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Turkey With A Side Of Small Group Medical Insurance, Please!

         November, what a magical time of year. Leaves change color, cooler temperatures and of course, TURKEY are the first thing that we think of when we think about November. Why not, Thanksgiving is a great...

Does Medicare Cover Preventive Services?

First, let’s define preventive services. These are crucial medical services that help detect and prevent health issues before they become more severe. Early detection through preventive services can optimize the effectiveness of...

Social Security: Spousal Benefits After Divorce

       Going through a divorce is undoubtedly one of life's most challenging experiences. Amid the emotional turmoil, it is crucial to address practical matters like your financial future. Social Security benefits...

A Bit More About Group Vision Plans

             It doesn’t take much for employers to SEE (pun intended) why group vision insurance is such a great option to offer to their employees. Not only can the insurance improve your...

Medicare: What’s Not Covered

       I've explained in previous writings that Original Medicare Part A and Part B provide vital healthcare coverage to millions of individuals across the United States. Part A covers hospital and inpatient care,...

Medicare for People Under Age 65

Medicare, a cornerstone of the United States healthcare system, is predominantly associated with providing health insurance coverage for individuals aged 65 and older. However, there are specific circumstances under which individuals...

14 KEY GROUP DENTAL TERMS

Let’s face it employees want benefits. They don’t just want medical insurance anymore, they want more. Group dental insurance will not only help to make them smile; the cost to you (the employer) should make you happy as well...

Common Medicare Pitfalls

       Medicare is a critical healthcare program that provides coverage for millions of Americans aged 65 and older, as well as some individuals with disabilities. While Medicare offers invaluable benefits, it is...

The Most Unattractive Times for Investors

“Stocks haven’t looked this unattractive since 2007”, reads the headline of a Wall Street Journal article from last April,¹ referring to the risk vs reward of owning equities over bonds. The sentiment will probably carry throughout at...

What is a Roth Account? Part 2

A Roth can be a Roth IRA or a Roth 401(k).  A Roth 401(k) is a type of 401(k) account that allows participating eligible employees to make after-tax contributions to their employer sponsored retirement plan. The employee then...

Why You should Offer Ancillary Benefits to Employees

 Ancillary benefits can be a great offering to your employees. These benefits can have an employer contribution, but it is not required. In fact, one of the benefits to offering ancillary benefits for your employees is that when their...

Thinking of doing a Rollover to an IRA? Review your options here.

  A rollover is a tax-free transfer of cash or other property from one retirement plan to another. A quite common one is rolling over a 401(k) into an IRA. The rule permits rollovers between most tax deferred arrangements...

Life Insurance with Thyroid Disorders

       Thyroid disorders, such as hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism, can significantly impact an individual’s life. For the many living with either of these conditions, attaining life...

Does It Matter When I Start My Group Health Plan?

       Group medical insurance being offered by an employer is almost expected in today’s world. When your next possible employee is contemplating their next job, their decision usually comes down to who has...

Misconceptions About Group Medical Insurance

 It seems like employees and employers have become hesitant to use the medical insurance they pay for each month. Not just because of the cost, but because they don’t understand how their plan actually works....

Financial Stability: The Importance of Disability Income Insurance for Employees

     In today's fast-paced and unpredictable world, protecting financial stability has become paramount for individuals and their families. Amidst the uncertainties of life, one critical aspect that frequently goes...

Top 5 Employee Benefits in 2023

Let's begin with the basics. Employee benefits are extra perks provided by employers for their employees. Finding the right combination of benefits that will have the best impact while not costing you a small fortune is critical for...

Cash Balance Pension Plans

A cash balance pension plan is a defined benefit plan. Which means the benefit amount is defined or promised benefit of a stated account balance. Typically, a participant is credited each year with a pay credit, which is a percentage...

HSA, HRA or FSA?

Health savings accounts can be great for you and your employees. These tax advantaged accounts can not only help you and your employees set aside money for medical expenses, but they allow you to pay for your medical expenses with...

SIMPLE IRA: How Simple Is It?

Knowing the right kind of retirement plan that is right for your company can be vital to your employees and your retirement. You want to make sure that if you’re offering benefits, that it’s not hurting your company, whether it be from...

What is a 401(K)?

     A 401(k) is a defined contribution plan; an employer-sponsored retirement savings plan that lets the employee assume responsibility for their retirement income by making pretax contributions from his or her paycheck...

What is a Roth Account? Part 1

     A Roth can be a Roth IRA or a Roth 401(k). A Roth IRA is a qualified individual retirement account where you contribute after-tax dollars and enjoy tax-free growth and withdrawals. This means there is no...

