Big Money Savings Tip for Business Owners with Jan 1 Health Plan Renewals

It is that time of year again.  Open Enrollment, ughh.

A large part of a businesses budget goes toward their Medical Insurance plan.  Yet, many companies do not review the plan each year. It is complicated, employees want different things, employees get confused, and it is hard to explain the plan the changes. 

Why do we change plans?  Not because it's fun or to lower cost.  It is because health care and insurance costs go up every year.  A business must change plans just to keep the cost stable for the company and the employees. 

Health insurance companies DO NOT REWARD LOYALTY!  Carriers will increase costs on existing plans, meanwhile new plans are available that are not offered to current clients.  That is why it is important to review options from other carriers with your broker every year.  In most cases, a similar plan is available at a lower monthly premium.

BIG MONEY SAVING TIP:
We are expecting a premium increase in January.  If your health plan is renewing in January or February, have a broker shop for plan options BEFORE  November 15; you may be able to get the new plan started on Dec 1, and avoid that premium increase for the next 11 months.  This could save THOUSANDS of dollars. 

In most cases, a company can offer both HMO and PPO plans, contribute a fixed cost, and allow employees to decide whether they want to upgrade at their own cost.

At GVIS Insurance and Benefits, we help simplify the process through an easy benefits interview, plan options from top carriers with added benefits, explanation to employees and on-site enrollment. 

We bring large corporate benefits to small business™

How to Get Started on Kickstarter
(excerpts from full article By Carlye Adler March 18, 2011  |  4:46 pm  |  Wired April 2011
 
Kickstarter is the largest funding platform for creative projects in the world. Every week, tens of thousands of amazing people pledge millions of dollars to projects from the worlds of music, film, art, technology, design, food, publishing and other creative fields.

Inventors and industrial designers may be using Kickstarter, but the site hasn’t abandoned its artsy ethos. Here are some pointers to launching a successful project, whether it’s a dance performance or a shoe line.—C.A.

Have Passion
The Kickstarter community responds to energy, excitement, and emotion. If you think your invention will make you a millionaire, go the corporate route. If you think it’ll be fun, and you don’t want to compromise, stick with Kickstarter.

Be Personal
Kickstarter funders like to know who they’re helping. That’s why 48 percent of postings that include a personal video get funded, versus 30 percent of those without a video.

Set a Tight Deadline
You determine how long people have to put money down, but give funders too long and they’ll just have an excuse to procrastinate. Projects that raise funds for 30 days or less have the highest success rate.

Be Realistic
If you miss your fund-raising target, you won’t receive anything, so don’t get greedy. At the same time, if you undercharge for preorders, you won’t be able to deliver on your promises.

Give Updates
Backers will feel more connected if you keep them in the loop with progress reports. It gives them confidence that you haven’t absconded to Anguilla

 Click here to read more...

 Top 10 Excuses From Drivers Caught Using Phones

Here are the top 10 excuses the Insurance Corporation of British Columbia compiled of local drivers who were caught using handheld phone devices while driving:  

1. This is a bogus law.
2. It was my boss on the phone – I had to answer it.
3. I wasn’t using it – I just like to hold it.
4. Sorry officer, I didn’t see you trying to pull me over because I was on my phone.
5. But it was an emergency call to my wedding planner.
6. My Bluetooth died.
7. Driver: I’m using my speakerphone. Police officer: No, you’re holding your phone in one hand and steering with the other.
8. I’m not driving; I was stopped at a red light.
9. I wasn’t talking, I was checking my messages.
10. I was just checking the time.

Full Article:  http://www.insurancejournal.com/uncategorized/2011/10/14/219275.htm

You are Invited!  Family Health & Wellness Fair & Halloween Costume Contest for the Kids!

Saturday, October 22, 10AM‐2PM

Free information and screenings are available to help you enjoy life to the fullest.  So, mark your calendar and visit the Total Woman Gym on to start new healthy habits that will last a lifetime!

FREE Information & Services:
Fitness Programs, Health Insurance, Physical Therapy, Healthy Cooking, Invisalign, Hypnotherapy, Ladies Accessories, and many other local vendors, gifts and fun activities!

