Nominees for this award undergo months of in-depth evaluation and analysis focusing on workplace benefits, policies and practices, as well as an assessment of employee engagement and satisfaction. In particular, ERP was commended for its support of employees’ work/life balance, family-friendly environment, and encouragement of social interaction through weekly sponsored lunches and company outings. The company also emphasizes giving back to the community, supporting numerous causes through charitable contributions and volunteerism.

“We are honored to be acknowledged as one of the top employers in the industry,” says Michael Marcon, Founder and CEO of ERP. “This distinction only confirms my belief that when you put your colleagues in a position to succeed and make them feel as if they are part of your long-term business plan, they become vested emotionally and intellectually, which creates a positive work environment for all. What it really comes down to is that great employees and great clients always equal a great outcome.”

About Equity Risk Partners (ERP)

Equity Risk Partners is the only insurance brokerage, employee benefits and risk management consulting firm focused exclusively on the needs of the private equity industry and its portfolio companies. Founded in 2001, the company is dedicated to improving the efficiency, structure and return of private equity transactions through consistent and timely due diligence. Combining extensive industry experience with a dedication to excellence, they deliver creative, cost-effective insurance solutions, as well as innovative product and financing alternatives. Headquartered in San Francisco, Equity Risk Partners has a nationwide presence with additional offices in New York and Chicago. More information and career opportunities are available at http://www.EquityRisk.com.

Advice on Personal Insurance & Commercial Insurance. Copyright ©. All Rights Reserved.

This video talks about the potential emergency situations in the workplace. It emphasizes that workers should be trained to handle emergencies and should periodically be tested.

Here is the video on Youtube:

Advice on Personal Insurance & Commercial Insurance. Copyright ©. All Rights Reserved.

Costs for home health care services are rising according to a report by the American Association for Long-Term Care Insurance. Nationally, the current average hourly rate for a home health aide is $20.50, a 2.5 percent increase over the prior year (2009). Costs vary by location.

According to government data, some 7.5 million individuals currently receive extended periods of care at home because of acute illness, permanent disability, or long-term health conditions. The nation’s annual cost for care in 2010 is projected to exceed $59 billion.

“People clearly prefer to receive care in their own home but the cost can be expensive,” explains Jesse Slome, executive director of the American Association for Long-Term Care Insurance. One year of ongoing home care can easily exceed $35,000. The national trade organization reports that 42 percent of individuals who currently receive long-term care insurance benefits get their care at home.

Medicare is the largest single payer of home health services for seniors accounting for approximately 37 percent of home health expenditures according to the National Association of Home Care & Hospice. “However, long-term care needs are typically limited or not covered by government or state programs,” Slome notes. As a result, over eight million Americans have purchased long-term care insurance protection on an individual basis or through their employer.”

The following are costs for home health aides and homemaker service providers for leading metropolitan areas from the 2010 Long-Term Care Insurance Sourcebook published by the Association. A more comprehensive listing can be found on the organization’s website http://aaltci.org/long-term-care-insurance/ .

2010 COST OF CARE STUDY
American Association for Long-Term Care Insurance

City, State, Home Health Aide, Homemaker

Atlanta, GA $21 $18
Baltimore, MD $23 $20
Boston, MA $28 $23
Chicago, IL $23 $18
Denver, CO $25 $22
Dallas/ Ft Worth, TX $17 $17
Kansas City, MO $20 $17
Los Angeles, CA $23 $18
Miami, FL $17 $16
New York, NY $18 $17
Seattle, WA $24 $21

The American Association for Long-Term Care Insurance (http://www.aaltci.org/) is the national association serving insurance and financial professionals who provide long-term care financing solutions. The organization publishes the annual LTC Insurance Sourcebook a compendium of the most current data and studies related to long-term care planning and insurance protection.

Advice on Personal Insurance & Commercial Insurance. Copyright ©. All Rights Reserved.

25 Feb 2010 at 12:34am
Recently, a client asked me if I thought that she had achieved all the appropriate financial targets for her age. Like a concerned parent eagerly checking for the age-specific developmental achievements of a child, she was trying to assess if she had …

Second Marriages and Life Insurance – ElderLawAnswers.com

24 Feb 2010 at 8:52pm
As second marriages become more and more common, beneficiary designations become more complicated. If you are remarried, choosing a beneficiary for your life insurance policy may not be simple‚ especially if you have children from a previous …

An O’Reilly Factor hat trick: Rove, Morris, and Schoen repeat … – Media Mat…

24 Feb 2010 at 8:52pm
ROVE: There is a trillion dollars worth of additional money being spent over the next 10 years. It’s got to come from somebody, and it’s not just tanning salons. Remember, it’s going to come from everybody who has an insurance policy because the …

