Are you prepared for this astronomical medical expense?

January 18th, 2012 | Arizona Long Term Care

It doesn’t make any sense for you to spend 30 years working only to have your estate wiped out due to a medical expense. Like many people, you probably look forward to your retirement savings to support your lifestyle when you retire. But if you have a medical issue that lasts for a length of time, it could easily wipe out your savings, and even force you to sell off your assets to pay the bills for your medical care. Contrary to what many think, health insurance and Medicare plans do not pay these types of medical bills.

The average annual cost of a nursing home is $80,000 today. Ten years from now that average will be more than $100,000. Per year. How much money have you put aside to pay these bills? Self-insuring for this situation puts your entire portfolio at risk. Fortunately, there is a much better solution, and the sooner you take action, the better.

Long term care insurance is the perfect solution, but don’t wait too long before investigating these plans – many applicants are rejected for a policy due to age-related issues as they grow older. Waiting might be your biggest mistake. These plans are much more affordable than you may think, and when you end up needing the benefits they provide, you and your family will find the plan to be priceless.

If you are an Arizona resident, see our Arizona Long Term Care Insurance Plans link for more information or to receive a free quote for long term care insurance plans. Or call us at (800) 600-9663.

Lehrman Group offers long term care insurance plans in Phoenix, Tucson, Yuma, Scottsdale, Flagstaff and all other Arizona communities.

Did You Know That Long Term Care Costs About $6000 Per MONTH In Arizona? How Would YOU Pay For It?

November 22nd, 2011 | Arizona Long Term Care

Here in Arizona, you have a multitude of options when it comes to long term care insurance plans. Sometimes these plans are simply called LTC plans. Mutual of Omaha, John Hancock, MetLife and Genworth are just a few of the major long term care insurance companies that offer policies in Arizona.

Below you’ll find an image with data provided by MetLife. It shows what the average daily costs are for nursing homes here in Arizona. The average daily cost for long term care in Phoenix, as of 2009, is $212 per day, or $6,360 per month. In Tucson, the daily cost is even higher, at an average of $221, or $6,630 per month, or more than $79,000 per year. These rates are for a private room. If you share a room with someone else, the daily rate in Phoenix is $169; in Tucson the daily rate is $170 — $5,100 per month or over $61,000 per year.

One out of two Americans over the age of 65 end up needing long term care services. And, here’s a shocker — 44% of all people currently receiving long term care are UNDER the age of 65. Suppose you need long term care services one day — how would you pay for these high costs? Medicare only pays a very limited amount for long term care, and then only for a little while. Your health insurance policy will NOT pay for it. There are only a few ways to pay these high bills: (1) pay for them using your personal savings (which may dwindle your estate down to less than zero); (2) ask your children to pay them; (3) pay for them yourself as long as you have assets and income, and then when your assets have dwindled away, maybe Medicaid will pay. Are any of these good choices for you?

A long term care insurance policy costs less than you may think, and if you end up needing the benefits the policy would provide, you’ll find it to be invaluable. A 60-year-old married male living in Phoenix can purchase a policy that would give him $6000 per month in long term care benefits for around $2500 per year. The older you are, the more it will cost. On the other hand, the younger you are, the less it would cost.

To learn more about long term care plans, give Lehrman Group a call at (800) 600-9663, or click here to get premium rates. Simply complete the small form to request rates, or call us to explore all of the details regarding long term care policies. But do it before you require long term care benefits — no long term care insurance company will sell a policy to you once you need those benefits. That would be like trying to buy home owner’s insurance while your house is on fire.

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Big rate increase for ASBA health insurance plan

November 14th, 2011 | Arizona Health Insurance

The Arizona Small Business Association (ASBA) offers a health insurance plan to its members through CIGNA. The plan has just released its 2012 rates, and there are substantial rate increases.

If you are an ASBA member with the CIGNA plan and are unhappy with your new rate, please contact us at 1-800-600-9663 or click here to fill out our online request form. We will help you look into other more affordable healthcare options. Please note that if you have significant pre-existing conditions, your options may be limited.