When: Saturday, October 22, 10AM‐2PM
Where:  Total Woman Gym & Day Spa - Brea, 
                910 E. Birch Street
                Brea, CA 92821-5800
RSVP Here: http://www.facebook.com/events/263792456993191/

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Reposted from: http://moneygirl.quickanddirtytips.com/5-money-management-tips-for-couples.aspx

One of the biggest challenges in personal finance can be managing money with your spouse or partner. If you don’t agree on money basics, like budgeting, spending, and saving, that can cause serious problems in your relationship. But don’t worry—if you’re fighting about money or don’t think you can ever see eye-to-eye, there are ways to settle your differences. I interviewed Bethany and Scott Palmer—the authors of First Comes Love, Then Comes Money—to learn more about specific techniques that couples can use to improve their financial lives. Here are 5 tips for managing money that can dramatically improve your relationship:

Tip #1: Know Your Money Personality

Understanding your “money personality” is the key to ending conflicts about finances in your relationship for good. Your money personality is the distinct way that you think about and handle money. See if you recognize yourself in one of the following 5 money personalities:

• The Saver – Likes to pinch pennies, hates parting with money, and thinks everything is overpriced. This type likes to research purchases and rarely spends impulsively. Savers are organized and trustworthy with money.
• The Spender – Loves to buy for themselves and perhaps for other people as well and gets a thrill from making a purchase, even if it’s something inexpensive at a thrift store. Spenders live in the moment, buy on impulse, and don’t differentiate between wants and needs.
• The Risk Taker – Gets excited about possibilities and is willing to lose money for the potential financial return of an investment or business opportunity. This personality type thinks conceptually and doesn’t get hung up on the details. Risk-takers can be impatient and make decisions without consulting others.
• The Security Seeker – Likes to plan for the future so they never have to experience a financial crisis. Willing to sacrifice today so they can save, invest, and have adequate insurance to cover their needs tomorrow. Security-seekers are very conservative with money, and are never caught unprepared.
• The Flyer – Flies by the seat of their pants because they don’t like to think about money at all. They’re not motivated by money, rarely make financial plans, and are unorganized. Fliers may end up making financial decisions based on fear rather than good advice.

Each person typically has 2 of the 5 money personalities—a primary and a secondary. To get clarity about your money dynamic as a couple, you should identify your own and your partner’s money personalities.

Tip #2: Have a Money Huddle

Understanding your “money personality” is the key to ending conflicts about finances in your relationship for good. A “money huddle” is a regular meeting you should have with your partner where you talk openly about your money relationship. This is the time to discuss how to blend your money personalities into a system that satisfies both of you. You might have a 45-minute money huddle once a month over dinner, for instance. The purpose of a money huddle is not to crunch your budget numbers or to let tempers flare—it’s to acknowledge your money personalities, discuss how you relate to money, and decide how to move forward as a couple. You should begin your financial conversation with the END in mind, which is an acronym for how to structure your money huddle:
E = Evaluate
N = Needs
D = Dream

I’ll explain each of these in the last 3 tips.

Tip #3: Evaluate Your Financial Situation

You should spend the first 15 minutes of your money huddle evaluating your debt and savings. Quickly review each of the debts you have, such as credit cards, mortgages, and auto loans. Know the balance due on each debt and the interest rate you’re paying. Next, review how much you have in savings and investments, like retirement accounts, brokerage accounts, and bank accounts. Remember that this is just an overview, so don’t let it consume your entire discussion.

Tip #4: Discuss Your Money Needs

The next 15 minutes of your money huddle should be spent discussing one of your most pressing money needs. You might want to save for a vacation, increase contributions to a retirement account, purchase life insurance, or buy a new toy. Listen to what your partner has to say and set a date for when you could research both of your items, take action, and meet your needs.

Tip #5: Remember Your Dreams

Take the last part of your money huddle to remember the dreams you and your partner had earlier in your relationship. Think about what you really want your future to look like. Do you want to buy a home? Have a cushy retirement account? Move? Start a business? Whatever it is, starting a dialog about it is the first step to making it happen.

More Money Management Advice for Couples Knowing your money personalities, and having re gular money huddles that begin with the END in mind, is key to successfully managing money as a couple. If you’re having money problems or just want to know how to avoid them in your relationship, be sure to listen to my interview with money and relationship experts, Bethany and Scott Palmer. You’ll get invaluable advice and hear the answers to 2 questions from podcast listeners who have money dilemmas in their relationships. To access the audio, visit to SmartMovesToGrowRich.com.

   

Healthcare Reform Update - Preventive Care at No Additional Cost

Under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, also known as health care reform, certain preventive care services in many of our plans will be covered with no cost sharing.  This means that you won't be responsible for copayments, coinsurance, or deductible payments for these preventive services if you are enrolled in one of these plans. (Please refer to your Evidence of Coverage to see the cost sharing that applies under your plan.) Below you’ll find a summary of preventive services that must be covered at no charge under health care reform, followed by a list of additional preventive services mandated by the state of California.


