January 31, 2012 in Health Insurance, Insurance, Insurance News by jferris

One Out Of Every Five Americans Lives with a Pre-Existing Medical Condition Says Benepath CEO, Pennsylvania

Those who live with pre-existing conditions often have a difficult time getting affordable health insurance.

“I’ve heard this said many times over: that people with pre-existing medical conditions have a hard time getting health insurance that is reasonably priced. It is not impossible to find affordable health insurance, but it can be a challenge. That will change in 2014,” added Clelland Green, RHU, CEO, and president of Benepath in Pennsylvania.

If health care reform stays the course, what will happen in 2014 is insurance providers will be banned from excluding people with pre-existing conditions from getting insurance. However, that is still a full two years away, and does nothing to help the millions of Americans that are deemed uninsurable now.

“To fill in the gap between now and then, the government set up the Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plan in all 50 states,” explained Green. “In simplified terms, the plan offers health insurance to those who have difficulties getting health insurance. The plans offer hospital care, specialty care and primary care, and prescription drugs. This plan with lower premiums would be ideal for many of the almost 57 million going without health insurance. But the odd thing is that less than 19,000 people have opted for this plan.”

In an economy that makes even putting bread on the table questionable some months, one would think those who are uninsurable because of a pre-existing health condition would welcome the opportunity to have reasonably priced coverage. However, while this sounds like a great plan at first glance, the stumbling block is the waiting period.

People wanting to switch to this plan must face being without any insurance coverage for at least six months before they apply and that includes COBRA. “Six months is a long time to wait if you have diabetes or a heart condition and need daily medications. Many feel it is too big a risk to take, even if it means they’d be paying less after their waiting period was over,” Green pointed out.

There is an option that those caught between a rock and a hard place may find attractive if they want to join the government program. It is referred to as non-insurance health plans. These plans typically market health services to large groups of people and when those who do join officially become members, they have a great deal of buying clout that allows the company to obtain discounted prices for medical services. “In some cases,” demonstrated Green, “the discounts can range from 25 percent to 80 percent on vision, dental and medical service, drugs and medical supplies. Some people find that very attractive.”

When it comes to costs for going to the hospital, discount companies either pre-negotiate cost reductions for hospital procedures or assign an advocate to negotiate lower costs. “The advocate may also apply for financial assistance to pay the hospital balance off on your behalf, if that is suitable under the circumstances,” Green said.

More often than not, the discount medical programs are very affordable, coming in at less than $50 per month for the whole family. Many outfits do not require contracts, and benefits are available on sign up. “You just need to keep in mind that this option is not traditional health insurance. While it may not be for some people, others may find it attractive enough to wait the six month period until they can get the regular health insurance. Ultimately, the choices are yours and you do what you need to do for your health,” added Green.

To learn more, visit http://www.benepath.com.

January 31, 2012 in Auto Insurance, Insurance, Insurance News by jferris

If Teenager Got a Car for the Holidays, It Is Time To Update Insurance

This past holiday some families may have chosen to give one of the family vehicles to a teenage child to spare the expense of buying a new car.

Many families choose to give an already-paid-for automobile to one of the children as a holiday gift. This tells the child that they have earned trust and proven that they are responsible. It can be a touching moment when a teenager takes the keys of their very own car for the first time.

But it is important to remember that re-examining an insurance policy is a part of that step. Whether mom got a new car and the teenager becomes the primary driver of the old station wagon or dad bought a new truck and gave the old sedan to the teenager, it is important to go back over the Florida auto insurance quote after the holidays to make sure everyone has sufficient coverage.

“We see a lot of people who get a car as a Christmas gift and they want to give their old car to their teenager,” said Vincent Payne of AGIC Insurance, Inc. “This can work out easily but it is important to have the Florida car insurance filed correctly in case something happens.”

Teenagers in cars need to be closely monitored to make sure they are not using electronic devices while they are driving. Many states outlaw using smartphones while behind the wheel, but some other states are even stricter when it comes to teenagers and mobile phones.

