Welcome to all our new clients!  We have grown the agency by approximately 25% in the past 6 months and have added an extra employee to the agency.  We truly are a full service agency able to help folks with all their insurance needs.   

I shall explain very briefly a few of the ways we can help folks plan and prepare for retirement, or make more of your retirement savings if already enjoying retirement.

• Long Term Care Insurance ~ helps protect you from the catastrophic costs associated with care. Home Care is $20+ per hour, Assisted Living is around $4,000+ per month and then Skilled Nursing is $7,500 per month or more.
• CD style Annuities ~ Paying 3% guaranteed for a full 5 years. If you have been waiting for rates to increase for the past few years you have been missing out on this great rate.
• Income Planning ~ We have a number of options to provide you with a lifetime income either now or in the future with rates guaranteed now. Check this out, it is an amazing option for creating your own personal pension program.
• Life Insurance ~ an old traditional product with a new twist. Life Insurance as a tax free estate enhancement option.
• Social Security Timing ~ We subscribe to a proprietary software program that analyzes your Social Security earning record to show you the optimal time to take your benefits. This can add many, many thousands to your lifetime retirement income.

MEDICARE:  The word itself is enough to make people's eyes glaze over and grown men head for the hills mumbling "let the wife figure it out, just sign me up".   

Now that we have finished with the Affordable Care Act and the Medicare Part D annual enrollment, I can once again focus on people who are turning 65 or coming off of group insurance who have worked past their 65th birthday.

Here are a couple of things that you should know as you careen towards that magic number of 65 or full retirement, whichever comes first.

I will not go into all the options that you have for supplemental and part D in this article because it is specific to each person, but call us and make an appointment and we will work together to get your Medicare benefits figured out.  

You have worked all your life for these benefits.  Let us help you know what they are and how to use them to the fullest!

How much does your car weigh?  How much do you think that truck next to you in the Costco parking lot weighs?  For most of us this isn't common knowledge nor do we wish it to be.  

Vehicle weight came up as a point of discussion for me personally this last month when I made a trip to the local U-Haul dealer.  Believe it or not the weight of the truck I rented made a huge difference when it came to my insurance.   

Your auto policy will have a clear limit set on the size and weight of moving trucks/vans that they will extend coverage for.  Most policies out there define this limit by the gross vehicle weight which should be readily available from the rental company and is easy to find on the U-Haul website.   

I consider myself to be an above average driver, especially when it comes to safety, so it took me a while to wrap my head around my company NOT covering me on U-Hauls largest moving truck.   

My head wrapped around the idea the minute I sat behind the wheel of their 26' model!  I felt like I needed a CB radio and directions to the nearest truck stop!  On the road the moving truck was a massive load and a whole lot different to drive than my standard sedan.  It clicked.  We haven't taken specialty courses to drive big rigs like this so why would our insurance company want to take on the risk of covering us if it's possibly the first time operating a 26' truck?

For many of you, the spring and summer bring a possible move.  So whether it's the sale of your home, relocation of a loved one or the purchase of a vacation home; I caution you to check with your insurance company about coverage limits when it comes to moving truck rentals.

Now that open enrollment for major medical health plans has closed we can shift our focus to helping you utilize the benefits that are built into your new insurance plan. Many of the plans that were available from Premera are stuffed full of benefits that are just waiting for you to use them. Below are 8 tips for making the most of your insurance policy from Premera. You can also visit the Premera Page on our website for additional information.  

1. Register your primary care physician with Premera.  This will allow you to pay the lowest copay possible when you go in for an office visit.
2. Consider filling your prescription through mail order if you take the same medication daily.  This will allow you to get a 90 day supply.
3. The health plans all have preventive benefits built into them. They include certain office visits, tests, and drugs.  Be aware of what benefits your plan comes with for no additional cost or copay.
4. If you selected a plan that is eligible for a Health Savings Account, consider funding it.  Premera and several local banks offer great options if you haven't opened yours yet.
5. Consider downloading the Premera app to your smart phone or tablet.  This will allow you to show proof of coverage and locate a preferred provider if you are at the doctor's office or pharmacy.
6. Access the 24 hour nurse hotline if you are unsure about whether you should go to the emergency room or wait to see your doctors once their office opens.  The number is located on the back of your Premera insurance card.
7. Check with Premera to ensure your doctor is a preferred provider.  You can either call Premera or look at their website for the "Find a Doctor" search engine.
8. Lastly, if your doctor orders a test or procedure ask the question, "Does this require prior authorization?" If you are in doubt, call Premera before the procedure or test is done.

If you come across other great ways to utilize your health insurance plan please drop me an email and let me know.  I always look forward to learning new tips to pass along to our clients.  Until next time have a great month and enjoy the spring flowers!