NATIONAL PREVENTIVE SERVICES

Preventive services for adults

Exams and discussions
Age-appropriate preventive medical examination
Discussion with primary care physician regarding alcohol misuse
Discussion with primary care physician regarding obesity and weight management
Discussion with primary care physician regarding aspirin for adults at higher risk of cardiovascular disease
Discussion with primary care physician regarding diet counseling for adults at higher risk for chronic disease
Discussion with primary care physician regarding tobacco cessation Screening
Abdominal aortic aneurysm--one-time screening by ultrasonography in men age 65 to 75 who have ever smoked
Blood pressure screening for all adults
Cholesterol screening for adults at higher risk of cardiovascular disease
Colorectal cancer screening for adults age 50 to 75
Prostate cancer screening in men age 50 to 75
Depression screening for adults
Type 2 diabetes screening for adults with high blood pressure   
Screening for all adults at higher risk for sexually transmitted infections and counseling for prevention of sexually transmitted infections, including:
HIV
Gonorrhea
Syphilis
Chlamydia
 
Immunizations

Immunizations for adults (doses, recommended ages, and recommended populations vary):
   Hepatitis A
   Hepatitis B
   Herpes zoster
   Human papillomavirus
   Influenza
   Measles, mumps, rubella
   Meningococcal
   Pneumococcal
   Tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis
   Varicella

Preventive services for women, including pregnant women

Exams and discussions
 Age-appropriate preventive medical examination
 Scheduled prenatal visits and first postpartum visit
 Discussion with primary care physician about interventions to promote and support breast feeding
 Discussion with primary care physician about folic acid supplements for women who may become pregnant
 Discussion with primary care physician regarding chemoprevention in women at higher risk for breast cancer
 Discussion with primary care physician regarding inherited susceptibility to breast and/or ovarian cancer
 Discussion with primary care physician regarding tobacco cessation

Screening
 Mammography screening for breast cancer for women age 50 to 74
 Mammography screening for breast cancer in other age groups as jointly determined by patient and physician
 Cervical cancer screening in women age 21 to 65
 Osteoporosis screening for women age 65 or older and women at higher risk
 Chlamydia infection screening for sexually active women (and men) at higher risk
 Gonorrhea screening for all women at higher risk
 Syphilis screening for all pregnant women and other women at higher risk
 Anemia screening for pregnant women
 Urinary tract or other infection screening for pregnant women
 Hepatitis B screening for pregnant women at their first prenatal visit
 Rh incompatibility screening for pregnant women and follow-up testing for women at higher risk

Preventive services for children

Exams, assessments, and discussions
Age-appropriate preventive medical examination
Medical history for all children throughout development
Height, weight, and body mass index measurements for children
Behavioral assessments for children of all ages by primary care physician
Oral health risk assessment for young children by primary care physician
Discussion with primary care physician regarding alcohol and drug use assessments for adolescents
Discussion with primary care physician regarding obesity screening and counseling
Discussion with primary care physician regarding fluoride supplements for children who have no fluoride in their water source
Discussion with primary care physician regarding iron supplements for children age 6 months to 12 months who are at risk for anemia
Sexually transmitted infection (STI) prevention counseling for adolescents at higher risk

Screening
Developmental screening for children under 3 years and surveillance throughout childhood by primary care physician
Autism screening for children at age 18 months and 24 months by primary care physician
Congenital hypothyroidism screening for newborns
Phenylketonuria (PKU) screening in newborns
Dyslipidemia screening for children at higher risk of lipid disorders
Lead screening for children at risk of exposure
Hearing screening for all newborns
Vision screening for all children
Hematocrit or hemoglobin screening for children
Hemoglobinopathies or sickle cell screening for newborns
Tuberculin testing for children at higher risk of tuberculosis
HIV screening for adolescents at higher risk
Cervical dysplasia screening for sexually active females Immunizations and medication
Gonorrhea prevention medication for the eyes of all newborns
Immunizations for children from birth to 18 years (doses, recommended ages, and recommended populations vary):
Diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis
Haemophilus influenzae type B
Hepatitis A
Hepatitis B
Human papillomavirus
Inactivated poliovirus
Influenza
Measles, mumps, rubella
Meningococcal
Pneumococcal
Rotavirus
Varicella

Additional preventive services in California

We also cover state-mandated services in California that are in addition to those required by federal health care reform. We’ll continue to provide these services as part of our preventive services package for California members.
   Family planning visits*
   Scheduled prenatal visits
   First postpartum visit*
   Health education
   Routine vision examinations
   Routine hearing examinations