Florida does not have any laws restricting mobile phone use, which makes it even more important that parents keep a close eye on driving teenagers.

To learn more about how to get a great Florida auto insurance premium, visit http://www.agicinsurance.com or call AGIC Insurance at 1-877-854-0123.

January 30, 2012 in Health Insurance, Insurance, Insurance Articles by jferris

Health Insurance Plans Can Help Protect Savings and Health

If you have ever experienced a long illness or multiple illnesses, you know the value of health insurance.

Having a health insurance plan in place is smart, because if anything happens to you, you need help paying medical and other related bills. That is the truth. Unfortunately, sometimes due to circumstances and sometimes due to choice, millions of Americans do not have health insurance plans to protect them. If something happens to someone in their family or to them they will be stuck trying to pay staggering bills.

The basic truth is if you have health insurance plans for your family, or have one for yourself, then you have help paying any medical expense that you have incurred, and it is always nice to have someone help you pay the bills, right?

When it gets right down to it, your health is wealth. Think about that for a minute. If you have your health and have it protected, you get help with bills and may likely still be able to work and make money. If you do not have your health, do not have money to pay your bills and may not be able to work; you have nothing but grief and unpaid bills. There is a better way to live your life.

Certainly life is filled with unforeseen circumstances that may find you involved in an accident, dealing with a broken leg or recovering from traumatic brain injury. Any of these things can happen at the drop of a dime. No one knows when they will need medical help. You would not go without home and car insurance, so why would you think health insurance is not necessary?

What do you consider when you are searching for health insurance plans to suit your lifestyle? Some of them should be:
- Know what medical expenses you and/or your family need to ensure a comprehensive plan for everyone
- Search for an insurance company that will provide assistance to help you get precisely what you need
- Do what you can to lower the costs of insurance, such as stop smoking, don’t drink or do drugs
- Buy health insurance from the same company that sold you car and home insurance for a policy reduction
- Do as much online research as possible to find quotes and compare them side-by-side
- Call an agent to double check that the deductibles and monthly premiums cover exactly what you need

Clelland Green is with Benepath.com, a leader in providing health insurance quotes. Benepath provides individuals, families, and businesses with affordable health insurance quotes in just a few mouse clicks. To learn more, visit http://www.benepath.com.

January 27, 2012 in Insurance, Insurance News by jferris

Medicare Supplement Leads are Trending Says Benepath.net CEO

Insurance agents know the value of Medicare supplements leads. They can turn a modest agency into a thriving business.

“It’s not hard to sell Medicare supplement leads and with good reason,” says Clelland Green, RHU, CEO, and president of Benepath.net in Pennsylvania. “The next few years will see even more Americans become a part of the Grey Wave sweeping across the nation. These individuals will become eligible for Medicare and as a result, will need Medicare supplements to fill in any gaps in coverage. This is where an enterprising insurance agent comes in.”

The modern way of sourcing business is to purchase Medicare supplement leads. For certain, the new way beats the old way of trying to sell Medicare supplements to every homeowner an agent could find, on the theory that anyone who owned a house could benefit from Medicare protection. Times have changed and so have the ratios for converting leads.

“In the ‘olden’ days, every 10 Medicare supplement leads may cough up about three appointments and out of those three appointments, perhaps one sale. Cold calling, word-of-mouth referrals, direct mail and the like did return results, but it was a long, tough road to travel. Welcome to the 21st century and the luxury of one click Medicare supplement leads,” said Green.

Today, insurance agents will grow their business best by buying pre-qualified Medicare supplement leads; leads that come in real time and have not been worked by anyone else. This is important to agents, because if the leads are not exclusive, they have lost any leverage they had to work the lead by the time they eventually get it.

“The direct purchase of exclusive Medicare supplement leads is one of the smartest business moves an agent looking to expand their business can make,” added Green. “It offers them prospects fast, in real time and often results in a high conversion rate because they are dealing with people who ‘want’ the product.”