Medicare Supplement Premium Pricing Method

Most people are not aware that each Medicare Supplement, or Medigap plan, has three separate ways their premium can be priced or rated. The three premium pricing options are community rated, also called “no-age-rated,” issue age rated...

Medicare Prescription Drug Cost

Once enrolled in a Medicare Part D Prescription plan, some beneficiaries find it difficult to cover the costs of their prescriptions. In many cases these prescriptions were affordable until the beneficiary reached their annual spending...

Does It Matter When We Start Our Group Health Insurance Plan?

Group medical insurance being offered by an employer is almost expected in today’s world. When your next possible employee is contemplating their next job, their decision usually comes down to who has the best benefits or who contributes..

Choose the Right Employee Benefits

     The majority of our business clients and prospects focus on offering medical, dental, and vision insurance to retain and attract employees. Those benefits, coupled with a retirement plan, may be all that motivates...

Medicare Formulary

What is the formulary in a Medicare Prescription Drug Plan & How Does They Work?A formulary is the list of generic and brand-name prescription drugs covered by a specific health insurance plan. Non-formulary drugs typically only...

IRC Section 162: Executive Bonus Plans

What is an Executive Bonus Plan?      Offering group medical insurance and other benefits has been one of the most effective ways of attracting and keeping quality employees. Every employee is important to the...

My Business Is My Retirement

     As a small business owner, you and only you are completely responsible for your own retirement plan. Many business owners we meet say their business is their retirement plan. Meaning that when the business owner has...

Just Hired! When can I join my employer’s group medical insurance plan?

     A deciding factor for a job position is group medical insurance, but one of the common questions I hear from employees is, when can I join the plan? There are a different periods in which the employee can join a...

What Is a Professional Employer Organization (PEO), & How Can It Benefit My Company?

     Using a PEO or professional employer organization is a way of outsourcing your human resources department. This type of arrangement is known as co-employment. While the services that every PEO company offers are...

Investors' Inability to Adapt

     I constantly remind clients that we must invest for and navigate the markets we’re given, not the markets we wish we had. I believe a very common mistake investors make is their failure to adapt their portfolio strategies to the...

Does Medicare Cover Vision Care?

     New Medicare beneficiaries are often surprised to learn that Medicare does not cover routine vision services. For many people, glasses and or contacts become more of a necessity as we age. Well, why Medicare cover this? The answer...

Fringe Benefits Basics

    There was a major problem going on in the U.S. during World War II outside of the war, and that was inflation. Factories that were once producing goods were now producing equipment for the war. Because of this the goods that were...

How Does ALS, Affect My Chances of Getting Group Life Insurance?

According to the MayoClinic.com, Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis is a progressive nervous system disease that affect the nerve cells in the brain and spinal, his causes loss of muscle control. It has yet to be discovered why ALS occurs...

Can I Have a Health Savings Account (HAS) When I Age into Medicare?

     Yes, you can have an HSA when you age into Medicare. But of course, there are rules and limitations. First, what is a Health Savings Account? HealthCare.gov describes an HSA as “A type of savings account that lets you set aside money..

Life Insurance & Divorce

      If you have recently separated from your spouse, this article may help you better understand how a divorce may impact your existing policy and the steps to consider taking as you move forward. Life events such as marriage...

Life Insurance with Thyroid Disorders

     Thyroid disorders, such as hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism, can significantly impact an individual’s life. For the many living with either of these conditions, attaining life insurance coverage...

How Does Multiple Sclerosis Affect Group Medical Insurance?

     The definition of Multiple Sclerosis is a disease in which the immune system eats away at the protective covering of nerves. This damage disrupts communication between the brain and the body. Multiple sclerosis causes many different...

Can I Have a Health Savings Account (HAS) When I Age into Medicare?

Yes, you can have an HSA when you age into Medicare. But of course, there are rules and limitations. First, what is a Health Savings Account? HealthCare.gov describes an HSA as “A type of savings account that lets you...

Disability and Medicare coverage before age 65

Some people may qualify for Medicare due to disability. In this situation, if you have a qualifying disability, you are eligible for Medicare even if you have not reached age 65. To find out if your disability qualifies for disability...

How Does Anxiety and Depression Affect My Life Insurance Policy?

According to the World Health Organization*, the prevalence of anxiety and depression had a twenty-five percent increase worldwide. This large increase comes after the Covid-19 pandemic. This 25% increase affected woman and you people...

How Cancer Affect My chances of Getting a Life Insurance Policy?

