AARP is an organization for older adults in America that can be joined for a very small fee.  The purpose of the program is to talk about older adults rights and various medical, health, and end of life issues that most start to think about by the time they qualify to join this program.  What are some of the advantages and disadvantages of this program?

There are some advantages.  First of all, it’s rather cheap at less than $15 a year in most cases.  This is an advantage because there are quite a few services that you can take part in by being a member.  There are hotels, flights, restaurants, car rentals, and insurance plans that you can get a discount from being a member.  This means that one or two nights in a hotel each year will pay for the membership.

You also get a monthly magazine from the organization telling you what’s going on in the world of older adult life.  This covers subjects like medicines coming out, health check ups you need, end of life investment advice, and motivational stories from other older adults.  It’s worth the price since it is good information.

There are some downsides to the program.  First of all, you will receive quite a bit of junk mail.  When you join the organization shares your address with others.  You will daily get supplement, diet, and investment related advertisements coming into your mail box.  Even if you quit the organization the junk mail keeps coming in.

Some believe that the same or similar discounts can be found without being a member since there are also senior discounts.  Others have found at times that the AARP discount is not always the best one available.

If you like the organization and see some benefits from it, join it.  If you want to avoid the junk mail, consider doing something else.

There is an organization for older adults called the AARP.  To determine if it’s right for you, learn about the advantages and disadvantages of joining this organization.

Source by Kelly Ricard

JOB DESCRIPTION

Major Responsibilities:

* Establish, implement and monitor accounting standards across all business lines, products & services.

* Ensure accounting policy compliance.

* Maintain and update the Company’s Financial Accounting Policy Manual.

* Monitor and assess the impact of emerging accounting developments & their potential impact on the company.

* Manage periodic, quarterly and annual SEC and Bank regulatory filings.

* Oversee / manage the development of SEC and bank regulatory compliant disclosures.

* Follow activities of accounting standard-setting groups, FASB, SEC, EITF, AICPA, etc. to ensure the Company is proactively understanding impact of new guidance.

* Prepare accounting plan for changes to the Company’s accounting policies / practices.

* Assist with the disclosure control process and help facilitate the Disclosure Committee process with the Chief Accounting Officer

* Help assess SOX deficiencies for the Company and facilitate presentations to the SOX committee on the same.

* Provide leadership role on implementation and conversion to IFRS.

* Act as one of the principal liaisons for the Finance team with external auditors.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

* Lead accounting policy development and management for corporate accounting topics, which may include but are not limited to employee compensation and benefits (including stock-based compensation), SFAS 5 contingencies, foreign exchange, lease accounting, derivative accounting, FAS 140, FAS 141, etc., reporting and presentation interpretations (such as EPS, cash flows, segments and other disclosure matters) and other corporate accounting topics as relevant.

* Develop accounting policy guidance for transactions and activities of the Bank involving active participation with professionals in various disciplines to understand the company’s transactions/activities and provide timely, appropriate policy guidance on the appropriate accounting treatment.

* Work with management and the Accounting department personnel on an ongoing basis to provide practical implementation advice related to accounting policies.

* Analyze emerging accounting pronouncements for policy implications and proactively communicate changes with executive management, Audit Committee and team members.

* Consult with business group and corporate management on accounting issues related to changes in accounting methodologies and other corporate accounting matters, seeking clarity and consistency in delivery of advice.

* Coordinate implementation efforts for new accounting standards.

* Maintain current knowledge of SEC rules and regulations, including disclosure requirements and GAAP/IFRS reporting requirements.

Education/Experience Requirements:

* Finance and/or accounting degree; CPA preferred

* 10 plus years accounting experience in a similar environment, with comprehensive knowledge of SEC / regulatory rules, regulations, disclosures and GAAP technical accounting requirements.

* Excellent analytical, project management, interpersonal, organizational, planning, PC, and written/verbal communication skills.

* Ability to multi-task and meet critical deadlines

* Minimum 6-8 years of big four public accounting experience at audit manager level.

* Financial services industry experience preferred.

Source by pete dex

Coding for urine drug testing:  Get more insight here

When the lab carries out a urine drug test, what is the correct ICD-9 code? Well, the answer is ICD-9 Code does not provide one specific code for a urine drug test. The right diagnosis code to report when billing for the lab test depends on the signs, symptoms, patient condition or other reason for the test; say for instance screening. When requesting a urine drug test from the lab, the ordering physician will assign a narrative diagnosis ICD-9 code. Say for instance a high school student diagnosed as marijuana dependent earlier is not performing well in school. The physician suspects marijuana use again and orders urine drug screen. The most correct code here is 304.30. When coding for urine drug testing, you will always find yourself faced with questions such as these. Say for instance you may find it confusing as to which is the correct code to go for to report point-of-care (POC) urine drug screen (UDS) testing. Or sometimes you may be confused whether you should go for a CPT code or choose from one of the new HCPCS codes. If you do not know how to accurately report urine drug testing, you will certainly invite denials. But you can do away with your coding woes associated with urine drug test coding by signing up for an audio conference. When you register yourself for one, you’ll clear all your doubts as far urine drug testing coding is concerned. So go for one today and ensure optimum reimbursement.