A Matter Of Opinion – The Spokesman-Review

24 Feb 2010 at 6:51pm
What once was a loose thread, is now the birth certificate thread. Want to comment on Obama’s status as a citizen, put it in this thread. It’s been a long debate, so it’s best to keep all of the information in one place. That would be here …

Lawyer For Murder Victim’s Son Speaks Out About Messy Death Benefits … – In…

24 Feb 2010 at 3:45pm
FORT WAYNE, IN (Indiana’s NewsCenter) — The lawyer for the son of murder victim Lisa Pattison says the teen-aged boy deserves all the money from a hefty life insurance policy in which the accused murderer was supposed to get a big cut too. Family …

Life Settlements: Cash for Your Life Insurance Policy – ElderLawAnswers.com

24 Feb 2010 at 1:57pm
Now there’s another, often vastly more lucrative alternative: sell the policy to a life settlement company. Such companies, which have sprung up only in the last several years, buy insurance policies — term, whole life, universal and other types …

Road recarpeting at Focal Point begins today – Tribune

24 Feb 2010 at 1:29pm
Appeals to the city’s civic body by industrialists at Focal Point here appear to have been heard at last. Work on the municipal corporation’s Rs 20 crore project for recarpeting roads in the area will commence tomorrow. Industry has welcomed the …

Combining Your Insurance: Just Got Engaged? What You Need to Consider … – B…

24 Feb 2010 at 11:55am
For some couples, one of the first decisions to make is where to live – whether to stay in one of your current residences or find a new home together. Either way, you’re going to have to decide if you’ll stay with one of your current insurance …

Make Republicans answer: “Why do you want to kill Medicare?” – DAILY KOS

24 Feb 2010 at 9:47am
The Republican party has been getting away with a Big Lie for a long time, but especially in this past year of the healthcare fight. As we saw this summer, ignorant rightwingers ranted in town halls meetings against “government-run healthcare” while …

Obama’s Health Care Plan at a Glance – CBS News

23 Feb 2010 at 6:52pm
… rate hike announcement by Anthem Blue Cross in California, Obama would give the federal government the authority to block rate hikes, roll back premium prices and force insurance companies … taxpayer funds and private premiums that would pay …

Advice on Personal Insurance & Commercial Insurance. Copyright ©. All Rights Reserved.

12 Jan 2010 at 8:57am
Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne said the automaker will start hiring production workers again if it sells enough cars and trucks. Marchionne said at the Detroit auto show that Chrysler Group LLC is revamping its models and will need more engineering …

Notes from the 2010 Detroit auto show – Reading Eagle

11 Jan 2010 at 5:20pm
DETROIT (AP) Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne said the automaker will start hiring production workers again if it sells enough cars and trucks. Marchionne said at the Detroit auto show that Chrysler Group LLC is revamping its models and will need more …

Tomorrow’s Electric Cars at the 2010 North American Auto Show – Triple Pundit

12 Jan 2010 at 6:20am
In 1986, I bought my very first car. It was a red 1980 Chevy Chevette. And I loved that thing. I drove it everywhere — from to Boston to DC to Atlanta, that little red Chevette gave me a sense of freedom that I had never before experienced. And I …

Unsecured load causes a mess on I-94 – WWMT

11 Jan 2010 at 3:54pm
KALAMAZOO COUNTY, Mich. (NEWSCHANNEL 3) – In Kalamazoo County, a big mess snarled traffic along I-94 Monday morning, and left some cars with serious damage. That damage came after a truck spilled spare parts all over the freeway. More than a half …

Easy ways to save up to hundreds of dollars – CNN

11 Jan 2010 at 3:11pm
Consumer Reports says many people don’t use half their phone minutes Car insurance can go down if you’ve made life changes that make you safer Internet sites allow you to swap CDs and DVDs instead of buying new ones New York (CNN) — If saving money …

Ohio flunks in traffic safety study – Journal-News

11 Jan 2010 at 3:18pm
Ohio was one of just nine states that got the lowest grade on traffic safety laws in a report issued on Monday, Jan. 11, by Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety , an advocacy group funded by insurance companies. A major reason for Ohio’s low grade …

Knuckleheads in the News – WTOP

11 Jan 2010 at 2:49pm
A) These California thieves robbed the wrong home. They stole beer from a garage, but the house belonged to an FBI agent. The thieves will spend two years in prison. B) An elderly Florida man wasn’t about to let a car accident stop him from enjoying …

Distracted Driving: Keep Your Mouth Closed to Avoid Two Big … – Yahoo Finance

11 Jan 2010 at 2:28pm
The study, which rated the top 10 driver distractions, found that looking at things outside the car is the number one distraction for most drivers. Also ranking high among distractions is adjusting the radio or changing a CD. Interacting with …

Distracted Driving: It’s Not Just About Cell Phones and Texting – Yahoo Finance

11 Jan 2010 at 2:21pm
However that won’t help with drivers who are distracted by a dog on the sidewalk or the scenery. Limiting the distractions you respond to is the first step toward safer travel. Foremost Insurance wants to help you travel safely and get the most …

Volkswagen Group of America Weathers Industry Storm; Emerges with … – PR-US…

12 Jan 2010 at 3:50am
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. enters the new year with solid positioning following a series of 2009 successes. The company has set a goal of selling one million Volkswagens and Audis by 2018, as part of the worldwide Volkswagen Group’s focus on …

Advice on Personal Insurance & Commercial Insurance. Copyright ©. All Rights Reserved.

