Insurance Archives - Page 27 of 30

Long Term Care Insurance

June 18, 2017 By Anna Brantley

According to the U.S. Census data, in 2010 there were 22 people over the age of 65 for every 100 people. By 2030, that number will rise steeply with 35 of every 100 Americans being over 65 years old. That’s 19 percent of the population. No surprise that Florida ranks #1 with the most households with senior citizens. Obviously, the need for long-term care insurance will increase.

Most people buy long-term care insurance around age 60, says the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services. The younger you are when you buy it, the more likely you are to be accepted for coverage. If you apply in your 50s, there’s a one in 10 chance you’ll be rejected. If you apply in your 60s, the chance of rejection is two in 10, and the odds against you double if you wait to apply for coverage until you hit your 70s. Of course, the younger you are, the lower the premium will be for a given set of benefits and features. Once the premium is set, it stays at that amount for the life of the policy, unless the claims for the group of people who have bought that type of policy require rates for the group be raised to cover claim payments.

You’ve got lots of options in planning for the silver and golden (and platinum) years. Some people think they should invest what they would have paid in long-term care, rather than buying an insurance policy. But that may leave you vulnerable if you need the benefits earlier than planned. Like most things in life, do your homework on long-term care. And, celebrate your years since this is Older Americans Month, and the theme is “Never Too Old to Play.” I like the sound of that!

Summer is Here, Keep Safe in the Pool

June 4, 2017 By Anna Brantley

Courtesy of iii.org

Whether you have a luxury in-ground pool, or plan to blow up an inflatable kiddie pool, it is important to consider the safety implications.

There are an estimated 7.4 million swimming pools and five million hot tubs in residential or public use in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Furthermore, there are over 3,400 fatal unintentional drownings in the United States each year, with more than one out of five drowning victims being a child 14 years old or younger, according to the CDC.
The I.I.I. suggests taking the following steps if you own or are considering purchasing a pool or spa:

Contact your town or municipality
Each town will have its own definition of what constitutes a “pool”, often based on its size and the depth of the water. If the pool you are planning to buy meets the definition, then you must comply with local safety standards and building codes. This may include installing a fence of a certain size, locks, decks and pool safety equipment.
Call your insurance agent or company representative
Let your insurance company know that you have a pool, since it will increase your liability risk. Pools are considered an “attractive nuisance” and it may be advisable to purchase additional liability insurance. Most homeowners policies include a minimum of $100,000 worth of liability protection. Pool owners, however, may want to consider increasing the amount to at least $300,000 or $500,000. You may also want to talk to your agent or company representative about purchasing an umbrella liability policy. For an additional premium of about $200 to $300 a year, you can get $1 million of liability protection over and above what you have on your home. If the pool itself is expensive, you should also have enough insurance protection to replace it in the event it is destroyed by a storm or other disaster. And, don’t forget to include the chairs, tables or other furniture around the pool deck.

If you have a pool, the I.I.I. recommends taking the following safety precautions:

Install a four-sided barrier such as a fence with self closing gates to completely surround the pool. If the house forms the fourth side of the barrier, install alarms on doors leading to the pool area to prevent children from wandering into the pool or spa unsupervised. In addition to the fences or other barriers required by many towns, consider creating several “layers of protection” around the pool, in other words setting up as many barriers (door alarms, locks and safety covers) as possible to the pool area when not in use.
Never leave small children unsupervisedeven for a few seconds. And never leave toys or floats in the pool when not in use as they may prove to be a deadly temptation for toddlers trying to reach them who might then fall into the pool.
Keep children away from pool filters and other mechanical devices as the suction force may injure them or prevent them from surfacing. In case of an emergency, know how to shut off these devices and clearly post this information so others can do so too.
Ask if pool users know how to swim. Learners should be accompanied by a good swimmer. If you have children, have them take swimming lessons as early as possible. And, do not allow anyone to swim alone.
Check the pool area regularly for glass bottles, toys or other potential accident hazards. Also, keep CD players, radios and other electrical devices away from pools or nearby wet surfaces.
Limit alcohol use around the pool, as drinking alcoholic beverages negatively impacts balance, coordination and judgmentand its effects are further heightened by sun exposure and heat. The CDC reports that alcohol use is involved in up to half of adolescent and adult deaths associated with water recreation.
Clearly post emergency numbers on the phone, in the event of an accident. Keep a first aid kit, ring buoys and reaching poles near the pool. You may also want to consider learning basic water rescue skills, including first aid and CPR training. For additional information, contact the American Red Cross.