Source by Angela Martin

There are some people who would think of having early cash out of their life insurance policies for some reasons. It could be that they need some money for something or they are just too impulsive about their decision of cashing out a portion or even all of their policies in no time. You might also be in the same situation when you think of your policy as a way so you can get cash but making this kind of decision may need critical thinking because it might affect your future and your loved-ones future.

Before making such a quick decision, it is advisable that you think many times before cashing out your insurance policy. You must first ask yourself about your financial status at present and find out if you really need to cash out some portion or all of your insurance policy. Remember that life insurance is not only for your future but also for your loved-ones. It is important that you leave an ample amount in your insurance policy that will pay all the expenses in the future in case something inevitable happens.

The cost of burial and funeral nowadays can cost not less than $8,000 and think of how higher it can go in the future. This is the main reason why people are buying a life insurance policy. It is to ensure their future expenses by making some investments at present so that the ones that you love will have no further problems in the future about death-related expenses. They will not be left with a so much expenses and debts will be prevented. It is important to consider the future expenses so that you will be able to know the considerable amount that you will maintain in your insurance policy. The amount covered in every policy varies so it is important for you to know more about your insurance policy. It is recommended that you don’t touch your insurance policy unless you have any other sources that can cover your death expenses in the future.

Early cash out can cause risk in the future of the policy’s purpose and effect. But now, there are life insurance policies on the Internet that can give more benefits to people against any plans of early cash out of the policy. There are many options found on the Internet where you won’t have to worry anymore about cashing out a portion of the insurance policy.

Article Source: Auto Insurance

Source by Kate Hudgens

IT staffs services are a crucial service. It’s no exaggeration to state that the largest advantages of this service of IT businesses. Corporations face stiff competition and there square measure dangers of losing the most effective workers to competitors. The most effective techniques to inspire workers, reward schemes and wage increments square measure of no use, most times. An alternate is to avail the services of organizations providing IT staffing services. This helps in managing attrition, a crucial drawback within the IT trade.

Companies giving IT staffing services give contract workers to purchasers. One in every of the advantages of this mode of engagement is that firms needn’t pay severance packages, whereas retrenching contract workers. Moreover, contract staffing agreements area unit for fastened periods solely. Other blessings of temporary contract employment area unit that it helps the company’s key personnel to consider business-crucial activities. Temporary staffing may be a multi-million greenback trade. IT staffing services area unit a less risky and a convenient choice, particularly once corporations establish presence in newer markets. IT staffs services also can be made-to-order to the wants of individual shoppers.

There is a unit many blessings of contract IT staffing services. The time unit and finance personnel needn’t attend to extra contract staff. Some companies operate contract staff from their offices, rather than their client’s workplace. This protects phenomenally on body, transport, management value and efforts. This increase value savings and shareholders wealth and reduces the head count of permanent staff. During volatile economic conditions, it will tackle budget and head-count freezes. This works best for short comes. Contractors area unit entitled to the fundamental operating and employment conditions of workers on permanent payroll, when continuous employment of twelve weeks. Just in case the contactor is functioning with the shopper for many fastened terms (after terminations and renewals of the various terms), the summation of weeks served ought to be twelve.

Contract workers haven’t utterly curtailed the matter of attrition within the IT trade. For example contract workers might quit the organization at short notice, in contrast to workers on permanent payroll. Within the absence of orientation by the IT staffing services company (which is that the case on most occasions), contract workers won’t be able to deliver properly. What is more there might not be effective information transfer.

IT staffing services companies aren’t essentially the most effective selection for catching desires. It’s higher to hunt the services of associate IT outsourcing firm that gives staffing solutions. These companies are going to be ready to provide resources with specialist skills, from their international talent pool. They are going to partner with purchasers and provide their resources to figure together with the workers of the consumer. This may cause effective data transfer. Factors like data of employment liability laws, resourcefulness, and adaptability square measure all necessary in crucial the proper resourcing partner.

Horizons Staffing Solutions IT outsourcing company. Our services are better-known for his or her custom and versatile approach. a number of our distinguished services are IT staffing services.

Source by Horizan smith

If there’s anything that could drive your car insurance cost sky-high it’s a drunk-driving (DUI) conviction.

According to the Insurance Information Institute, there is an alcohol-related traffic fatality in the United States every 29 minutes. Aside from the risk of killing yourself and others, drunk driving carries with it serious penalties from your car insurance company.

Car insurance companies may check your motor vehicle record only once every three years or when you’re applying for a new policy. It’s possible that accidents, tickets and DUIs may never make their way to your official motor vehicle record. However, if your insurer does discover your DUI and classifies you as a “high-risk driver,” shopping around at renewal time is the best strategy, as car insurance rates will vary greatly among insurers. On the other hand, a rate hike may be the least of your problems; your policy could be cancelled or nonrenewed, especially if you are currently in a preferred car insurance rate class. Then you’ll be forced to look for new car insurance with the double-whammy of a DUI and a cancellation on your record.

