  It is imperative that employers have a detailed understanding of what changes are on the immediate horizon, as well as what changes will be required in the future, so that they may adequately plan and account for the administrative and financial impact of these changes to their business and on their workforce. While we continue to analyze the hundreds of provisions in the over 2,000 pages of new federal law, the purpose of this paper is to provide employers with a preliminary summary and explanation of the changes, and to alert employers to ambiguous areas in the act that will need to be clarified by regulations yet to be issued by federal agencies such as Health and Human Services and the IRS.

Timing of new requirements; details continue to be defined.  It is important to note that most of the provisions that will have a major impact on the health insurance marketplace – such as the new framework for health insurance products and the employer mandate to offer coverage – are not scheduled to go into effect until 2014. However, some of the provisions that have been less publicized in the media have effective dates in 2010 or are even retroactive to the beginning of 2010. Many of the deadlines discussed in this blog are calculated from the date of the act´s enactment,

March 23, 2010. For example, most of the effective dates in 2010 apply to plan years beginning on or after six months after the date of enactment (or September 23, 2010).

It is also important to note that many of the provisions in the act instruct federal agencies such as Health and Human Services and the IRS to define details, issue implementation guidelines or regulations, and resolve ambiguities. Such a process is typical with enacted legislation, and while a few guidelines have been issued, many of the provisions with near-term implementation dates have yet to be defined.

Where interpretation of the law is unclear, employers should consult their legal counsel for guidance.  Health plan auto-enrollment effective date is unclear.  The act will require employers with more than 200 full-time employees to automatically enroll new full-time employees in health coverage, although employees have the ability to opt out of coverage. The effective date for this requirement is unclear, but because the act states that the enrollment must be in accordance with regulations to be issued, it is possible that this requirement is not effective until those regulations are issued. 

Changes required in 2012

Issue 1099s for corporate service providers. One important change made by the act unrelated to health benefits requires employers beginning in 2012 to provide an IRS Form 1099 to all corporate service providers receiving more than $600 per year for services or property. Currently, 1099s need only be generated for non-corporate service providers and only on services.