Gone are the days of 50 to 60 hour work weeks of cold calling, setting up appointments, working leads the old-fashioned way, and not making much money. Buying Medicare supplement leads means the marketing has already been done, and the only thing that remains is to call or meet the potential client. Even though technology moves fast, the innovation of pre-qualified, exclusive insurance leads is a real plus to agents wanting to make their business successful.

To learn more, visit http://www.benepath.net.

January 26, 2012 in Insurance, Insurance Articles by jferris

The Right SEO for Insurance Marketing Makes Success a Reality

You need a web presence that really stands out. To do insurance marketing online, you need the right blend of search engine optimization (SEO) and marketing skills to power your site.

There are some days when you wonder if you are making any progress toward your goal of being page one ranking. It does seem like an uphill battle, but you need to remember that nothing happens overnight on the Internet. It takes proper planning, the right kind of SEO work, a blend of content and plug-ins, a gift for using social media and time. In other words, you will not jump to page one in an hour, day, or week.

Now, what if you had a team of highly qualified SEO pros working in the background for you? What if they created great copy for you every month that promoted your name and business online? What if those services were reasonably priced, got quantifiable results over time, and your business received more customers? Bet you would be signing on the dotted line and excited to have your insurance website design geared up and ready to go.

Chances are you do not have enough hours in the day to even attempt to market your own insurance business. It is hard enough as it is to keep up with phone calls and walk-ins. One person just cannot do it on their own, unless they are backed up by a team of insurance search engine optimization specialists who know what works to increase traffic to your website. It is possible to find such a team. This team not only knows their stuff inside out, but can improve your insurance marketing efforts vastly.

Imagine fresh content added frequently, interesting blogs, articles with relevant information, and news releases that put your company in the position of being an expert in insurance marketing industry. A site like that can be yours by finding the right insurance search engine optimization company.

Why would you choose such a company? If the company co-founder worked in insurance marketing for more than 25 years, the company would have the inside scoop on how to make you look good, get more conversions and keep your insurance website updated. A company like this has helped agencies, solo agents, and insurance companies rev up their marketing and business development efforts. Once you have an established presence on the Internet, you get to sit back and do what needs to be done to run your insurance business.

ReadytoQuote is aninsurance marketing company, ReadytoQuote.com. ReadytoQuote.com specializes in marketing insurance websites online. Learn more at ReadytoQuote.com.

January 26, 2012 in Home Insurance, Insurance, Insurance News by jferris

Valuable Holiday Gifts Often Require Homeowners Insurance Policy Adjustment

If Santa tucked a new pair of diamond earrings into the stocking last year, then it is time to adjust the home insurance policy to make sure new valuables are covered.

“A holiday gift with monetary value needs to be added to the insurance policy in case of a catastrophic event,” said Lee Rogers of the Florida Insurance Group. “People often overlook the valuables they bring into the home.”

That means new jewelry, new electronics or artwork all need to be catalogued and added to the insurance policy. Rogers recommends keeping the receipts for newly purchased items to help keep track of the values. He also suggests adding heirloom items that grandma may have given out as everyone gathered at her house during the holidays.

“If grandma gave you grandpa’s cufflinks or a valuable old watch, those things can be significant and you will want to add them to the policy,” Rogers said. “Sometimes it doesn’t seem like much, but added together heirloom jewelry and artwork can have tangible value.”

A wider variety of catastrophes can threaten the electronics in the home. A fire or flood can create havoc, but an electrical storm can do major damage, too. “High-end electronics often get overlooked when updating insurance policies,” Rogers said. “People put a projector up in the ceiling that drops down to create a movie theatre in the family’s ‘man cave.’ Those are cool to have, but it is smart to get it insured, too.”

It is important to remember to adjust the policy as soon as the gifts are brought home to make sure coverage is sufficient, Rogers said.

To learn more, call 1.888.525.2210 or visit http://www.floridainsurance.com.

January 25, 2012 in Auto Insurance, Insurance, Insurance News by jferris

Donate a Car or Boat to Charity? Do Not Forget to Adjust the Insurance Policy

Nonprofit organizations, recognizing the cash-strapped times, have recently started offering an alternative as a tax-deductible donation to their cause: giving them an old car.