Laws regarding DUIs and car insurance coverage vary by state. Most states require DUI offenders to get a form called an SR-22 from their auto insurers, so you can’t hide. This form proves to the DMV that you carry liability insurance and removes your license suspension. An SR-22 also requires your insurance company to notify the DMV if it cancels your auto insurance for any reason. You’ll likely have to file proof of insurance for three  sometimes five  years with your state’s DMV.

SR-22 laws

Delaware, Kentucky, Minnesota, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Pennsylvania don’t require SR-22s, but if you have an SR-22 and then move to one of these states, you must continue to meet the requirements of the SR-22 state where the offense was committed. New York and North Carolina don’t require SR-22 filings at all. In some states there is a fee for SR-22s. (Source: Progressive)

Some car insurance companies don’t even offer SR-22 policies, so you may be nonrenewed or cancelled because your company can no longer provide what you need.

Insurers can miss DUI convictions

It’s possible that your insurance company will never find out about your DUI conviction if you don’t have to get an SR-22. A June 2002 study by the Insurance Research Council revealed that as many as one-quarter of driving convictions never end up on motor vehicle records due to lack of shared information between courts and motor vehicle departments, or because a conviction has been erased through alternative means, such as driving school. If you get your charge reduced in a plea bargain, or have a limited license suspension, such as 30 days, it’s also very unlikely your insurer will find out about your conviction.

If your insurance company misses the conviction at the time it happens, it may still have a few years to raise car insurance rates if the DUI is discovered later.

Your ultimate destiny rests with your car insurance company.

For example, State Farm’s action depends on which subsidiary you’re with. The insurer reviews rate-increase decisions on a case-by-case basis. If you have a preferred policy with State Farm Mutual Insurance Co. and receive a DUI, State Farm will likely move you into State Farm Fire & Casualty, which is its standard-policy company for riskier drivers and higher car insurance rates.

If you’re with Progressive, you will not face nonrenewal or cancellation because of a DUI, but you may face a rate increase. Progressive also reviews car insurance rates on a case-by-case basis, with multiple factors such as age, gender, driving history and your vehicle model going into your rate.

It doesn’t end there. Your DUI conviction will follow you if you apply for life insurance and could affect your premiums there, too.

Source by Amy Danise

Michigan’s workplace smoking ban will help to save hundreds of lives from preventable heart attacks, strokes and upper respiratory diseases and save taxpayers and insured individuals millions of dollars, said Thomas Simmer, M.D., chief medical officer with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan in Detroit.

After more than a decade of debate, Gov. Jennifer Granholm signed the law Friday at the Michigan Brewing Co. in Webberville.

The ban, which goes into effect in May, applies to bars, restaurants and work places, except for the Detroit casinos, cigar bars and tobacco specialty stores.

“Nearly 15,000 die each year from their own smoking,” said Simmer. Another 1,300 to 2,400 die each year from second-hand smoke in Michigan, he said.

“Many of these people are patrons and employees who can’t escape the smoke,” Simmer said.

Smoking increases annual health care costs in Michigan by $3.4 billion, including $1.1 billion in additional Medicaid costs, according to the state Department of Community Health.

Medicaid recipients who smoke seek physician care and are hospitalized for a wide variety of smoking-related maladies, including emphysema, chronic bronchitis, lung cancer, asthma, heart attacks and strokes, Simmer said.

“Saving tax dollars is an important thing,” Simmer said.

But the Michigan Licensed Beverage Association, which was opposed to the smoking ban, said it would cost the state thousands of jobs as bar patrons who smoke will spend their money elsewhere.

On the other hand, Simmer said businesses also lose $3.8 billion in lost worker productivity because of workers who smoke, he said.

“The burden business has to pay in lost productivity is very high,” Simmer said. “We can do better.”

Several Blue Cross products, including Healthy Blue Living, offer premium discounts for people who quit smoking.

“We expect an uptick” in people seeking wellness-type insurance products that have a smoking cessation feature, he said.

Simmer said Blue Cross is studying the health care cost impact of people who have quit smoking in its Healthy Blue product line.

Some 18 months after Pueblo, Colo., enacted a smoking ban in 2003, hospital admissions for heart attacks dropped by 27 percent while admissions in neighboring towns without smoking bans showed no change.

“We don’t have any hard data yet, but we believe it has reduced costs,” he said.

Earlier this week, the Center for Healthcare Research & Transformation in Ann Arbor issued a report that concluded Michigan’s personal health care spending is the lowest of any other Midwest state.

“I believe this (smoking ban) will help us continue to experience a lower health care cost trend than other Great Lake states,” Simmer said.

Source by Rick Lewis

As a small enterprize owner providing health insurance benefits to your staff, you know the dreaded feeling you are facing every year when the envelope arrives containing the updated rates from your insurance carrier. Each year you are forced to select between the same alternatives:

Let the business swallow the increase and take a smash to the bottom line.

Cut benefits by raising the deductible or office visit co-pays.

This puts you in a no-win position. If you select number one, you can keep your employees happy for another year, but your profitability suffers. If rates were to keep augmenting at 15% a year (not all that uncommon), the companies premiums will more than double in five years. If you select number 2 or 3, you are very likely going to face unhappy employees.

