Our Blog

  • All
  • Employee Benefits
  • Health Insurance
  • Life Insurance
  • Long Term Care Insurance
  • Medicare
  • Medication
  • Uncategorized
  • WebMD

Don’t Let Health Care Squeeze Your Retirement

You’ve worked hard to set aside money to retire comfortably, but a major medical event could eat up decades of savings in just a few years or even months.

Custodial care can cost $80,000 a year or more.  Nursing-home care can drain $250,000 from retirement savings in just a few years, and with base costs averaging more than $40,000 a year,

Consumer Advisory: Protect Yourself Against Fraud

Thousands of Oregon individuals, families and small businesses are getting ready to sign up for health insurance and may access financial help through Cover Oregon this fall. For many, the wait for health coverage has lasted months, or even years. Our goal is to not only to provide access to coverage, but also to make the customer experience as easy,

Explaining State Health Insurance Exchanges in Less Than 10 Minutes

Introduction

Well, it’s finally happening. After years of drama on Capitol Hill, a Supreme Court case, a Presidential election, and a Mayan Apocalypse that could have stopped it dead in its tracks — but didn’t — the marquee elements of the Affordable Care Act, sometimes called ObamaCare, are about to kick in. And big changes are coming to health insurance in 2014.

Why Do Healthcare Costs Keep Going Up?

This is a letter sent out by a single health insurance company, but what they say applies to all in Oregon, so I thought I would share…

It feels like these days everything just keeps getting more expensive and healthcare is no exception.  We’ve all heard that we spend more money than any other nation on medical care.  

Working Out in Winter’s Cold Temperature Several Weeks

You will find many health advantages to ongoing the working out schedule you maintained throughout the warmer summer time several weeks on with the winter.

Physical exercise will improve your defense mechanisms by enhancing your lymphatic and cardiovascular circulation. However, the results of exercise on enhanced immunity are short resided. To optimize these good effects,

Exercising in Winter’s Cold Weather Months

There are many health benefits to continuing the exercising schedule you maintained during the warmer summer months on through the winter.

Regular exercise will boost your immune system by improving your lymphatic and cardiovascular circulation. However, the effects of exercise on improved immunity are short lived. To optimize these good effects, it’s important to exercise regularly.

Mad and Confused about Rising Health Care Costs

By Lisa Zamosky

If rising health insurance premiums and pricier deductibles make you feel angry, you’re not alone.

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation recently conducted eight focus groups in four different U.S. cities to take the pulse of consumer attitudes on the rising cost of health care. The two big take away themes: People are mad and confused.

Keeping Your Medical Records Accurate

By Lisa Zamosky

One of the more common types of questions I receive from readers has to do with medical records. Most commonly, people want to know either how to get a hold of their record or how to get rid of information that is wrong.  I’ve discussed before on this blog the process for gaining access to your medical record.

Drop Weight at Work

By Lisa Zamosky

When it comes to New Year’s resolutions, losing weight almost always tops the list. According to a new online survey of roughly 3,000 U.S. adults, conducted by Harris Interactive on behalf of Nutrisystem, more than half – 54% – of Americans have resolved to lose weight in 2013.

Not Happy with Your Medicare Advantage Plan? Change It!

We don’t get many opportunities in life for a “do-over” – the chance to make a different choice when our first decision was a mistake. But if you’re a Medicare beneficiary, January marks the start of a period when you can make changes to your Medicare coverage if you’re unhappy with your current plan.

Just one month after the end of the Medicare enrollment period,

Will You Shop Online for Health Insurance?

By Lisa Zamosky

There aren’t many things we don’t buy online these days. Yet, for most people, turning to the internet to purchase health insurance is a foreign concept. That’s about to change.

A central feature of the Affordable Care Act is to build online markets where millions of people who don’t get health benefits at work will shop for and buy a health plan,

Getting Immediate Medical Care Without a Trip to the ER

By Lisa Zamosky

Medical mishaps aren’t usually the first thing that comes to mind when we think about decorating for the holidays and putting that angel on top of the Christmas tree. Yet, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, during the months of November and December 2010, more than 13,000 people were treated in U.S.

Why a Hospital Bill Costs What It Costs

This is a great special report by Reader’s Digest on why hospital bills are what they are.

Included you’ll find sections on:

  • How to understand your bill
  • How to save money
  • Hospital Vs. Surgery Center
  • Common mistakes people make

Again, this is a special report done by Reader’s Digest,

Save Money by Ordering Drugs from Canada? Not So Fast

The most prevalent financial problem Americans face month in month out is the inability to afford their medicines. That’s according to a monthly national poll by Consumer Reports National Research Center. Indeed, medication in the U.S. can cost up to twice as much as it does in other parts of the world, so many bargain hunters turn to the Web seeking discounted,

Health Insurance Refunds by State

New rules created by the Affordable Care Act require health insurers to spend on average at least 80% of premiums on actual medical care instead of overhead and profits. Miss the mark and insurers have to refund customers.

