Today, September 27, 2020 is Yom Kippur. Normally Hank would proudly share information about this high holy day. Sadly and regrettably, he is not here so I will attempt to fill his giant shoes. This shall be a statute forever for you: In the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, you shall afflict your souls, and do no work at all, whether a native of your own country or a stranger who dwells among you. For on that day the priest shall make atonement for you, to cleanse you, that you may be clean from all your sins before the Lord” (Leviticus 16: 29-30). - Townhall The linked articl ..read more

Five people said it was OK for the government to REQUIRE you to buy something you may not have wanted. Most folks found the new plan was NOT AFFORDABLE. They also said what you currently owned was dangerous and MUST be replaced with a new plan designed by the GOVERNMENT. Those 5 people changed the course of commerce, and in so doing DICTATED what businesses could and could not sell to the public. Those 5 individuals who exercised their power over 100 million people have names. Chief Justice John Roberts and joined by Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Stephen G. Breyer, Sonia Sotomayor, and Elena ..read more

Medicare plan premiums are only PART of the story. If you don't look at out of pocket cost you made a big mistake. No premium or low premium plans are attractive but they are also a TRAP! Compare Medicare plans. Premiums are PART of the story. If you don't look at out of pocket cost you made a big mistake. No premium or low premium plans are attractive but they are also a TRAP! Get more Medicare tips here https://www.youtube.com/c/georgiamedicareplans Original content copyright © InsureBlog ..read more

In reviewing comments in last weeks "tribute" post to Hank I noticed one with a link. Often "link" comments are suspect as spam, but this one definitely is not. Following the excerpt you will see a link to Greg Fann's original post. I suggest you read the post, along with the comments. Hank touched the lives of so many people in different ways. It seems impossible there was enough of him to go around, but apparently there was just barely enough. The Loss of an ACA Voice: A Tribute to Henry Stern “Your cold, hard facts frighten and confuse me”, he would often respond. I always took those word ..read more

If you are looking at Medicare Advantage plans you really need to consider the way they pay claims. More Medicare tips on my YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/c/georgiamedicareplans Original content copyright © InsureBlog ..read more

Henry G. Stern, Hank, was my friend, mentor and an all around good guy. We have known each other for a dozen years, perhaps longer. Our connection was a consumer forum run by a local (Atlanta) radio personality. We quickly discovered many things in common and some areas where we were opposites. A Bit of History My home is in Atlanta, his in Dayton. He is Jewish, I am Christian. Our insurance careers have spanned 35+ years (mine a little longer). Both of us are "students" of the industry and share a strong desire to help others navigate the insurance maze. He referred to me as a mensch. I had ..read more

Well, actually a Beneficiary poser: Long time life insurance client needs to change/update his beneficiaries, which is normally the most mundane thing we do (other than maybe address changes). But, there a twist: he has four (4!) primaries listed, including a trust for one of his adult children. Of note: my client named zero (0) contingent beneficiaries. Typically, these are folks "second in line" in case the primary predeceases the insured. Not required, or even typically critical, but kinda comes into play here. Okay, so far not really a big deal, but then he throws me a curve-ball: "Que ..read more

We first blogged on transparency in health care pricing and consumer-centric health care in 2005: "One of these tools is the pilot transparency program." So yes, we've long been advocates of what I called the McDonald's Model: [click to pic to embiggen] But FoIB Bob Graboyes of the Mercatus Institute offers a contrarian's take: HEALTHCARE TRANSPARENCY MANDATES — FIRST, DO NO HARM: Op-ed on a point that Jessie McBirney and made in a recent @mercatus paper: why broad-brush healthcare price transparency mandates can paradoxically REDUCE competition and INCREASE prices. https://t.co/o2X1YoA ..read more

This isn't necessarily huge, but it was kinda heartwarming: Earlier this week, got a call from a nice lady, referred to me by another client (always a nice warm fuzzy), who had a dilemna: She had just retired from teaching, and was trying to decide between taking the State Teacher's Retirement (STRS) health insurance plan, which was quite extensive, and quite expensive or opting for a short term plan (she wasn't interested in even discussing an ACA-compliant plan). Better still, she had to decide literally that day, because she had to let the STRS folks know by the following morning. And y ..read more

This in from FoIB Jeff M: "The [North Carolina insurance] department says an examination of 300 claims from over seven years revealed many violations with Gerber Life’s accidental death and dismemberment policies." Ooops! The carrier, primarily known for its "$1 for the first 6 months" juvenile life insurance plans, has been ordered to pay over $3.5 million in fines, recoveries and interest. Not a good look there, folks. Original content copyright © InsureBlog ..read more