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When A Check-Up Is Not A Check-Up - Part 1
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 It is not unusual to see health
insurance plans that have 'preventive services covered before the
deductible.' This is especially prevalent in the world of HSA's and
other high deductible health plans. The problem comes when your definition
of a check-up is not in agreement with their definition of a check-up.
And since we want the health insurance carrier to pay the claim, their definition is important.
This article looks at that problem and gives some answers that may be helpful. In a later article we will look at
instances where there was a legitimate 'preventive service,' but the
carrier still did not pay. Read the first article |
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Surprise! Health Insurance Premiums Going Up
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What other industry can have double digit price increases in
an economy like this one? I can't think
of very many (OK, I can't think of any), but apparently the individual
insurance market can. Without naming
names, the largest insurance carrier in Virginia announced price increases
effective January 1, 2009 on most of their Individual and family products. I am not
picking on them because they will probably be joined by the rest of the
carriers, but they were the ones who sent me an email while I was working on
the newsletter earlier this week.
To piggy back on the issue last Friday about
COBRA alternatives, if you are looking for individual or family health
insurance coverage to start January 1 or later, you may want to do it sooner
rather than later. On a positive note - this particular
carrier lets you pick your effective date, so it is possible to have a start date of
December 31, 2008. This allows you to
lock in the old rates without having to 'double insure' yourself for too
long. Not all carriers will let you do
that. Be sure to check with your agent
and let them know what you are trying to do.
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Some HSA's Need To Change To Stay Compliant
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| If you have an HSA medical plan with a
relatively small deductible, you may need to make a change to stay
compliant with federal law. Every year the IRS releases new limits on a myriad of items that are affected by Cost-of-Living changes. Among the items that are affected are the minimum allowable deductibles for HSA's. The minimum deductibles for 2009 are $1,150 for individual coverage and $2,300 for family coverage. If your deductible is less than those amounts, you may need to make a change. Click here to see your options. |
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Flex Schedeules Are Big Winners
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A recent online survey of the employees of 1500  companies asked the following question:
What is the single most important program/benefits your employee could offer that would keep you working productively and happily as you get older? Here are the responses:
49% Flexible work schedule/part-time work
15% Health and wellness programs
13% New training/learning opportunities
5% Temporary assignments on a rotating basis
3% Retirement planning tools
College tuition assistance, retiree benefits, gym memberships, fitness facilities all garnered less than 1% of the responses
If you are an employer and are not offering flexible schedules as part of your benefit package, you may want to consider it. Think it through, talk to other employers who have tried it/are doing it, get feedback from your employees.
Each company (and position) is different, but if you can do it without much disruption, why not give it a try. If you are a brave soul, come up with a way to test it during the upcoming holiday season. For those who need a bit more time to plan, think about some type of "summer-only" flex time next year as a way to test the waters.
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The Lighter Side - Star Wars |
IN OUR NEVER ENDING QUEST to bring you news you can use and items to entertain you, we ran across this Youtube post. It appealed to me for several reasons;
- I couldn't carry a tune if you put a handle on it
- I marvel at those who are creative enough to do something like this
- I marvel at those who have the TI
 ME do something like this (although he appears to be about 16) - My son is big into the music and movies of my youth so I figured this would appeal to a wide range of ages.
Enjoy |
"There are worst things than death. If you've ever spent an evening with an insurance salesman, you know exactly what I mean."
Woody Allen (Love and death, 1975)
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