 This is an informative blog. This is not meant to diagnose, treat, or do anything else other than to show how Anxiety and Depression can affect your life insurance rating or acceptance.      According to...

4 Benefits That Your Employees Will Love

       So, you finally made the decision to offer employees benefits at your business. The next step to figure out is what benefits to offer. We believe that it’s always better to work with an agent that can...

Dental Insurance in Our Golden Years

Good health starts with a healthy mouth.         Regular dental exams and cleanings can lower the risk of gum disease, which is linked to heart disease, diabetes, stroke, and other serious conditions....

GROUP HEALTH INSURANCE – RX COVERAGE

Medical insurance can be very confusing. In-network vs. out of network, copay and coinsurance, the last thing you’re going to understand when you look at your group health insurance quote for the first time is 10G/15PB/50NPB/200S...

I moved into a new home; do I need to do anything with my Medicare?

You should notify Medicare when you move, whether you are on Original Medicare, have a Medigap plan, have a Medicare Advantage plan or a Part D plan. Contact Social Security and update your address. This can be done over-the-phone...

What is the Donut Hole?

     Most Medicare drug plans or Medicare plans with drug coverage have a coverage gap. This coverage gap is also called the "donut hole". This means there's a temporary limit on what the drug plan will cover for...

How does Medicare work with Social Security Disability Benefits?

       When you a have a debilitating or disabling medical condition, having health insurance is critical. Maybe critical for your survival if you don’t have the resources to pay for all the needed treatments,...

The Effects of 2022 and The Corona Virus on Group Medical Insurance

            The Corona Virus has affected the citizens in America negatively. From the shutting down of businesses, to "nonessential" deemed employees getting laid off. It caused panic at the grocery...

Overoptimism: A tale of caution in 2023

      Overoptimism can be as dangerous (or more) as over pessimism, that’s in a nutshell Jerome Powell’s message following the past FOMC meeting, where the Federal Reserve raised interest rates by 0.25 percentage points...

Financial Security with Life Insurance

       There’s a positive correlation between owning life insurance and having financial security. One of the biggest ways life insurance can provide financial security is by ensuring that loved ones are...

Medicare while Traveling Outside the U.S.

So, you’re on Medicare and traveling abroad. You have an emergency, what do you do and do you have coverage? Medicare usually doesn’t cover health care while you’re traveling outside the U.S...

How Diabetes Could Affect Your Group Medical Insurance

      According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 37.3 million Americans have diabetes. That’s 1 out of 10 Americans! 96 million people in the United States have prediabetes, that’s...

Why Diabetes Affects Your Life Insurance Rate

       I mentioned on a previous commentary that According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 37.3 million Americans have diabetes. That’s 1 out of 10 Americans! 96 million people in...

How to enroll in Medicare

I’m About to Turn 65, How Do I Enroll in Medicare?  As you turn 65, you’ll be entering your IEP, Initial Enrollment Period. The Initial Enrollment Period (IEP) is when you initially become eligible for Medicare....

The Financial Strength of Life Insurance Companies Matters

Why is the financial strength of an insurance company important? There is a multitude of reasons why, but near the top of that list should be the insurer’s ability to pay out the benefits promised. Those benefits could be access...

Can my Group insurance deny coverage on a pre-existing condition?

If you had a medical condition, whether it be mental or physical, prior to the year 2013, you knew what a pre-existing condition was. That’s because prior to 2013 and the Affordable Care Act, insurance carriers were able to deny...

Understand why you got declined or rated for Life Insurance

Have you ever applied for life insurance and been declined or rated by the insurance company? Unless you’re in the insurance industry, you probably have no idea why or how.

Medicare & Medicaid: What's the difference?

Medicare is federal health insurance for people 65 or older, and some people under 65 with certain disabilities or conditions ran by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Medicaid provides health coverage to millions of Americans...

How the Group Medical Enrollment Process works

Enrollment for employer sponsored group medical insurance can be a very timely and confusing matter. Knowing what to expect and which documentation you may need, can really help speed up the process.

How Are Plans and Rates Established for Group Medical Insurance?

How can you go from having great coverage with low premiums with one job, to a job with terrible coverage and high premiums? First, it’s based off of your group size. You’re either considered...

What are Dual Special Needs Plans?

       Individuals entitled to both Medicare and medical assistance from a state plan under Medicaid are potentially eligible to enroll in a Dual Eligible Special Needs Plans (D-SNPs), where States cover some Medicare costs...

Happy New Year! You're fired.

Even if you’re not currently in the market for a new work opportunity, you can’t ignore the continuous reports of near- term layoffs projected for this year. Rightfully so, as the labor force tends to be a leading indicator...

