Keeping the Health Plan You Have - Grandfathering under the Affordable Care Act

Issue #21


The monthly Alta Vista Benefits newsletter is provided as a service to help with issues in your every day life. Your suggestions and feedback can be e-mailed to lucy@altavistaben.com.

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Keeping the Health Plan You Have

Grandfathering under the Affordable Care Act



The Department of Health and Human Services today announced the provisions of the Affordable Care Act that affect "grandfathering" status for Americans who currently have health plans. These provisions affect individuals who purchase their own health insurance as well as individuals who have employer-sponsored health coverage.

The new provisions allow plans that existed on March 23, 2010 to make routine changes without losing grandfather status. The routine changes include:
* Cost adjustments to keep pace with medical inflation;
* Adding new benefits;
* Making modest adjustments to existing benefits; and
* Adopting new consumer protections or making changes to comply with Federal or state laws.

Premium changes are not used when determining whether or not a plan is grandfathered. However, changing insurance companies will cause a loss of grandfathered status.

If a health plan loses its grandfathered status, consumers will gain new benefits, including:
* Coverage of recommended prevention services with no cost sharing; and
* Patient protections such as guaranteed access to OB-GYNs and pediatricians.

All health plans regardless if they are grandfathered plans or not must provide certain benefits for plan years starting on or after September 23, 2010, including:

* No lifetime limits on coverage for all plans;
* No recissions of coverage when people get sick and have previously made an unintentional mistake on their application;
* Extension of parents’ coverage to adults under 26 years of age

For Americans who get their health insurance through employers, additional benefits will be offered, whether or not their plan is grandfathered, including:

* No coverage exclusions for children with pre-existing conditions; and
* No “restricted” annual limits

Alta Vista Benefits is committed to giving you information about the Affordable Care Act as quickly as it is made available. If you would like to know more, please contact us today.


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Did You Know?
Life Insurance

Life insurance can provide benefits to your family in addition to a death benefit. Many clients are using whole life policies as a way to save money for college educations, gift money to children and grandchildren or create a retirement fund.

For more information about how you can use life insurance as part of your financial strategy, please contact us.


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Lucy Grosz is the CEO of Alta Vista Benefits and can be reached at lucy@altavistaben.com or by phone at 614-889-0934.

May 2010 Alta Vista Benefits Newsletter

Issue #20


The monthly Alta Vista Benefits newsletter is provided as a service to help with issues in your every day life. Your suggestions and feedback can be e-mailed to lucy@altavistaben.com.

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COBRA Subsidy Extended

Does this affect you?



The COBRA subsidies have been extended again through May 31, 2010. Under ARRA, the Federal government or the insurance carrier pays 65% of COBRA premiums for a period of fifteen (15) months for individuals who were involuntarily terminated. In addition to some income limitations, eligibility is for individuals terminated between September 1, 2008 and May 31, 2010.


If you have questions regarding how this legislation affects you, please contact us today. We will work with you to help you make your COBRA decision.


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Did You Know?
Ten Savvy Job Search Tips
Many of our clients are in a job search and we try to help them network to their next position. We have savvy tips for your job search, courtesy of Change it Forward, a Human Resource and Career Coaching firm.

Here are their job search tips:
1) Consider your job search your new full time position, and plan your day accordingly.

2) Get up and begin your day as if you were going to your office.

3) Designate a space in your home as your "work space" and set it aside for your job search tools.

4) Develop a "job search plan", set up a daily calendar and track your progress against your plan.

5) Create a powerful "master resume" with the idea that you will have to change it with job specific details when you apply for each position.

6) Track every resume that you send out, including company and position. When you are contacted for an interview, you will already have the job details to help with your job search plan.

7) Use online web sites to post for positions, but do not assume that the company only has posted positions.

8) Make a dream list of the 10 companies you are interested in most and network to find internal contacts in each company.


9) Review the web sites of your dream list companies for what postings best fit your background and expertise. Visit the sites weekly to look for changes and new postings.

10) Control your stress by adding daily walking to your schedule. Even a few minutes a day will help you.

If you would like to discuss additional job search tips, contact Deb Crall at 614-296-7424.




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Lucy Grosz is the CEO of Alta Vista Benefits and can be reached at lucy@altavistaben.com or by phone at 614-889-0934.