Most giant companies already do this, few home businesses are taking advantage of this opportunity. In fact, what occurs if a number of your employees get hurt or sick and need to use the plan?

The numbers don’t always make self-insuring a part of the health plan the most acceptable alternative, but when it works, it can supply major savings.

Often times an employer will raise their plan deductible and this alone will create a major benefits. Instead of leave the staff with less coverage, the employer agrees to cover the quantity of the deductible increase with the savings created if their staff need the medical care. If the medical care isn’t required, the savings. Many times the savings.

An HRA 105 plan permits companies maximum adaptability. The employer can select how much the staff will be reimbursed, what kind of claims will be remunerated, and at what %. This allows small businesses to grasp exactly what their maximum guilt would be in a worst case scenario and allow them keep their risk at a manageable level.

The remaining savings can be employed to off-set future premium increases and potentially permit a business to self-insure a greater portion of their plan going forward, leading to more cost efficiency.

Learn More About The HRA 105 Plan Here

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Source by Sean Ruiz

ADAM CHARLES COPP v. NATIONWIDE MUTUAL INSURANCE COMPANY, ET AL.

SUPREME COURT OF VIRGINIA

279 Va. 675

April 15, 2010, Decided

At the time of the incident in question, Copp was an insured under a homeowner’s policy and an umbrella policy issued by Nationwide to Copp’s parents. The homeowner’s policy provided coverage for an “occurrence,” described as bodily injury or property damage “resulting from an accident,” but excluded coverage for liability “caused intentionally by or at direction of an insured, including willful acts the result of which the insured knows or ought to know will follow from the insured’s conduct.” The umbrella policy provided coverage for personal injury and property damage arising from an “occurrence,” meaning an “accident.” The umbrella policy contains one clause excluding liability for “personal injury arising out of . . . willful violation of a law by or with the consent of the insured” and a second clause excluding liability for “bodily injury or property damage intended or expected by the insured.” However, this latter clause specifically provides that it “does not apply to bodily injury or property damage caused by an insured trying to protect person or property.”

Whether the insurer had no duty to defend for any of the intentional acts alleged in the complaint? 

Nationwide says, the four corners of the complaint only alleged intentional torts, and the insurance policies provided coverage only for an “occurrence,” which is defined as “resulting from an accident.” Therefore, Nationwide concludes, “there were no facts or circumstances alleged in the complaint that would fall within the risk covered by the policy,” and “the trial court could not consider Copp’s claim that his acts were made in self defense, because matters raised by the insured in defense of the claim are not to be considered in evaluating whether there is a duty to defend.

The court held that “the umbrella policy contains an exception to the exclusion relating to “bodily injury or property damage intended or expected by the insured.” The exception is found in one of the four corners of the insurance contract and stands on an equal footing with other provisions thereof. It cannot be ignored or explained away on specious grounds. And it requires consideration of an insured’s claim that he or she caused bodily injury or property damage trying to protect person or property in evaluating whether there is a duty to defend in a given case.”

Accordingly we will reverse the judgment of the circuit court and remand the case with direction to enter an order declaring the rights and duties of the parties consistent with the views expressed in this opinion.

Disclaimer:

These summaries are provided by the SRIS Law Group.  They represent the firm’s unofficial views of the Justices’ opinions.  The original opinions should be consulted for their authoritative content.

Source by Atchuthan Sriskandarajah

It is said that your smile is the mirror of your soul which is quite true. It is believed that a smile is that curve which sets everything straight. Your smile can light up the low mood and spread joy in the life of your loved ones. One requires healthy and strong teeth to own a confident and beautiful smile.

Unfortunately, everyone does not have perfect teeth. The majority of people suffer from some kind of dental problem such as irregular teeth, dental implants,  brown spots, stains, yellowing teeth, missing tooth, etc. which completely decreases the beauty of your teeth and smile as well. Today’s technology is so highly developed that you can have perfect sparkly teeth even if you are suffering from some major dental problems. There is an extensive choice of highly developed treatments like Bridges, crowns, dentures, Sedation Dentistry, inlays, implants, root canal; Laser Dentistry, Porcelain Veneers, etc. that are accessible in the market just to make your teeth healthy and beautiful.

For strong and beautiful teeth one has a need of regular dental check up and teeth cleaning. Maintaining dental wellness is essential for a healthy lifestyle too. Regular dental checkups require a good sum of money and time. It would be to your advantage if the bills of these dental checkups are reimbursed by dental insurance. Dental insurance plans are intended to reduce or eliminate your out of pocket costs connected with dental checkups and dental care. By facilitating payment directly to the dental insurance provider, a Dental Health Plan may cover all or a fraction of your dental operating cost. Usually, a dental insurance plan covers a percentage of the dental charges billed by dental clinics.