What are pre-existing conditions and are they covered?

   If you were ever diagnosed with any type of health condition or suffered a serious injury, prior to 2013, then you probably understand what preexisting conditions are. But for those who don’t, preexisting...

How are my group health insurance plan rates determined?

     An employer offering benefits can be one of the most important reasons for taking a job for some families, but have you ever looked at or joined an employer sponsored plan and wondered, how can I be paying this much...

What is a Medicare Special Enrollment Period?

This Special Enrollment Period (SEP) is one of the more complicated Medicare enrollment periods. Not every Medicare beneficiary will be eligible for this SEP and for those that do qualify they will have to prove their qualification. 

Term or Whole Life, Which one is best?

      Life insurance is a very intricate tool. Most people only think of it as insurance that takes care of the expenses of your loved ones left behind. This is true of life insurance in general. Depending on...

FTX: A Crypto Nightmare

If it sounds too good to be true, it may still be true…except for cryptocurrency exchanges.By now you’re somewhat familiar with the name FTX and have heard of their recent insolvency. All due to highly speculative...

Have you looked into Universal Life Policies?

 Universal life insurance defines flexibility. You can virtually design it to be exactly what you need it to be. 

Are you new to Group Medical Insurance?

Group medical insurance can be very confusing. Sometimes as humans we’re embarrassed to admit that we don’t know something. Don’t be.

What is Term Life Insurance and Can it Benefit You

Are you in your twenties or thirties and just starting a family? Can’t afford a larger premium? Well, you could take advantage of your younger age and better health. It could be a good choice when the policyholder needs protection...

You can't afford to NOT offer Group Benefits

Let’s face it, we live in a time of benefits demanding job seekers. Whether it’s an entry level position, or a career that requires four plus years of college education, one of the first questions asked to HR managers and owners...

The Basics of Life Insurance

Life insurance is more than just something that your grandparents purchase when you were a child. Life insurance is a tool that you can use for many different stages in your life. It can protect you for a period of time or forever.

How Does My Group Health Insurance Work with Medicare?

You are Medicare eligible and have group health insurance provided by you or your spouse’s current employer. Can I have Medicare and my group plan? Do they work together? To keep it simple, yes and yes, but there are certain rules.

'Tis the season for the markets

‘Tis the season to be jolly? Maybe. The Holiday season quickly approaches and with it comes a lot of typical seasonality elements. The stock market is not oblivious to that. In finance, seasonality of the markets is a technical analysis...

What is Medicare Annual Enrollment Period

Every year the Annual Enrollment Period (AEP) for Medicare is from October 15 through December 7. This timeframe is sometimes also referred to as the Medicare Open Enrollment Period. During his period, anyone can make changes...

"Rainy-day" Savings vs. Group Medical Insurance

There is one thing a “rainy-day" savings account typically can’t help with, and that’s a $1,000,000 medical bill. You may be saying “that’ll never happen”, but it can happen in a instant.

Medicare Changes for 2023

The Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) have announced the premiums, deductibles and coinsurance amounts for Medicare Parts A & B for the year 2023.  Find out what they are here.

Choosing Medical Plans for Small Businesses

        Choosing a medical plan for yourself may be easy. You may know how often you go to the doctor, and how much you may use the insurance, but this completely changes when it comes to selecting health...

3 Common Misconceptions About Group Medical Insurance

Are you unaware of the changes that came with the Affordable Care Act, that may benefit you? Most employers are. One of the biggest problems I see is people are hesitant to use their health insurance.

Why TV commercials focus on Medicare Advantage plans

Looking at how Medicare Advantage (MA) plans are funded may give insight into why we see so many of these advertisements in the media during the last quarter of the year.

No Sign of a Soft Landing

When the Federal Reserve Chair, Jerome Powell, insists that businesses and households will experience pain resulting from monetary tightening, you better believe him. What happened?

Who's Eligible for Original Medicare?

Medicare Part A (Hospital Insurance) and Medicare Part B (Medical Insurance) are available to three separate groups of people. Those eligible are classified as Medicare beneficiaries.

Understanding Medicare Part D and The Coverage Gap

Medicare Part D is the prescription drug benefit for Medicare beneficiaries. Part D is also referred to as a Prescription Drug Plan (PDP).  It helps cover the cost of outpatient prescription drugs.

Co-insurance vs. Co-Payment

Many of the employers I speak with have little to no experience in selecting health plans for their employees. Some are familiar with what medical plan’s co-payments and co-insurance are, but do not understand how they work.

