Good Neighbor Insurance (www.gninsurance.com and www.gninsurance.com) is continuing to update our clients on the new health insurance laws.   There are six major coverage options for those in the US and even though some of the rules and regulations are similar for all many differences are there and it all depends on how old you are and for whom you work.  Many critical details of this new insurance law will be clarified in the months and years to come.

These six major coverage options are:

(1) Individual or family coverage (private health care plans)

(2) Employee/employer group option for small businesses (typically under 50 employees)

(3) Employee/employer group option for large businesses (typically larger than 50 employees)

(4) Exchange options through the state you are residing in (fully integrated 1-1-2014 and are quasi-government and private insurance coverage combined)

(5) Medicare (which include Parts A, B, C, and D) for those 65 years onwards

(6) Full government health plans like Medicaid, CHIP, TRICARE, VA and other coverage plans as may be designated by the Department of Health and Human Services based mostly on financial criteria and/or military service.

Please Note:  Good Neighbor Insurance agency provides US individual, family, group health insurance, and property & casualty insurance in the US as well as for those traveling and residing outside the US.

*          US health insurance and US property and casualty insurance:  www.gninsurance.com

*          International travel and medical insurance:  www.gninsurance.com

*          International property and casualty insurance:  www.gninternationalpropertyinsurance.com

How do you decide who and what to cover?

Before we can help you decide what types of insurance to offer, you’ll need to know who and what you want it to cover.

Ask yourself these five questions and then talk with one of our agents at Good Neighbor Insurance to help determine which insurance plans and coverage are the right fit for yourself, your family, your business, and its employees.

1.   Are there any government mandated insurance plans you need to offer?

Of the many types of insurance plans available to business owners, only a few Property and Casualty policies are required by federal or state law. These include Workers’ Compensation, personal or commercial auto, and homeowners’ insurance

Property and Casualty Insurance – Unlike health insurance, which protects people, property and casualty insurance covers the physical assets that are vital to your success and that of your business.

Workers’ Compensation Insurance – If you or your employees become disabled due on an on-the-job injury or illness, workers’ compensation insurance protects your business from lawsuits while covering the necessary medical care.

Business Insurance – These plans include several policies that protect your business from circumstances that could negatively affect your operations. Policies include property, casualty, liability, commercial auto, and more.

Individual Property and Casualty Insurance – Individual property and casualty insurance helps protect policyholders and their families with policies that include personal auto, liability, and homeowners’ insurance.

Good Neighbor Insurance provides Property and Casualty insurance in many states.  Please go to our Property and Casualty site at www.gninsurance.com and fill out the quote so we can look at the best options for you.

Good Neighbor Insurance also provides international property and casualty insurance for those traveling and living outside the US and you may view our plans at our web site at www.gninternationalpropertyinsurance.com .

2.   Are you concerned about your business operations if you were ever unable to work?

As a business owner, you have the most impact on your company’s direction, day-to-day operation, and customer perception. That’s why it’s so important to prepare in case there’s ever a time that you and other key employees. A key employee is an owner or a highly ranked employee whose work has a direct effect on business profitability, aren’t able to work.

Key Employee Insurance – By insuring yourself and other important employees, your business can use the funds to help find a qualified successor, and protect itself from any potential economic setbacks.

Owner Life and Disability Insurance – You plan for retirement; it makes sense to prepare for unexpected contingencies that could have an even greater effect on your business. We’ll work with you to assess your long-term needs, and help you choose life and disability coverage that provides peace of mind — about your business and your budget.

3.   Do you see offering insurance as a way to attract and retain employees?

Group Health Insurance – Good Neighbor Insurance agency takes a simple, logical approach to group health insurance. We start by offering a wide selection of plans, then we help you understand your options — so you can confidently select a plan that meets the needs of your business, budget, and employees.

The ease and convenience of group plans is a major reason why health insurance is a popular employee benefit, with nearly 178 million Americans covered by health insurance where they work.

Employee Voluntary Benefits – Fill the gaps in your standard insurance plans. Qualified medical expenses not covered by existing insurance — your out-of-pocket expenses., and receive special benefits beyond traditional policies, such as payment for pre-existing medical conditions.

4.   Would you rather cover only yourself and your family?

Individual Insurance – Individual insurance provides business owners with unique benefits, starting with one that may not immediately come to mind — affordability.   Good Neighbor Insurance agency believes you should not have to sacrifice a plan that fits because of your finances.  Our licensed agents will help assess your needs and discuss your options in plain language. Because premiums can easily range from $100 to $1,500 per month, they will help tailor a plan to your needs and budget. Call us at 480-633-9500 for quotes and you may also go to our web site at www.gninsurance.com for live quotes, up-to-date information, and even apply online.

Health, Life, and Disability Insurance – Protect yourself and your dependants from skyrocketing medical costs with plans providing health, vision, dental, disability, life and other vital coverage.

Property and Casualty Insurance – We partner with highly ranked carriers to provide a wide variety of essential policies from homeowner’s insurance, to auto, and personal liability.

Free Insurance Quotes – For individual and family quotes: View general quotes, look at plan comparisons, and even apply online through our web site quoting engine at www.gnhealthplan.com  or call all us at 866-636-9100 outside of Arizona or in Arizona at 480-633-9500 to go over any questions or concerns you may have.

5.   Would you allow employees to choose your offerings if they pay for their own benefits?

Employee Voluntary Benefits – A comprehensive employee benefits package is a powerful magnet for attracting and retaining the best employees. Whether or not you offer a group health plan, you can work with our agents at Good Neighbor Insurance agency to select voluntary benefits that will:

• Greatly expand your benefits offerings at little or no cost to you.
• Allow employees to choose the benefits that meet their needs.
• Often help employees secure individual life and disability coverage regardless of medical histories, due to simplified underwriting requirements Voluntary benefits tend to attract fewer employees than group insurance as a whole, and those people are more likely to have a pre-existing medical condition that makes them riskier to cover. So to encourage more low-risk individuals to join the plan, insurance companies loosen the underwriting requirements for voluntary benefits policies..

Short-Term Disability Insurance – This replaces partial income if an employee becomes disabled, due to a covered accident or sickness, for a period ranging from three to twenty-four months.

Life Insurance – We will discuss Term life plans, universal life insurance, and whole life insurance plans (3 primary main types of life insurance) as well as level or annual premium payment periods, and is guaranteed renewable. an opportunity to build cash value, coverage can last a lifetime, and help you select the type of plan that fits your needs best.

Dental and Vision Insurance – Beyond medical insurance, dental and vision insurance are popular coverage options for employees — helping insure them against some of America’s most common health problems.

Accident Insurance – Provides indemnity benefits that the carrier will pay a cash benefit in the case of a qualified accident that leaves you or an employee unable to work, for on-and off-the-job, or off-job-only accidents.

Hospital Indemnity and Critical Illness – Beyond your company’s health insurance plan, you can offer employees specific coverage for cancer treatments, out-of-pocket expenses associated with home health care, and other supplemental health insurance An indemnity-based plan with benefits payable as a lump-sum or flat benefits amount for a covered hospital stay or covered outpatient surgery..

Doug Gulleson loves to scuba dive overseas and makes sure he has his US health care and overseas health care, www.gninsurance.com , information with him at all times when he travels   Keep our blog close by you, www.gntravelinsurance.com, for continual updates on the changes with the US health care system.