Alta Vista Benefits Dec 2009 Newsletter

Issue #19


The monthly Alta Vista Benefits newsletter is provided as a service to help with issues in your every day life. Your suggestions and feedback can be e-mailed to lucy@altavistaben.com.

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New COBRA Legislation

Does this affect you?



On December 19, 2009, President Obama signed a bill that extends the COBRA subsidies made available earlier this year under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). Under this law, the Federal government pays 65% of COBRA premiums for a period of nine (9) months for individuals who were involuntarily terminated. In addition to some income limitations, eligibility was for individuals terminated between September 1, 2008 and December 31, 2009.


Under the new provisions:
The end date for eligibility has been extended from December 31, 2009 to February 28, 2010.

The subsidy period has been extended to 15 months, up from 9 months.
Coverage is extended to former employees whose original subsidy expired. Those individuals who lost their subsidy because they were at the end of their 9 months in November, 2009 or later are grandfathered under the new law and may receive six more months of assistance.
A new notification is required within 60 days, outlining the changes to all individuals eligible for COBRA on or after October 31, 2009.

If you have questions regarding how this legislation affects you, please contact us today. We will work with you to help you make your COBRA decision.


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Did You Know?


If you are planning to do any travel outside of the country, you should know that your medical insurance generally is not accepted outside of the United States. If you should become sick or injured, a medical evacuation can cost as much as $50,000 or more.

Travel insurance is not just for canceled flights and lost luggage. It can provide protection for both business and personal travel, foreign worker's compensation, international group health insurance, personal medical coverage and medical evacuation services. Best of all, this is very affordable coverage.

Before you take your next foreign business trip or vacation outside of the country, please contact us. We will help you make sure you have the right coverage for your needs.





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Lucy Grosz is the CEO of Alta Vista Benefits and can be reached at lucy@altavistaben.com or by phone at 614-889-0934.

Alta Vista Benefits October 2009 Newsletter

Issue #18

The monthly Alta Vista Benefits newsletter is provided as a service to help with issues in your every day life. Your suggestions and feedback can be e-mailed to lucy@altavistaben.com.

The Value of an Agent

What does "Independent Agent" mean?

We often say to people that Alta Vista Benefits is an independent insurance agency. Did you ever wonder what that really means for you as our client?

Independent agents like us represent many different insurance companies. What that means is that we give you more choices about the coverage you are looking for. We shop rates with all of the relevant carriers so you don't have to pay too much for what you need. This gives you the best value for your insurance dollar.

Once we find affordable coverage, we help you understand what you are buying and educate you about all of your choices. We help you make a choice that fits with insurance you already have and complements your personal and financial goals. We help you through the application process and keep you informed during underwriting until you are have final approval.

Alta Vista Benefits views continuing education as the best way to stay current with new products and market trends. As such, we attend educational classes well beyond what is required by the Ohio Department of Insurance. In addition, we have made several trips to Washington to visit members of Congress on your behalf. As an independent agency, we are committed to provide you with uncompromising service and up-to-date information on insurance products and legislation affecting your coverage.

If you have questions about your current coverage and whether it is right for your needs, please contact us (lucy@altavistaben.com) today. We will review all of your coverage to make sure it fits your personal situation.

Did You Know?

Annual enrollment for Medicare begins on November 15th and ends on December 31st, 2009. If you have a standalone Part D plan or a Medicare Advantage plan that includes Part D coverage, this is the time of year you can review and choose a new plan.

We will be making appointments beginning November 1st with all of our Medicare clients who want to make changes for 2010. If you have any questions before then, please contact us at (lucy@altavistaben.com).

Lucy Grosz is the CEO of Alta Vista Benefits and can be reached at lucy@altavistaben.com or by phone at 614-889-0934.

Alta Vista Benefits September 2009 Newsletter

Issue #17

The monthly Alta Vista Benefits newsletter is provided as a service to help with issues in your every day life. Your suggestions and feedback can be e-mailed to lucy@altavistaben.com.

Life Insurance Awareness Month

Are you sure you are protected?

Life insurance is an important way to protect your family lifestyle. It provides for final expenses as well as a replacement for family income in the event of an untimely death.

We often purchase life insurance and don't review it to make sure it is performing the way we expected. Since life insurance buyers typically hold policies for a long time, they may not consider the impact that market fluctuations have on the cash values. In addition, the potential for life insurance to create retirement income is often overlooked.