In today’s world, having insurance for dental procedures is must for everyone.  You never know when a bad financial condition may hit and create a roadblock on the way to your goal of having perfect teeth, or simply affording a routine checkup.  You should go for the most affordable dental insurance plans for your family and yourselves.
There are several types of dental plans available to individuals who do not have access to an employer group plan such as HMOs, PPOs, Indemnity, and Discount dental plans. Many believe that a dental PPO plan is only available through some type of employer group plan, but this is a common misconception. Individual PPO plans are available a couple of different ways including through an association membership. Benefits Association, Inc. is a good example of an association that offers its members an opportunity to purchase individual dental insurance including the HMOs, Indemnity, and Discount Plans. Most of the time, the association or organization you decide to go through to get your dental plan will also offer additional value added benefits and discounts. Dental insurance plans are available for all age groups, including children and senior citizens. It doesn’t matter if you are an individual, employer, family, or group there is a plan that will meet your needs or wants.

Source by Richard A. Manfredi

After hours coding? Here’s a word of caution: You can’t catch ER coverage services with after-hours codes. If you bill the wrong way when your physician covers for others — or for that matter when another physician covers for your physician — you could be setting yourself up for charges of fraud.

Avoid the hassle: Keeping in mind these few simple answers to the top three on-call billing questions will help you correctly file claims.

1. Which doctor bills for the services?

If your physician is on call and handling patient services for another physician, don’t make the mistake of letting the other physician bill for the services. Although a patient sees a particular physician, that does not imply that the physician can bill for any services related to that patient’s care. When your physician provides a service, you should bill the services even if your physician is on call for another doctor.

Bobbi M. Bohon, CPC, of Seven Hills Surgical in Lynchburg, Va, says, “I bill for those billable visits when my surgeon is on call and covering for the other surgeons in town.”

Verify the NPI: Joseph A. Lamm, office manager for Stark County Surgeons in Massillon, Ohio, suggests “Each doctor who sees a patient should bill for the appropriate services rendered under his/her own NPI (National Provider Identifier) number.”

Hint: Bohon says, “The physician who sees the patient face to face and documents and signs his/her name should bill for those services provided regardless of who the admitting surgeon is.”

2. How to report on-call ER services?

Many times, physicians tend to patients in the emergency department while on call. Don’t run for the after-hours codes to bill these services when the hospital pays your physician for being on-call.

Reason behind: You cannot bill twice for the physician’s services if the hospital is already paying him to be on-call physician in the emergency room (ER). You should bill the after-hours codes 99050 (Services provided in the office at times other than regularly scheduled office hours, or days when the office is normally shut [e.g., holidays, Saturday or Sunday], in addition to basic service) and 99058 (Service[s] provided on an emergency basis in the office, which disrupts other scheduled office services, in addition to basic service) only when your physician sees a patient in your office outside regular office hours and another third party is not compensating him for his time, suggests Barbara J. Cobuzzi, MBA, CPC, CENTC, CPC-H, CPC-P, CPC-I, CHCC, president of CRN Healthcare Solutions, a coding and reimbursement consulting firm in Tinton Falls, N.J., and senior coder and auditor for The Coding Network.

For instance: If your office closes at 5 p.m. but your physician sees a patient on an emergency basis at 7 p.m., you should report 99050 in addition to any other services provided. You should not report 99050 if your physician saw the patient in the emergency room at 7 p.m.

3. Can billing be skipped altogether?

You may be desirous to simply arrange a substitute arrangement with other practices for your physicians to cover for one another at various times. This, however, sets your practice up for financial liability and lost reimbursement. “Reciprocal billing” works only for two practices that have similar size practices with similar patient and similar acuity and whose doctors perform nearly equal coverage.

Reason behind: This type of arrangement saves on paperwork, but it isn’t realistic to assume that the workloads between the physicians will all even out over time. One physician might end up with a very time-consuming patient to deal with. So assuming that the inequities will all balance out in the end just doesn’t work. Each physician should bill for the work he performs.

Hint: Lamm says, “You may desire to have a healthcare attorney to review your on-call billing arrangements to ensure that you’re not fraudulently reporting services.” However Medicare does recognize “reciprocal billing” and even has a modifier to indicate when you are participating in reciprocal billing. You can use modifier Q5 (Service furnished by a substitute physician under a reciprocal billing arrangement) to indicate to your Medicare carriers that you’re participating in a reciprocal billing arrangement, Cobuzzi says. Private payers, on the other hand, don’t require a modifier when you’re doing reciprocal billing.

Important: Cobuzzi concludes, “Remember that by using the Q5 modifier, you are telling Medicare that the billing physician is not the actual rendering physician, as without a modifier, a private payer who has not given you a sanction in writing for reciprocal billing may interpret it as billing for services that were not provided.”

Source by Leesa A. Israel

Replacing a windshield can be very costly. Depending on the model of vehicle you drive, windshields can cost up to $1,000. Windshields in cars today have inserts of all kinds – heating coils, radio antenna, satellite antenna and more. These inserts drive up the cost of the windshield considerably, leaving replacement an extreme expense.

There is good news – you can get glass coverage included on your auto insurance policy that will cover repairs and replacements of your windshield, and if you have an expensive windshield, this is a viable option.