Sometimes public radio stations will offer a pick up service and allow supporters to donate a car or boat as a donation to the station. Groups like Boat Angel allow you to make tax deductions by giving them your boat of any size or make. Many of these donations happen at the end of the year so that the donation counts toward that year’s income tax cycle.

It is important to remember to change your insurance policy after the donation. If someone gives away an old car or an old boat, the insurance company can adjust the policy so that the old vehicle is no longer being covered.

“Donating an old car or vehicle is good for you twice,” said Lee Rogers of the Florida Insurance Group. “You get the tax deduction from the donation and you most likely will get a reduction in your insurance policy, too.”

In many cases, the boats, personal watercraft and cars are disassembled for parts, but in some cases, the vehicles are rehabilitated and sold.

“You want to get the car or boat off of your insurance policy as soon as possible after the transaction not only because it will likely save you money, but also because it removes you from being liable for the vehicle,” Rogers said.

The policy can be altered on the same day as the donation if possible, he said.

To learn more, call 1.888.525.2210 or visit http://www.floridainsurance.com.

January 23, 2012 in Health Insurance, Insurance, Insurance Articles by jferris

Make Looking for Affordable Health Insurance Quotes Like Searching for Car Insurance

Searching for car or house insurance is very similar to searching for affordable health insurance quotes. The only difference is the quotes are for a person.

It is not such a big task to hunt for affordable health insurance quotes online, particularly if you have already found and bought a car or home insurance online. The premise is the same. You provide information to an insurance agent about what you want, what you have for a budget, and what you want for a deductible. This is the same routine you would go through with health insurance. You will need to let them know what you want, what you need, what you can pay and discuss deductibles.

The odd thing is that there are millions of Americans who are living with home and car insurance, because they realize the risks in losing them but they do not have health insurance. It is almost like their health does not matter, and they think nothing will happen to them. The fact is that not having health insurance for anyone in your family is putting everyone at risk. Ask yourself this one simple question: If you got into an accident tomorrow, and that is quite common these days, how would you pay for your medical and other related bills? If you do not have health insurance, you are hurt in more ways than one.

Now here is another fact that many people do not think about – having health insurance saves money. Yes, saves money by helping you cover the bills so you are not paying out 100 percent. Who in this economy can afford to pay out 100 percent on their medical bills? Very few people can do that. If you can afford car and house insurance to protect your investments, then you can afford health insurance to protect your investment in you.

Seriously, with the price of health care, no one can take the chance that they do not have some form of health care to help them pay their medical bills. Remember, even a quick trip to the doctor can cost hundreds, or in some cases, thousands, of dollar. If you have health insurance in place before your visit the doctor, you are covered.

Clelland Green is with Benepath.com, a leader in providing health insurance quotes. Benepath provides individuals, families, and businesses with affordable health insurance quotes in just a few mouse clicks. To learn more, visit http://www.benepath.com.

January 20, 2012 in Insurance, Insurance Articles, Life Insurance by jferris

Life Insurance Leads Are the Lifeblood of Your Business

Ever wonder how the most successful insurance agents get their leads? Wonder no more, as they are using exclusive life insurance leads.

Sure, you could cold call if you really wanted to do that and it worked well for you. However, to be honest not a lot of insurance agents have the time it takes to cold call. Agents want returns immediately, and customers want insurance right away when they make the decision to buy. The faster, most reliable way to grow your business is to use life insurance leads.

We do not mean just any old life insurance leads, like the ones being offered for free on the Internet. Really? Free? There is no such thing in life as a free lead. So if you really want to ensure your insurance business is growing, then you need to invest in pre-qualified, real-time life insurance leads. This is the key to your success. Why? Because the leads you buy are leads that are expecting you to call. In other words, you have a captive audience.

This is not to say that people cannot change their minds, but they often don’t if they have gone as far as asking for an agent to call them with information. It is yours to work and land the sale. Know your material, know your policies, know how to answer questions and be personable and helpful on the phone, and you can virtually count on a policy purchase.