Chances are, your life has changed since you made your last life insurance purchase. The insurance industry has also changed significantly in the last ten years and interest rates have declined. Some policies may actually be losing value because the current interest rates no longer fund the policy appropriately. Do you know if you still have the right coverage?

September is Life Insurance Awareness Month, which is the perfect time to review your current life insurance needs. You can get started by visiting the free on-line Needs Calculator http://www.lifehappens.org/life-insurance/life-calculator. This calculator will help you make sure you have the proper coverage.

Once you have done that, contact us at lucy@altavistaben.com to do a free review of all your life insurance coverage. We will help you determine if new products and features are worth considering for your current life stage.

You can't control the future, but you can take steps now to safeguard your family. Contact us today to help you (lucy@altavistaben.com).

Did You Know?

Long Term Care -- Carriers continue to refine Long Term Care policies and many carriers now offer a Return of Premium (ROP) option. This means that if you purchase a policy and never use the benefits, you can get back all of the premium you paid, less any benefits you have used. For more information, please contact us (lucy@altavistaben.com)

Alta Vista Benefits August 2009 Newsletter

Issue #16

The monthly Alta Vista Benefits newsletter is provided as a service to help with issues in your every day life. Your suggestions and feedback can be e-mailed to lucy@altavistaben.com.

Health Care Reform: What You Can Do

Health Care Reform is an extremely important issue for all Americans and there is pressure on Congress to come up with a solution by the end of 2009. To meet this goal, Congress continues to work on several versions of health care legislation. However, the August recess is coming up, so it is unlikely that any legislation will be brought to the floor right now.

During the recess, many of the legislators will be in their home states holding Town Hall meetings and meeting with constituents. This recess is a critical time for all of us to weigh in with our legislators in the House and Senate to ensure that the final bill is what we all want.

As a consumer advocate for health care, Alta Vista Benefits wants to make sure that you have timely information about the proposed legislation. The link for the House Bill for Health Care Reform is the actual HR3200 House bill.

Even if you don't read the entire document, there a several sections that are worth reading. Page 50 defines that health care and health insurance will be available to everyone, regardless of citizenship. Pages 58 and 59 gives the Federal Government the right to access all of our personal financial information, including the right to do electronic transfers. Page 253 gives the Federal Government the right to assess a doctor's judgment and skills to determine his billing value.

Please take the opportunity to read House Bill 3200, evaluate it yourself and let your representatives know what you want.

Did You Know?

The limits for HSA contributions are changing for 2010. An individual will be able to contribute $3,050 in 2010 and the family limit will be $6,150.

Long term care premiums can be paid out of an HSA and deducted. If you would like to know more about HSA accounts, please contact us at 614-889-0934.

Healthy News from Alta Vista Benefits April 2009

Issue #15

The monthly Alta Vista Benefits newsletter is provided as a service to help with issues in your every day life. Your suggestions and feedback can be e-mailed to lucy@altavistaben.com.

Health Care: Consumers Can Help Control Costs

The purpose of health insurance is to help you pay for health care and it protects you and your family financially when you have an unexpected illness or injury. Since you cannot predict what your medical bills will be, your health insurance helps cover those unexpected costs.

As the cost of health care has risen, so has the cost of health insurance. Some of the rise cost is due to overuse of the services available to us. Whether intentional or not, overuse contributes to the rising cost of care.

As consumers, we can all help drive down the cost of health care by asking some questions of our providers. Here are some suggestions for all health care consumers:

1) Choose health care the way other goods and services are selected -- based on the best quality for the best price. A higher prices does not necessarily mean that the quality of the care is better. Find out before a service is provided about the cost involved versus the quality.

2) Obtain care only when medically necessary and use the emergency room for real emergencies.

3) Ask your medical providers about the care they are prescribing and find out what other treatment options are available.

4) Talk with your doctor and pharmacist about using less costly generic drugs.

5) Make sure you get regular checkups to stay in good health. Prevention is the most powerful medicine.

6) Take care of yourself and your family by eating a balanced diet, getting enough exercise and making healthy lifestyle choices.

Did You Know?

Strawberries are one of nature's most nutritious foods. One cup of raw strawberries contains 3 grams of fiber, 49 calories, 1.02 grams of protein and has more Vitamin C than orange juice. Strawberries also contain phytochemicals that help prevent certain cancers.


Lucy Grosz is the CEO of Alta Vista Benefits and can be reached at lucy@altavistaben.com or by phone at 614-889-0934.

Back Issues

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