The Federal Long-Term Care Insurance Program (FLTCIP) provides long term care insurance to help pay for costs of care from simple ailments to complex syndromes. The Federal Long-Term Care Insurance Program reflects the long and careful efforts of the U.S. Office of Personnel Management and two insurance leaders – John Hancock and MetLife – to provide affordable group premiums and comprehensive benefits.

Recently, the U.S. Office of Personnel Management has signed a contract with John Hancock Life and Health Insurance Company to provide insurance for the Federal Long Term Care Insurance Program’s second 7-year contract term.

Part of the proposed federal health plan being discussed today by the U.S. Senate includes proposed long term care protection. The proposed Community Living Assistance Services and Supports Act (CLASS Act) would provide coverage paid by individuals who would have the ability to opt out.

The Federal Long Term Care Insurance Proposal is a great deal for current baby boomers but will burden the next generation of seniors with higher taxes. According to the document, the plan’s proponents believe a $65-per-month tax for individuals would be sufficient to provide a $50 average monthly benefit. However, the study reveals that the sound monthly premium level would be closer to $110 a month or over $1,300 a year per-individual.

The CLASS Act proposes a voluntary federal program that is sustainable and actuarially sound over a 75-year horizon. Based on the current assumptions, the independent actuaries project the new government fund will be insolvent by 2027 to pay for long-term care claims.

Anyone born after 1962 will realize the increase of taxes required to sustain this will be imposed when they realize the funds will run out.

The debate of health care reform continues.

The full 13 page letter to the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions from P.J. Eric Stallard (Chairperson, Federal Long-Term Care Task Force of the American Academy of Actuaries) and Steven Schoonveld (Chairperson, Long-Term Care Insurance Section Council of the Society of Actuaries) can be found here in this PDF.

Actuarial Issues and Policy Implications of a Federal Long-Term Care Insurance Program

Here is the Executive Summary:

Our actuarial analysis indicates that the proposed structure and funding approaches in the CLASS Act, as introduced on June 9th, will not only be unsustainable within the foreseeable future, but are unlikely to cover more than a very small proportion of the intended population. In the absence of an actuarially sound requirement, we project that the Fund will be insolvent as early as 2021, or within 11 years. The opt-out and guaranteed issue provisions of the plan pose a significant and likely risk that, in a relatively short time period, the program will either need increased premiums and/or significant reductions.

The version of the bill reported on July 15th includes an amendment requiring an actuarially sound program over a 75-year period. We commend this change in the legislation, with the caveat that the requirement may not be possible to achieve unless the issues explored in this letter are addressed. There is considerable risk of adverse selection, which could necessitate future increases in premiums or reductions in benefits to maintain a sustainable program. As these changes are introduced there is a significant potential for increased adverse selection, necessitating further changes, which may make the program unsustainable. The premium estimates suggested below are optimistic as they assume only a modest level of adverse selection.

Our principal analysis is performed assuming an average daily cash benefit of $75 increasing annually with the Consumer Price Index (CPI). We have also provided an analysis using the minimum average daily benefit of $50 called for in the legislation, increasing annually with CPI. Furthermore, we have reviewed two potential premium structures, an entry-age level premium and an annual increasing premium approach.

We estimate that the actuarially sound average monthly premium level would be $160 using an entry-age level premium approach and assuming an average daily benefit of $75. Under an annual increasing premium approach, the average monthly premium would be $125 per month increasing annually with CPI. Based on the originally proposed $65 average monthly level premium, the fund would be insolvent by 2021. Under the increasing premium approach the fund would be insolvent by 2022.

Using a $50 initial minimum average benefit, we estimate that an actuarially sound average monthly premium level would be $110 under the entry-age level premium approach and $86 using the annual increasing premium approach. Based on the originally proposed $65 average monthly level premium, the fund would be insolvent by 2027. Under the increasing premium approach the fund would be insolvent by 2032.

Each of these premium estimates is significantly in excess of the $65 monthly average initially proposed in the CLASS Act. These estimates were based on a series of scenarios, using actuarial assumptions, which we will detail later in our comments.

