There are many types of insurance available. Home owner’s insurance, automobile insurance, life insurance, to name just three, but there are also specialty insurance policies available that some consumers may find very useful. This article will examine some of the more common types of specialty insurance.
In simple terms, specialty insurance is exactly what it sounds like. It is insurance that is purchased for items that are special or unique. It is also used to provide protection for items that might otherwise be protected under another policy but are not protected because of some unusual aspect. Here are some of our specialty coverage’s, please call us for others:
Agriculture Insurance Request
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A new report on teen driver safety by The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) and State Farm shows encouraging trends among teen passengers.
From 2008 to 2011, risky behaviors of teen passengers (ages 15 to 19 years) declined: the number of teen passengers killed in crashes not wearing seat belts decreased 23 percent; the number of teen passengers driven by a peer who had been drinking declined 14 percent; and 30 percent fewer teen passengers were killed in crashes involving a teen driver.
Overall, the report measured a 47 percent decline in teen driver-related fatalities over the past six years.
Still, as recent high-profile multi-fatality crashes with teen drivers illustrate, crashes remain the leading cause of death for U.S. teens.
In 2011 more than half of teen passengers (54 percent) reported “always” buckling up.
“When most people think about those affected by teen driver crashes, they think of teens behind the wheel. This report includes encouraging news about teen passengers, who are often left out of the teen driver safety picture,” says Dennis Durbin, M.D., M.S.C.E., co-scientific director of the Center for Injury Research and Prevention at CHOP, and lead author of the report. “When you see the needle move, as we have in this report, it’s time to apply the gas on programs that encourage safe teen passenger behaviors, as well as those that address what causes teens to crash.”
Based on recent research which identified specific behaviors or factors associated with teen driver crashes, Dr. Durbin said there are key areas he thinks have the greatest potential to further drive down the teen crash rate: reduce distraction from passengers and technology, increase skills in scanning, hazard detection, and speed management, and increase seat belt use to improve a teen’s chance of survival in a crash.
For more information on your Auto Insurance, contact us today at Scurich Insurance Services.
This article was taken from www.insurancejournal.com, Scurich Insurance did not create this material.
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If you have Health Insurance, you’re probably all too familiar with what your plan won’t cover. The list of expenses denied when you try to file a claim can seem endless. It’s easy to wonder what actually is covered.
This February, Americans got more clarity about what Health Plans must cover starting in January 2014, when the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) published its list of ten “essential health benefits” under theAffordable Care Act (ACA). These categories apply to both individual and small employer insurance, as well as new plans under Medicaid.
Here are the mandatory categories of treatment and care:
- Outpatient medical care.
- Emergency care.
- Hospitalization.
- Maternity and Newborn care.
- Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder services.
- Prescription Drugs.
- Rehabilitation Services and Devices.
- Lab Tests.
- Preventative and Wellness services, and Chronic Disease Management.
- Pediatric Services, including Dental and Vision care.
In response to the release of the new standards, American Association of Health Insurance Plans spokesperson Robert Zirkelbach noted, “The minimum essential health benefits standard will still require many individuals and small businesses to purchase coverage that’s more comprehensive and more expensive than they choose to purchase today.”
This is all the more reason for people planning to buy coverage under the ACA to be well informed when the State Health Insurance exchanges open on October 1.
HHS offers an enrollment checklist for individuals, families, and small businesses that includes questions to ask about Health Plans, a primer on coverage basics, and guidelines for budgeting.
As always, our agency’s specialists stand ready to offer their advice to help you select the best value for your Health Insurance dollar. Just give us a call at Scurich Insurance Services!
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As most of you know, the Affordable Care Act, or what most of you know it as Obamacare, will take effect in 2014. When this bill takes effect, it will become mandatory that you purchase some sort of health insurance, and if you don’t you will end up finding yourself being penalized by the federal government. But, what are these penalties and how will the effect you.
