Understanding the Cares Act
At Muneris, we have been a small business for the past 30 years, and been through many challenges but nothing like this current recession. We’ve never had to deal with such uncertainty. We know cash flow is drying up fast, some of you are forced to lay off or furlough employees, and many folks have…
Teledoc Services
In early December I discussed the merits of using Teladoc services for a Medicare client who became eligible for Medicare and a young Millennial who enrolled in his employers group health plan for the very first time. The Medicare beneficiary expressed no need to call a doctor she’d never met nor wanted a virtual medical…
Medicare Open Enrollment Checklist for 2019
In less than a month away the Annual Open Enrollment (AEP) will begin on October 15th – December 7th) and is the only time in which a Medicare Beneficiary can change the Medicare Part D drug card or Medicare Advantage Plan unless you experience a Special Qualifying Event (SEP). At Muneris, we recommend each senior…
Sole Proprietor Legislation Helps Small Business Owners Purchase Health Insurance
There is good news for the smallest of business owners in Virginia who have been forced to purchase their health insurance in the Healthcare Marketplace over the last five years. Escalating costs, fewer health insurance options, and no subsidies for most small business owners who make too much money, have found health insurance unaffordable. Effective…
MACRA Legislation for 2020
CMS recently passed the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act or MACRA which will have an impact on the Medicare Supplement industry in the year 2020. While MACRA is two years away, insurance carriers, insurance brokers, and the press have wasted little time in creating lots of confusion surrounding the legislation. A quick history lesson…
Forces Behind Increased Healthcare Costs
The recent report by BenefitFocus, a healthcare technology firm highlights the major driving forces behind increased healthcare costs for the top 500 employers in the country. There are no surprises with the report, other than almost all of the Top 10 most expensive diagnosis are preventable. Large or small employers continue to grapple with higher…
Anthem Exit
It’s been three weeks since the watershed announcement by Anthem Blue Cross to exit the Healthcare Exchange Insurance market in Virginia. Insurance carriers hate uncertainty, and during the last five years, uncertainty has dominated the Affordable Care Act (ACA) discussion. Insurance carriers were promised 48 million new customers in 2010, yet the penalties were so…
The Importance of Life Insurance
Do you realize the Importance of Life Insurance? It’s been a tough month in my business. Among other products, I sell life insurance to employers, employees, and individuals. I sold my first policy in 1988, and almost 30 years later, my zeal for helping folks plan has not faded. Life insurance is not about you-…
Do you need Travel Insurance?
Do you need Travel Insurance? As my family embarks on our annual vacation to Hilton Head, I am reminded of the importance of obtaining travel insurance for those who travel abroad. This weekend, a friend and client discussed the perils of his father in law who, while traveling to Ireland, became sick and is suffering…
Disability Insurance and Preparing for the Financial Hit
It strikes like a bolt from the blue: unwanted, unexpected, unwelcome. Unfortunately, many of us are totally unprepared for the financial hit that disability can bring. Imagine: you’re suddenly unable to work. Without an income, you quickly exhaust your savings, undermining your family’s financial security. The money you’ve managed to put away for a vacation,…
Showdown in Washington – Will CMS listen to the Republicans?
Despite no “Repeal and Replace” solution from the Republicans, the battle continues as CMS announces major changes for the 2018 Marketplace Health Insurance Enrollment Period. In a move that surprised many, CMS agreed to the following concessions: Consumers who apply for a Special Enrollment Period (SEP) must prove they have lost coverage prior to enrolling.…