Zinser Benefit Service - Small Business Insurance

Individual Insurance, Group Insurance and Employee Benefits, small business insurance

Silver Oak Form CRS

employee benefits

Long-Term Care Costs Continue To Rise

· · Leave a Comment

According to a 2011 MetLife market survey of Nursing Home, Assisted Living, Adult Day Services and Home Care Costs national average rates for a private nursing home room increased 4.4% to $239 daily or $87,235 annually.

Some other statistics:

  • In 2010 66% of nursing home residents were women.  The median age of residents was 82.7.
  • Current estimates show that the average age of an assisted living resident is 86.9 years old.
  • The median length of stay in an assisted living facility is 25.6 months.
  • The majority (87%) of nursing homes surveyed provide Alzheimer’s or dementia care; of those, 80% charge the same rate for care
  • Almost three-quarters (72%) of assisted living communities surveyed provide Alzheimer’s and dementia care, 50% of which charge an additional fee for the service.
The 2011 MetLife Market Survey of Nursing Home, Assisted Living, Adult Day Services, and Home Care Costs can be downloaded from www.MatureMarketInstitute.com.
Here’s the link:

 

November is Diabetes Awareness Month

· · Leave a Comment

November is Diabetes Awareness Month.  This is a cause that we personally have a stake in because my father in law had diabetes.  Our family participates in the Louisville ADA walk each year.  I’m also proud to say that my wife’s family is the number one fund-raising family and friends team.  They’ve been number one now for I’d say at least the last six years.

Here’s your newsletter

Diabetes Newsletter

Small Business Tax Credit

· · Leave a Comment

With businesses winding down for the 2011 calender year, this tax credit calculation tool will come in handy to the many small business customers that health insurance companies have.  This link is from United Health Care and goes over the small business tax credit.

Certain small businesses that offer health benefits are now eligible for health care tax credits. These vary depending on the tax-exempt status of the organization and employer contribution toward health benefits.

  • Eligible employers must pay at least half the cost of single coverage for their employees.
  • There must be no more than 25 full-time equivalent (FTE) employees, not counting owners or their family members.
  • Average annual wages of employees must be less than $50,000 per FTE.
We are not tax advisors, so please consult your personal tax advisor if you have any questions regarding this tax credit.

Health Insurance Rate Reviews

· · Leave a Comment

Here is a recent article about the rate review process that was started on September 1st of this year.  HHS released a statement stating how this rate review process has helped keep premiums down.  However, an industry trade group, America’s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP) states that the rate reviews focus too much on rate increases and not enough on the real issue, rising cost of doing business in the medical industry.

As of the writing of this article, there appears to be at least 8 states this year who have won in getting health insurance companies that were asking for double digit increases to lower their renewals.  Kentucky is not one of these states.

There appears to be some validity to HHS promoting the success of these rate reviews.  This article doesn’t go into why or how the states that have succeeded in getting double digit rate increases overturned, just that there are more states getting grants from the federal government to assist in these rate reviews.

http://aishealth.com//archive/nhpw092611-04

 

 

 

Immunizations

· · Leave a Comment

At the end of this post you will find a newsletter that United Health Care has put together about Immunizations. I found this very helpful because there is an awful lot of information out there about vaccinations, and how some are harmful while others aren’t. Hopefully this will shed some light on this subject.

Immunization Newsletter

Request a Quote

Call (502) 245-6674 for more information or Request a Quote online.