A voluntary federal LTC program can be developed so that the program is sustainable and minimizes the impact of adverse selection. Such a program would require the use of a stronger actively-at-work definition, an underwriting approach for the coverage of non-working spouses, stronger participant opt-out/ opt-in restrictions, consistent eligibility definitions for benefits and potential program design changes that would result in more affordable premiums. These considerations, along with a strong marketing and education effort, could enable the development of an actuarially sound voluntary federal program that encourages broad participation and a sufficient spread of risks.

Advice on Personal Insurance & Commercial Insurance. Copyright ©. All Rights Reserved.

Here is the video on Youtube:

Advice on Personal Insurance & Commercial Insurance. Copyright ©. All Rights Reserved.

Here is the video on Youtube:

Advice on Personal Insurance & Commercial Insurance. Copyright ©. All Rights Reserved.

Here is the video on Youtube:

Advice on Personal Insurance & Commercial Insurance. Copyright ©. All Rights Reserved.

Integrated Medical Transport

But Angel Medflight is not only medical air transport. As required, Angel Medflight organizes ground ambulance transfers. This can be in combination with a patient air transport, or can be separate as a stand-alone hospital transport.

Angel Medflight operates a fleet of fixed wing, 100% medically dedicated aircraft. They have staff of trained professionals, who are always on call, at the airport, next to the aircraft, ready to respond to a medical evacuation. The focus of the medical and flight crews is on the safety of the patient.

Medical Personnel

There is a minimum of two medical personnel to accompany the patient on each transfer. One of them is a physician or a critical care flight nurse. Then, paramedics, respiratory therapists, physicians assistants and perfusionists can be available to assist the patient during transport ~ it all depends upon the patient’s needs.

Angel Medflight’s medical personnel are all board certified, air certified and have at least five years experience in emergency medicine. They receive a rigorous initial orientation prior to flying with patients. Also, all medical staff participate in 100 hours of didactic and clinical continuing education each year.

Medical Equipment

On board of its aircrafts, Angel Medflight’s standard medical equipment consists of stretchers, oxygen, ventilator, cardiac monitor/defibrillator, resuscitation equipment, suction, intubation equipment, balloon pump, IV, ACLS drug complement, and any other specialty equipment necessary for each individual patient. Angel Medflight also carries the most proactive array of antibiotics for bacterial and parasitic infections in the air ambulance industry.

Is Air Ambulance Transport Covered by Insurance?

If this all sounds expensive, it is. To have your insurance cover a portion (or all) of the medical expenses, in most cases, medical necessity must be proven. The Angel Medflight’s insurance division must be contacted first, and they will work to obtain prior authorization from the patient’s insurance carrier to help lessen the costs associated with medical transport.

What is “’ medical necessity”?
It is commonly understood that ‘medical necessity’ means ‘that which is reasonable and necessary for the diagnosis or treatment of an illness or injury’.

Angel Medflight has insurance contracts with the majority of major national health insurance companies, but not all. When considering their services, you should first find out if they work with your insurance company.

Typically Angel Medflight helps patients file insurance paperwork. What is important is that they help you show ‘medical necessity’ and obtain insurance authorization. Actually, Angel Medflight insurance personnel will file all necessary insurance paperwork for you.

Medical Transport Choice

Sometimes air transport makes the critical difference between life and death, and yes, air transport is paramount for the health and survival of the patient.

At other cases, when the patient is more stable and time is less critical, alternative ambulance services are to be considered. This is what specialty patient medical transport services Angel Medflight can offer besides its famous air ambulance service:

Long range ground transport. We transport the patient via ground ambulance staffed with two drivers, medical personnel, equipment and medications

AMTRAK medical escort. We reserve a special needs car and staff it with our medical personnel and necessary medications and equipment.

Commercial flight with medical escort. Patient is accompanied by an ER or ICU Physician, Critical Care Flight Nurse or Critical Care Flight Paramedic (and of course all necessary medical equipment) on a commercial airline.

Commercial airline stretcher service. For international flights only. We arrange with the airline to remove several passenger seats from the rear of the aircraft to accommodate patient, stretcher, medical personnel, and equipment.

Contact details for Angel Medflight, patient medical transport is tel. 1-877-ANGEL70.

Before you call them, just a bit of warning re. the expenses. As a reflection of the current economic conditions, insurance companies are pulling a much longer insurance claims process, even for pre-authorized medical flights. Angel MedFlight has expanded services to include specialized medical claims processing, however, do not be naive. Healthcare insurance carriers are watching their claims more carefully as medical costs rise and their profits and insurance adoption decrease. What this means is a virtually automatic denial of coverage for air medical flights, and a longer, tougher road to claims payment.

© copyright http://besafeinsure.com 2009 – all rights reserved.

Advice on Personal Insurance & Commercial Insurance. Copyright ©. All Rights Reserved.