Auto glass insurance claims can differ from policy to policy, so it is important that you understand how your insurance coverage is set. Many auto glass insurance policies allow for free repairs of chips and cracks in your windshield, thusly offsetting the cost of expensive replacements.

Most auto glass insurance policies will require you to pay a deductible for windshield replacement, a set amount that you pay and then insurance kicks in for the rest of the cost to replace your windshield. While you will still have to pay some money out of pocket, in most cases, it’s not nearly as expensive as paying for the replacement fully.

With your auto glass insurance policy, you will need to be careful though. Before you get auto glass insurance, there are a few things you need to find out. Firstly, find out from an auto glass repair shop how much a windshield will cost to replace in your vehicle.

Find out how much a factory windshield costs and a standard windshield. Then find out if your windshield could be repaired (some can not be repaired). You will also need to find out how much your insurance will cost you to add auto glass coverage (in yearly premium) and how much your deductible will be.

Most vehicle owners replace their windshield once per year. The total cost of your yearly premium coupled with your deductible is how much money you will pay each year for a replacement windshield. If that cost is higher than a replacement windshield paid for out of pocket, then it is more worth it to bypass the auto glass insurance all together.

Your insurance rates will escalate as you use them, including for auto glass replacement. However, many insurance companies will pay for free repairs, you will have to gauge on your own whether the monthly premium is worth the free repair (most repairs cost around $50.00).

If you need to have your windshield replaced or repaired, contact your insurance agent to find out if they prefer one auto glass repair shop over another and how the claim will be covered. Your insurance agent can give you the name of a Houston Texas auto repair or replacement shop that you can take your vehicle to have your windshield repaired.

It is best if you do some math and request the input of your insurance agent when deciding on whether or not to purchase auto glass insurance for your vehicle. In some cases, paying the premiums for glass coverage is not a viable option – if you will end up paying more in premiums than for the cost of replacement, then auto glass insurance is not for you.

Catching a chip or crack early is best as well for you, and your pocket book. Having a chip or small windshield crack repaired is cost effective and gives you back integrity in your windshield.

In most cases, the repair can hardly be seen, and in some cases, the repair is nearly invisible. Windshield repair is a cost-effective solution to windshield cracks and chips – staving off the need to replace the windshield completely.

Source by David Warren

These days a patient must be vigilant about his or her own health care in terms of researching treatment, securing pre-authorizations, and knowing what to do if their group or private health insurance policy denies a claim. After all, a health insurance claim denial is the last thing you want to have to worry about in the middle of a health crisis. A denied claim feels like a knife in the back placed there by the very company that’s supposed to be watching your back. Luckily, some claim denials can be easily avoided.

According to one lawyer at the Texas State Department of Insurance, “The most common basis for a claim denial in the health insurance industry is that the procedure, preparation, or pharmaceutical is not covered by the policy. So, the easiest and most important way to avoid a claim denial is to read through the most recent and most inclusive version of your health insurance policy and get a picture of the kinds of things that are covered, and those that aren’t.” This is a great starting point. Make sure your policy is the most up-to-date. In the past few years most policies have changed to put more financial burden on patients covered.

It’s also a good idea to contact your health insurance provider and ask to talk to someone who specializes in the area of treatment you’re receiving. After all, he or she might be the very person reviewing your claim, so feel free to ask specific questions about what might or might not be covered under your particular policy. For future reference, write down his or her name and telephone number at the beginning of the conversation. Keep detailed notes on exactly what happens every step of the way, and retain all related paperwork, even if you’re unsure whether it’s relevant. Include in your notes:

* When the required treatment pre-authorization was requested, and received, and from whom
* Date of the treatment
* What was discussed with the doctor, what actions were taken, and what follow-up will be required

Unfortunately, mistakes are common in claims processing. Consider a 2002 study by America’s Health Insurance Plans, which reported that 14 percent of claims submitted to insurance providers are denied. The same survey found that one out of every seven claims had to be re-submitted and re-processed due to errors in the original claims, a costly process for everyone involved.

Other things that you might consider include:

* Research your state’s laws regarding what should be covered in a claim, and what the law considers “arbitrary.” This would influence an insurance company’s definition of “medical necessity” and billable needs.

* Make sure your insurance provider and doctor’s office have been in contact with each other, and that all the necessary paperwork has been forwarded from one to the other.

* If your coverage is fully or partially paid by your company, make sure you keep your human resources department fully informed of the situation so that they can help with any paperwork that might come up that you can’t manage.

Source by Ryan Patterson

One of the biggest loans that most people in the United States take on during their lifetime is a mortgage for their house. Our system generally calls for a down payment of some type followed by a loan to cover the remainder of the house cost. Private mortgage insurance is usually required by the lender when the buyer puts down less than 20% of the sale price of the home he or she may wish to buy.

This insurance protects the lender in the event that the buyer is not able to finish paying off the loan. Once the mortgage is paid down to at least 80% of the home’s value, or possibly when the home’s value appreciates, the Private Mortgage insurance is usually no longer needed.

The sales price of the home is determined by the market value of the home, the area in which the home is located, and the size of the home. These dynamics are factored in when the home’s value is set by the appraiser.