Latest Cyber Risk Has Huge Business Impact

May 28, 2017 By Anna Brantley

Courtesy of iii.org

A wave of cyberattacks hit targets in 150 countries on Friday, May 12–and this number is expected to grow, according to law enforcement authorities. This fast-spreading hack is unprecedented in how it spreads ransomware via a “worm.” The white paper, “Cyberrisk: Threat and Opportunity” examines how insurers contend with these evolving hazards to networks and data.

Interest in cyber insurance and risk continues to grow beyond expectations in 2016 in part due to high profile data breaches, but also due to awareness of the almost endless range of exposures businesses face.
Attacks and breaches have grown in frequency, and loss costs are on the rise.
Insurers are issuing an increasing number of cyber insurance policies and becoming more skilled and experienced at underwriting and pricing this rapidly evolving risk. More than 60 carriers now offer stand-alone cyber insurance policies, and it is estimated the U.S. market is worth over $3.25 billion in gross written premiums in 2016, with some estimates suggesting it has the potential to grow to $7.5 billion.

Some observers believe that exposure is greater than the insurance industrys ability to adequately underwrite the risk. Attacks have the potential to be massive and wide-ranging due to the interconnected nature of this risk, which can make it difficult for insurers to assess their likely severity. The underreporting of attacks means that accurately evaluating exposures is challenging. Several insurers have warned that the scope of the exposures is too broad to be covered by the private sector alone, and a few observers see a need for government cover akin to the terrorism risk insurance programs in place in several countries.

No-Fault Insurance Reviewed in Florida

May 21, 2017 By Anna Brantley

Courtesy of iii.org

The Florida Legislature is again looking at ending no-fault auto insurance in Florida. Sound familiar? Tweaking no-fault (also known as personal injury protection PIP) is a frequent topic for legislative debate.

You may recall a fix to fight no-fault fraud came in 2012. Regulators issued a report in 2015 that said the fix appeared to be working. Regardless, it seems the desire to do something about rising auto insurance rates may be driving the desire to abolish no-fault. Florida is one of 12 states with a no-fault law. Proponents say it allows those injured in a car crash to recover costs for medical treatment under their own insurance policy, without needing to determine who is at fault for the accident. Among the proponents are hospitals, which say about one-third of the people they treat for auto injuries only have no-fault coverage. Critics discount that view, saying no-fault duplicates coverage that most people already have with medical insurance.

What will replace no-fault/PIP if the legislation becomes law? A requirement for bodily injury coverage, which applies to injuries you as a driver cause to someone else. This may cost more than no-fault coverage for some people. With this change, the Legislature is also considering raising the compulsory financial responsibility limits. Any time most people hear the word “raising” they think it might cost more money, and it might but here’s the other side of that:

Florida has the lowest financial responsibility requirement of any U.S. state. That means we set the bar very low for the responsibility drivers have if they cause a car crash with injuries. And, the end result is that too many people are not fully compensated, so while they are trying to recover physically from injuries caused by another, they may also be suffering financially. Raising that bar is about accountability.

A reminder: Insurance of any type (auto, home, health, business) is about protecting your assets. Always, always (always!) make sure you have insurance equal to the total value of the assets you own.

Renters, Are You Prepared for Hurricane Season

May 7, 2017 By Anna Brantley

Courtesy of iii.org

RENTERS INSURANCE

If you rent, rather than own, your home, have you bought renters insurance?

While your landlord may provide insurance coverage for the structure of your home, as a renter you are responsible for your own belongings. Renters insurance covers the loss or destruction of your possessions if they are damaged by a hurricane or other disaster listed in the policy. A standard renters insurance policy also includes ALE coverage if you are unable to live in your house or apartment due to damage caused by a hurricane.

Flood insurance is also available for renters. However, as for homeowners, the NFIP flood insurance policies for renters do not include ALE coverage.

Don’t wait to review and update your insurance until after you have a loss葉here are few things worse than finding out you did not have the right kind of coverage when you are already filing a claim. So before hurricane season kicks off, make sure you’ve reviewed home or renters insurance policy with this Hurricane Season Insurance Checklist. Call your Insurance Professional if you have any questions. They can provide guidance on how to get the insurance protection that’s best for your needs and budget.

For information on how to make your home more disaster resistant, go to the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS). For information on evacuation, go to the Federal Alliance for Safe Homes (FLASH).