Where do you find life insurance leads that pay off for you? By contacting Benepath.net. They are just one click away.
They have been in the business for years and they definitely know what a good lead is and how to handle them. If they didn’t, they would not be selling them to you. It only takes seconds to check them out and get signed up for solid, reliable, pre-qualified and real time life insurance leads. And guess what? You will “not” be competing with any other agent for those leads, not like some places that sell supposedly exclusive life insurance leads that turn out to have been worked over already before you even see them.

No sense wasting money that won’t give you a return on your investment is there? With Benepath.net you get accurate and qualified leads; leads that make a closed sale. You can choose your demographics – seniors or younger individuals. Then choose your geographic area, your local community, your state or other states. In short, you can pre-select the criteria for your life insurance leads. In other words, you have the control.

Remember, you want buyers and not shoppers, people who want various kinds of coverage and people ready to buy. By dealing with Benepath.net, you get precisely what you want and need to make a sale, whether that is a family wanting coverage, the ability to pay for a funeral (just in case) or the ability to fund a child’s education.

The good news is that there are literally millions of Americans who need their first insurance policy and even more who need additional coverage, but do not have a clue where to look for help. The thing is, lots of people just do not know how to look for what they need. They want what they need fast, but do not want to spend the time hunting. This is where you come in. With life insurance leads, you have the answers to the questions they have not even asked yet; a sort of Johnny-on-the-spot, who can help them get what they want, when they want it.

Clelland Green is with Benepath.net, a leader in providing health insurance leads. Benepath provides agents with exclusive health insurance leads and Medicare leads in just a few mouse clicks. To learn more, visit http://www.benepath.net.

January 20, 2012 in Auto Insurance, Insurance, Insurance Articles by jferris

Florida Considering Laws Against Distracted Driving

As the 2012 legislative session gets under way in state capitols across the country, many states are looking to pass more restrictions on distracted drivers with an emphasis on texting.

Florida has six bills up for consideration this session that target distracted drivers. There are currently no Florida laws that restrict using smartphones or talking on a mobile device while driving. Some Florida lawmakers would like to change that.

Senate Bill 416 would make it illegal to text, check email or have instant message conversations while driving, but would make it ok while sitting at a stop light. A first offense would be a non-moving violation and would result in a $30 fine. Subsequent infractions within five years would result in a moving violation, a fine of $60 and three points deducted from the driver’s license, according to handsfreeinfo.com.

Another bill being considered in the Florida Senate deals with driver’s education. Senate Bill 122 would require driving schools to include curriculum on the risks of driving while distracted.

Senate Bill 930 also would require distracted driver information in driver’s education classes. SB930 goes one step further and bans all use of portable electronic devices by drivers 18 years old and younger, and violations are punishable by a driver’s license suspension.

The Florida House of Representatives has a few distracted driving laws being considered in this session too. House Bill 299 is similar to SB 416 above, but would add a strong penalty if a driver causes an accident while using a handheld electronic device.

School bus drivers get called out specifically in House Bill 187. They would not be allowed to text or call while driving a bus. This bill also would ban drivers 18 and younger from using portable electronic devices while on the road.

Finally, House Bill 39 would create a designated official to whom a person charged with using a handheld device during a traffic offense would have to appear. That official would dole out a fine depending on the severity of the infraction.

Unfortunately, according to Hands Free Info the chances are slim that any of these bills would become law. Many lawmakers are against such legislation and Gov. Rick Scott vetoed a distracted driving bill last year that would have required driving schools to teach about the dangers of operating a vehicle while using electronic devices.

Resistance to Florida bills that would make distracted driving illegal come in many forms, but some lawmakers say it represents a government overreach to tell drivers what they can do in their cars. Across the country, 35 states have passed laws regulating distracted driving.

Vincent Payne is with Florida auto insurance company and Florida car insurance company, AGIC. To get a quote or learn more visit www.agicinsurance.com.