There are several different ways that the Private Mortgage Insurance might be paid. The first option would be for the insurance policy to be paid as escrow is closed on the purchase of the house. This insurance would be for a fixed amount of time. This time frame is determined by when the 80% value will be reached according to the mortgage amortization schedule.

A second option might be that the private mortgage insurance policy payment amount would be combined with the mortgage payment itself, much like property taxes are included with some mortgage payments. Again, this payment would stop at the time when the 80% value is reached and would no longer be part of the mortgage payment.

A third option exists, as well, and many times the buyer may not even know that mortgage insurance exists in their mortgage. Some of the higher interest rates might specify that no mortgage insurance is needed. in actuality, however, the insurance payment has been added to the interest rate quoted on the prepared mortgage payment.

The private mortgage insurance premium is determined by several factors. One important issue is whether or not the home is investment property or whether it is a primary or secondary residence for the borrower. Another item that would be considered is the loan amount against the current appraisal value of the home. Of primary importance would be the borrower’s credit score.

Until 2007, private mortgage insurance premiums were not deductible on the home buyer’s income taxes. It was for this reason that many people who did not have the full 20% down payment would consider a second mortgage. The second mortgage would provide the money for 10 or 15% of the down payment, depending on the need of the borrower.

Now, however, a borrower may deduct premiums for the private mortgage insurance for up to three years on their tax returns. In many cases, this deduction has made it more cost effective to purchase the insurance than to obtain a second mortgage.

According to the Homeowners Protection Act passed in 1998, most private mortgage insurance policies automatically cancel when the 78% loan-to-value is reached. Defaulting on the payments or making late payments will, however, allow the lender to continue to require this insurance. This requires less of the home buyer because of the automatic percentage built into the policy. The savvy home buyer will, of course, want to mark this date on a calendar and check to make sure this is taken care of promptly.

Legally, the lender can hold the borrower liable for the premium on the private mortgage insurance policy until the value of the home reaches 78% of the loan-to-ratio value. Once that obligation has been met, the lender will probably require that the home be appraised again to make sure the insurance is no longer needed.

However, if the home buyer’s credit score is good and all the payments are current, there is another option. He or she may be able to petition to have the private mortgage insurance removed when 20% of the home’s value has been paid by the borrower.

Exceptions to these two allowances for termination of the private mortgage insurance may not be allowed on loans that are considered to be high risk by the lender. Another situation which may influence whether the lender allows for termination of the policy may be the presence of other liens on the land and/or the home.

Many considerations go into the buying of a home. If the home buyer has less than 20% down payment, he or she needs to be prepared for this to be one of those considerations. Just as property taxes and home owner’s insurance are part of the home owner’s future, so private mortgage insurance is part of the home buyer’s assortment of tasks to be dealt with as they look into the details of their new purchase.

Source by Craig Elliott

Many soon to be parents decide that cord blood banking is the right choice for them.  It provides their child with a future lifeline to treat medical conditions that hopefully will not occur but realistically sometimes do occur.  That is their first step in the right direction.  The consequent dilemma which these parents face is that of sourcing and selecting a service provider in line with their budget and expectations.

Firstly, assurance must be given to the expectant parents that once their Baby’s cord blood has been collected at birth, it will only be theirs. In future if their baby, child or adult requires stem cell treatments, then the stem cells will be readily available for medical use.  Under such circumstances, they would quite rightfully expect to recoup just return on their investment

 Stem cell banking may be used in the future to additionally treat diabetes, heart attacks and strokes. Currently, it can treat more than 75 diseases, immune deficiencies and other conditions. It is effective for treatment of certain types of cancer, blood disorders and auto-immune diseases. The cord blood can be used not only by your child, but also other family members. Stem cells transplantation can come from your own body (an autologous transplant) or more commonly from a donor (an allogeneic transplant).

 In recent stem cell breakthroughs, researchers were able to develop bone and cartilage, and grow mini liver and lung cells from cord blood stem cells. These baby cells can potentially be transplanted into the body to repair damaged organs, thus overcoming the severe shortages of organ donors. Researches are hopeful that cord blood stem cell transplant can regenerate into organs inside or outside the body and saves many lives. There is less chance of the body rejecting the new organ regenerated from your own cord blood.

There are also some practicalities that need addressing.  Expectant parents should be sure that they are totally aware of the pricing structure of their service provider, just as they would if they were buying a car or a house.  Many reputable cord blood banks charge one off payments for the initial processing and then have scales of charges for subsequent storage.  Costs for the retrieval of cord blood cells for use on the patient by medical professionals can vary.

Medical practitioners advise yet-to-be parents to plan for cord blood stem cell banking as early as the fourth month of the pregnancy. The procedure of collecting cord blood is simple and painless for both the expectant mother and the infant and there are no health risks involved. To protect your child, every expectant parent should opt for cord blood banking.

Source by Lily Nicolas

The drawback is that you will normally require a bank account with the bank. Not all high street banks are sophisticated enough nor have the capacity to employ a stock broker so it might be wise that you need to make some enquiries in your locality.

