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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The spread of social media has revolutionized not only the way we connect with friends and family, but also how we conduct business. However, this asset can quickly turn into a liability if misused – for example, in recruiting your company’s most valuable asset – its employees.
Many employers begin the hiring process by using social-media outlets to screen applicants. LinkedIn and Facebook can provide a wealth of information about applicants’ education, their friends, and their personal behavior. Some companies reject candidates based on the content of their social-media pages. This might include anything from inappropriate photos or comments, discriminatory or slanderous statements, and references to alcohol and substance abuse, to sharing confidential information about their previous employers(s), displaying poor communication skills, or exaggerating their qualifications.
Although all of these indicators raise red flags, you could be risking a costly and annoying discrimination lawsuit if you access social-media sites which contain protected class information that’s not privileged in the normal hiring process.
To minimize this risk, it makes sense to:
- When hiring, use outside third parties such as background-verification companies and/or recruiters who document content from social-media sites in selecting candidates.
- Develop and enforce a comprehensive social-media usage policy.
- Purchase an Employment Practices Liability Insurance (EPLI) policy
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.
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Although gun control remains a controversial issue, when it comes to insuring firearms, Homeowners coverage offers some clear guidelines.
If you have rifles and pistols in your home, your policy will insure them against fire damage or theft, usually up to $2,500. Although a Homeowners application might not ask specifically about firearms, the higher liability risk that guns present means that failing to inform your agent or insurance company in advance about them could result in denial of a claim for loss or damage to them.
Because of this greater liability exposure, your insurer might require you to show that you’ve taken such sensible precautions as installing trigger locks, securing firearms properly in locked gun cases, and keeping them away from children. If you have a collection of guns that’s particularly valuable (for example, antique sidearms), you might need to buy a policy rider that ensures their replacement or reimbursement — much as with other big-ticket items, such as jewelry and fine art.
If you shoot someone else or yourself accidentally while in the home, your policy might pay for some or all of the damages, (medical bills, property damage, liability claims, and so forth), depending on the amount of coverage. However, to guarantee full protection, you would need additional policy riders, such as “Sporting Firearm insurance,” “Collector’s Firearm insurance,” or “Gun Club Liability insurance.”
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.
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A season long influenza outbreak has swept through California and across the nation, hospitalizing hundreds and leaving thousands of people infected. We at Scurich Insurance Services would like to offer tips and tricks to help you stay healthy, the remainder of the flu season. The following information is taken from Flu.gov.
“Vaccination is the best way to protect yourself from the flu. There are additional steps you can take to keep yourself and your family healthy this flu season.
- Everyone 6 months of age and older should get vaccinated against the flu.
- Take everyday precautions, like washing your hands, to protect your health.
- If you are exposed to or caring for someone with the flu, talk to your doctor about preventive antiviral medications.
Everyone 6 months of age or older should get the flu vaccine as soon as it is available in your area.
What everyday steps can I take to stop the spread of germs?
There are steps you can take in your daily life to help protect you from getting the flu.
- Wash your hands often with soap and water or an alcohol-based hand rub.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth. Germs spread this way.
- Try to avoid close contact with sick people.
- Practice good health habits. Get plenty of sleep and exercise, manage your stress, drink plenty of fluids, and eat healthy food.
- Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it.
- If you are sick with flu-like illness, stay home for at least 24 hours after your fever is gone without the use of fever-reducing medicine.
Are there medications I can take to prevent getting the flu?
If you are healthy but exposed to a person with the flu, antiviral drugs can prevent you from getting sick. The sooner you are treated with an antiviral, the more likely it will prevent the flu. Antiviral drugs are 70% to 90% effective at preventing the flu. Talk to your health care provider if you think you need antiviral drugs.”
Read more HERE!
So don’t forget to get vaccinated, if you haven’t yet taken advantage of the flu vaccine there is still time. Flu shots can be obtained through your doctor’s office, health clinics and most drugstores. If you would like more information about our current Health Insurance programs, or to obtain a new insurance policy, simply contact the health insurance professionals at Scurich Insurance Services located in Watsonville, California today at 800-320-3666!
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