Early data released by insurers helped us determine which insurance companies will owe rebates in your state. 

Mistakes Made When Buying Life Insurance

WARNING:  Make ANY of These 7 mistakes and you Can Cause Your Family Irreparable Harm

Unfortunately, responsible, well-meaning people have caused their families terrific grief by buying life insurance and making just one tiny mistake. It’s not always the same mistake… it is usually just one of 7 mistakes. The good thing is they can be easily avoided,

Beyond Obamacare: How to Fix Our Enormous, Inefficient Health-Care System

Here is an article that may clarify some of the problems with our health care system, and possibly on how to solve them.

By Philip K. Howard

May 7 2012, 12:45 PM ET 17

Whatever the Supreme Court decides about the individual mandate, the main battle remains to be fought: how to rein in the grotesque costs of the current system.

Health Reform FAQ #2

Here is a continuation of information about the Health Reform:
Questions you might want answers to:
Q: What if I make too much for Medicaid but still can’t afford coverage?

A: You might be eligible for government subsidies to help you pay for private insurance that would be sold in the new state-based insurance marketplaces,

Health Reform FAQ

The new health reform law is the most far-reaching health legislation since the creation of the Medicare and Medicaid programs.The following is a look at the impact of the law, which will extend insurance coverage to 32 million additional Americans by 2019, but which will also have an effect on almost every citizen.
Here are some commonly-asked questions about how you might be affected:

Q: I don’t have health insurance.

Penalties for Seniors Who Delay Filing for Medicare

Seniors just aging into the Medicare market, must know about the penalties they will pay if they do not sign up for Medicare Part B at the right time. For those seniors who have already filed for Social Security, they will automatically be enrolled in Medicare at age sixty-five. However, seniors who continue in the workforce,

Oregon Health Insurance

What is a Health Insurance Exchange?

A Health Insurance Exchange is a new marketplace that offers health insurance and coverage options to individuals, families, and small employers. An Exchange will offer a choice of insurance plans and provide information to help you understand what plan best fits your needs.

Long Term Care Insurance

Long term care insurance can be confusing, no matter who you are, especially if you don’t know who to turn to for expert advice.

The Facts Are Clear
Anyone with even a passing experience with Alzheimer’s, stroke, Parkinson’s or elder frailty can appreciate the severity and financial devastation of these all-too-common life events and the inevitable care required.

Is Preventive Care Really Free?

BY AMANDA MCGRORY
October 26, 2011

In an effort to keep health care costs down and encourage better usage, the Affordable Care Act includes a provision that requires preventive care to be offered free of charge. While that may sound good in theory, some benefits experts do not buy into this “free” health care.

With Economic Uncertainty, Perceived Value of Benefits Rises

Nearly eight out of 10 employees said the benefits package offered by their company is one of the reasons why they work there, according to the 2011 Mercer Workplace Survey, a proprietary research program. Even more, 91% of employees said getting health benefits through their company is just as important as their salary. Companies have “an opportunity to position their benefits program as a differentiating strategy,

Why Do I Need Life Insurance?

Answer:

Life insurance has several purposes. Its most important function is to replace the earnings that would cease at the death of the insured. For businesses, life insurance is a way to protect key employees and the business itself. A third purpose is to use life insurance to pay potential estate taxes.

If you die during your earning years,

It’s Medicare Season!

Fall is Leaf-Peeping Season and Hunting Season. It’s also Medicare Season. Time to do that all-important check on your policies and make sure they are the right ones for next year. The Medicare Season is open from October 15 to December 7. After that date, you can’t make any changes until next year’s Medicare Season.

Medicare Plans Quick Overview

Medicare Plans Explained Simply

Assistance with health care has been a growing issue in the United States for years. Many individuals, especially seniors, find that they are unable to afford medical bills or insurance for coverage. This leaves them with some tough decisions. Too often, one must choose between good health and finances.

Top 10 Reasons You Need Life Insurance

This article is from:
Futurity First Insurance Group, Inc.
500 Enterprise Drive, Suite 4B | Rocky Hill, CT 06067 | 860-838-4800

Top ten reasons you need life insurance.

Let’s talk about life insurance — it’s never a “fun” conversation to have. But when you sit down with an expert who has your best interests in mind,

START TYPING AND PRESS ENTER TO SEARCH