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona’s Most Comprehensive Plan

November 4th, 2011 | Arizona Health Insurance, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona offers five different plans to individuals and families. As brokers, we can send you an official benefit summary for each plan available. However, we’ve noticed that it is easier to understand the benefits when they’re explained in much simpler terms first. In this post we will break down the BlueOptimum Plus plan, what it offers, it’s price point and its pros and cons.

For all Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona plans, preventative – or wellness – is covered at no charge. All plans also utilize the same network. It’s one of the largest networks in the state. It’s extremely likely your doctor is in it.

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Blue Cross Blue Shield announces lowest rate increase since 1995

August 31st, 2011 | Arizona Health Insurance

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona has released their new rates for existing customers. We are pleased to see that this will be the lowest rate increase Blue Cross has had since 1995.

All members of Blue Cross individual/family products will receive the rate increase. It will go into effect on the annual renewal date of your policy, beginning with October 1st, 2011. For example, if your plan renews on March 15, then you will not receive the rate-up until March 15, 2012.

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Where do the 2012 U.S. Presidential candidates stand on health care?

August 17th, 2011 | Arizona Health Insurance

In March 2010, President Barack Obama signed into law the healthcare reform bill known as the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.

The major candidates currently running for President in 2012 have each spoken about repealing President Obama’s plan and introducing more competition into the healthcare industry.

Here is a quick breakdown of what each candidate has had to say about our nation’s healthcare system…

Rick Perry Read the rest of this entry »

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Health Insurance for Pregnant Women in Arizona

July 12th, 2011 | Arizona Health Insurance

If you are already pregnant, no health insurance company in Arizona will give you an individual/family policy. They will make you wait until after the baby is born before they will even look at your application.

Here are three possible ways for you to find coverage for your pregnancy in Arizona. Please feel free to give us a call at 1-800-600-9663 with any questions.

1. Group Health Coverage

If you have the option to join a group health plan through an employer, that is probably your best choice. The group plan will be required to accept you even though you are already pregnant, and it will cover your pregnancy right away with no waiting period.

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How much does health insurance cost in Arizona?

June 24th, 2011 | Arizona Health Insurance

The cost of health insurance for an individual or family in Arizona is based on several factors, including your age, gender, location, and health status.

For example, a family in the Phoenix area (Tempe, Mesa, Scottsdale, etc) pays slightly more than a family in Tucson. And a 50 year old pays more than a 20 year old, due to a higher risk factor.

In addition, there are certain medical conditions that will cause the insurance companies to offer you a higher rate. For example, if you have asthma, high blood pressure or high cholesterol, Blue Cross Blue Shield will probably raise your rate 15%.

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5 Reasons NOT to buy group health insurance

June 17th, 2011 | Arizona Health Insurance

You’ve started a small business, so that means you’d be better off switching to group health insurance, right? Well, maybe it makes sense for you, and maybe it doesn’t. Here’s a few reasons why you may be better off hanging on to your individual/family coverage.

1. You have a very small company and you don’t plan on growing much bigger.
If you have a small company with only a few employees, it is probably less expensive for each employee to get his or her own individual policy. Some businesses even offer medical insurance stipends to their employees and it works out well for everybody. If an employee leaves the company, they don’t have to worry about getting on COBRA. They simply keep the coverage they have. And unlike COBRA, which only lasts 18 months, they can keep their policy as long as they like. The main drawback is that if you have an employee that gets denied due to pre-existing conditions, they may be stuck without coverage.

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How to Qualify and Apply for PCIP, Arizona’s Pre-Existing Condition Health Insurance Plan

June 1st, 2011 | Arizona Health Insurance

Congress and President Obama have enacted the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, a major health care reform bill that will drastically change the U.S. health care system.

As part of the reform bill, new high risk pool plans are being created to help cover people with pre-existing medical conditions. This is called the Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plan (PCIP).

In Arizona, the new plan is operated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (In some states, the plan is run by the state itself.)

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