According to MSN Money, “The actual individual mandate penalties under the Affordable Care Act are perhaps the easiest part of the program to understand:
- In 2014, the annual penalty will be $95 per adult and $47.50 per child, up to a family maximum of $285 or 1% of family income, whichever is greater.
- In 2015, the penalty will be $325 per adult and $162.50 per child, up to a family maximum of $975 or 2% of family income, whichever is greater.
- In 2016, the penalty will be $695 per adult and $347.50 per child, up to a family maximum of $2,085 or 2.5% of family income, whichever is greater.
“Most people think of it as an annual penalty,” notes Larry Levitt, a senior vice president at Kaiser. “But it is in fact a monthly thing, and you would pay a penalty for any month that you are uncovered.” However, a person may be without coverage for up to three months without triggering the penalty.” (1)
So don’t be caught without insurance. Contact Scurich Insurance Services located in Watsonville, California. at 831-722-3541 and let us shop the health insurance market for you so that you can get the best health insurance plan out there.
(1) http://money.msn.com/health-and-life-insurance/how-obamacare-penalty-will-work
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It’s not just diet and exercise—where people live matters to their health.
And in California, Santa Cruz County earns a decent rating for community health, according to the 2013 County Health Rankings released this week.
Santa Cruz comes in No. 13 in the state for health outcomes, measured by mortality and morbidity. The county ranks 10th for health factors, a broad category that includes health behaviors (like smoking), healthcare, the physical environment, and social and economic factors.
“These ratings are a snapshot of the health of the community,” said Dr. Lisa Hernandez, Santa Cruz County Health Officer.
Fifty-seven of California’s 58 counties were ranked. Rural Alpine County was too small to measure in many of the categories, officials said.
Santa Cruz County’s marks puts the county ahead of neighboring Monterey County but lagging behind Santa Clara County.
| County Health Rankings 2013 |
| County |
Health Outcomes |
Health Factors |
| Monterey |
21 |
29 |
| San Benito |
10 |
23 |
| Santa Clara |
3 |
4 |
| Santa Cruz |
13 |
10 |
Santa Cruz has earned better ratings in prior years. Officials attributed the decline in rankings to other counties’ improving health, not worsening conditions in Santa Cruz County.
Some highlights from the report:
- The county saw improvement in the number of adult residents who have graduated from high school, which up to 86 percent at last count. The low in the past four years was 77 percent.
- Santa Cruz County ranked 16th in the state for access to recreational facilities.
- The county’s motor vehicle crash death rate is the 9th lowest in California.
But 19 percent of children in the county live in poverty, and the ratio of physicians to patients climbed, from one doctor per 923 patients in 2012 to one per 1,047 this year.
Check out Santa Cruz County’s rankings in various categories over the past four years below. A lower rating is better.
| Santa Cruz County Health Rankings |
|
2010 |
2011 |
2012 |
2013 |
| Health Outcomes (total) |
8 |
7 |
10 |
13 |
| Morality |
6 |
7 |
10 |
10 |
| Morbidity |
7 |
7 |
13 |
20 |
| Health Factors (total) |
8 |
20 |
10 |
10 |
| Health Behaviors |
2 |
1 |
3 |
4 |
| Clinical Care |
19 |
24 |
13 |
12 |
| Social & Economic Factors |
13 |
17 |
23 |
21 |
| Physical Environment |
37 |
5 |
10 |
9 |
The County Health Rankings & Roadmaps program began in 2010 as a project of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the University of Wisconsin.
To avoid unpleasant surprises, it is important to work with a professional in this area. Additional questions? Ask us, we’re here to help! For additional information about our insurance products, no-cost advice or for your free, no-obligation insurance quote, please contact the professionals at Scurich Insurance Services today at 800-320-3666 and we will be more than happy to assist you.
This story was taken form www.watsonville.patch.com and was written by Jennifer Squires. Scurich Insurance did not create this content–we just wanted to share it with you!
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