Bear Markets: A Trap for the Hopeful

A bear market is defined as an extended period of price declines in the stock market. Textbooks will not give you an exact numerical measure for identifying a bear market, but we consider a 20% decline in...

The Best Type of Group Medical Insurance for My Employees

When it comes to insurance, everyone has a different opinion and use. What I like about an insurance plan can be completely different from what the employer feels makes a good plan. There are many different choices when selecting a plan.

What is Medicare Part B?

Medicare Part B is your medical insurance typically administered at a doctor's office or outpatient facility.  What is it?  It is government-mandated medical insurance. It’s intended to cover two types of services...

Inflation 2022: The Blame Game (ADVANCED TOPIC)

People ask why inflation is running rampant since the COVID – 19 started. With many causes to increases in prices and currency devaluation, politicians are quick to point fingers at whom or what causes this pain for citizens.

Why GDP is Yesterday's News

I’m not attempting to give a course on GDP. But you may wonder, with such a simple definition, why do economists and politicians defer on our economic status relating to GDP? Are we, or are we not in a recession?

When Do I Enroll for Medicare?

Congratulations, you’ve turned 65 and qualify for Medicare! Now what? The timeframe for enrolling in a Medicare plan is called the “enrollment period”. There are many different enrollment periods, but not all are relevant to you.  

Overturning Roe V. Wade Changes The Employee Benefits Industry

Business owners offering to cover the cost of abortion procedures are also challenged with covering travel and lodge expenses for employees, when their headquarters is located within abortion-banned states.

Your Social Security Disability Claim will get DENIED

The reasons why your Social Security Disability claim will get denied are many and you should know prior to filling a claim. Know what to expect when you apply for benefits and that the social security administration denial will lead...

Can your Credit Score affect your insurance rate?

Did you know a bad credit score can affect your insurance rate, increasing your premium payment and making it more expensive? But the truth is, even if you have a good credit score, the lack of payment history, long enough credit,...

A Long-Term Care discussion with Theresa Minnis, CEO of Legacy Private Care

If we had a dime for every time we get asked about information on Long Term Care, their would probably be enough funds to pay for the National debt. If we got a dime for every time someone actually did something to cover the high cost...

Consider possible tax benefits of having disability income insurance

Disability Income Insurance can be tax advantageous as a tax deduction if you have your policy through work or as a tax free benefit if you use your personal funds (or after tax dollars) to pay for it. With the help of your accountant...

Relying on worker's comp? Here's what you need to know.

I was reading on Lesser, Lesser, Landy, Smith law firm's website that every 7 seconds an injury in the workplace happens. And that more than 4.7mil workplace injuries occur every year in the US, resulting in 99mil workdays lost. Those...

5 Funny Excuses Why People Don't Buy Life Insurance

You can change the lives of so many with a profession in the Financial Services industry. But being a life insurance agent has it's particular rewarding moments. The impact and financial relief people get from receiving a Death...

Buy Life Insurance over the phone

Think about all the different types of insurances that you have. Do you personally know ALL your agents? Probably NOT. Life Insurance does NOT have to be a complex process. If you just need basic insurance coverage, watch this video...

4 Workout MISTAKES that can lead to DISABILITY

Cody Merrill, personal trainer to physicians, dentists, athletes, executives (and pretty much anyone looking to improve their health and physique) on the Treasure Coast explains mistakes people make when exercising that can cause a...

How to SAVE MONEY on Insurance| Keaney Desk Talks | Disability Insurance Queen

When you look for an insurance quote, you have many choices to make from: coverage amount, length of coverage time and what you actually want to insure (cars, houses, people, pets). It’s going to cost you something to protect...

7 Reasons Why The Rich Buy Insurance - DISABILITY INSURANCE QUEEN

How do the rich get richer? Do the rich buy insurance? Yes! And in this video I give you 7 reasons why the wealthy buy insurance to build, grow, protect their wealth and avoid paying taxes.SUBSCRIBE to the Disability Insurance Queen's...

What is Medicare Part A?

Medicare Part A is your hospital insurance and is one part of Original Medicare. The other being Part B. Medicare Part A is coverage managed by the federal government. What is the cost? Most people get Part A for free, but some must...

DISABILITY INSURANCE AND COVID-19

DISABILITY INSURANCE AND COVID-19 | How STRESS can lead to a Disability | Keaney Desk Talks Disability Insurance Queen 20 subscribers In the midst of the COVID-19 crisis, I did some research of how the current situation can lead to a...

What's the difference between Maximum Out of Pocket and Deductible?

What's the difference between an HMO and a PPO plan?