Some banks only require you to pay a small service charge. You will get a FSA (UK) authorized personnel as your personal fund manager. He will invest on your behalf on the level of risks you are happy to take. For that added value service you only pay 3% for each investment. The fund manager will take the level of risks that you are happy with and with full consultation. Any input from you such as the type of industry you like him to invest in or any recommendation from you will be incorporated fully in the investment plan.

It is fair to say that your money will grow more steadily unlike a normal saving account. Investing with your local bank stockbroker can be seen as similar to depositing monies over the counter but with the added security of knowing that your cash is with someone who you trust.

On the downside, expect to put your money aside for a longer period of time as is will prove to be a safer form of investment. You must talk about all investment options that is available to you at your disposable with your stock broker in terms of risk management and how long you will be tied with the investment. It is a good investment strategy to combine your investment portfolio by picking different industries and do sample investments by investing small and once you are happy with which industry is ideal for you and you may then invest further.

You may decide to trade on commodities such as sugar, manufacturing products such as steel or perhaps follow a long term investment strategy to buying high value shares into companies with multi-national operations such as Shell Oils, Virgin Group, or Tata Group. Try to remember that penny shares are most volatile and most likely to lose you funds, however, it does provide 100 per cent or sometimes more return on your investments.

When you decide to sell your shares you will not have to pay commission but again you need to shop around with the high street banks. My personal recommendation is try out seeking initial advice from HSBC Bank because not only they care about your money to grow they also have a system in place which adapts to your personal financial needs. You must make sure you see the right person not the receptionist.

In the ever growing world of investment opportunities it is likely that your best financial aide is more closer than you envisage, so don`t underestimate. Stay local and prosper.

Source by Ayna Miah

If you are looking for a reputed contractor, you might want to know what to look for in the contractor. You do not want to leave your home in the hand of someone with little knowledge about insulation. When it comes to choosing the best insulation contractor, you will find that there are really good ones and then there are not so good ones. Here are some of the things to consider when picking an insulation contractor for your home or office –

Experience
Even though some aspects of wall insulation installation can be DIY project, there are a number of elements that one can benefit from when they hire experienced contractors for the project. It is best to hire a contractor that has a minimum of five years experience.

Have Knowledge of Construction
The contractor should have knowledge and understanding of construction as well in order to add insulation to the pre-existing home. Since older homes had different codes and were built differently, the contractor should not be surprised with your home and know how to add insulation perfectly.

Know the DCRA Code
You might not be aware of the DCRA code, but the home insulation contractor should know it by heart. Before you hire the contractor, ask them about the DCRA code for residential insulation. They should also be familiar with the latest R levels codes. If they have no idea what you are talking about, it is best to look for someone else.

Licensed Business
The contractor you pick should have proper licensing to practice. Always ask the contractor for the licenses and if they hesitate to provide you with that, it is best to move on to the next contractor on your list.

Bonded
The insulation contractor that you pick should be bonded. This means that they will have some level of liability in order to protect the property in case they are unable to complete the work. You do not want to get stuck with a half finished insulation work.

General Liability
The insulation contractor that you pick should have general liability insurance. Even the professional can make mistakes and if they accidently damage your home during installation, you will not have to pay for the repairs. The insurance should be able to cover it for you.

Own Equipments
The contractor that you pick should own their equipment and not borrow them. in case they borrow it, you should know that they are not serious about their worn. Committed contractors will have their own equipment that they use all the time and will be efficient in using them when they need it.
It is important to protect your home by hiring only a professional and experienced insulation contractor. It is best to do your research and pick the ones that meet all the above qualifications.

Source by Ecotite Uk

Are you looking for heavy cranes for heavy construction and industrial site? Do you feel that it is difficult to find the best services at affordable rates? If yes, then you have to go nowhere because IVAN’S CRANE INC provides the best services at economical rates.

Buying a heavy industrial crane can be very expensive and hence renting a crane for the same purpose can be a better alternative. Here are some of the benefits of renting a crane.

• You don’t have to pay huge amount at a time because you have to pay only for the usage period.
• No tension about its maintenance
• No issues of damages as they are already insured
• Comes with operator and Easy to use

Construction and industrial activities can be extremely difficult to handle because they require great financial investments. It is necessary to find out certain cost effective ways to complete the project within the budget. This heavy equipment needs huge amount of investments because they are very important tool at the construction site to move heavy objects from one place to another. IVAN’S CRANE INC provides a great service that allows saving money and time and completes the project within the given timeframe.

Following are some of the important things that are necessary to know about the crane rental services.

• Rental crane services are excellent as they are completely insured and thus clients don’t have to worry about any damage. If there is any damage insurance company is liable to pay all the damages. So make sure hire crane rental services that come with complete insurance coverage.
• You don’t have to worry about the parking space for these heavy machineries because renting company takes care of all the things.
• Maintenance cost is very high to handle the crane so while renting it your maintenance cost reduces.
• Operating these heavy machineries is a tough job and you have to hire an operator when you purchase it. So while renting a crane you don’t have to look for an operator because the operator comes along with the crane.

Thus, renting a heavy machine is more feasible and economical than purchasing it. However, before purchasing equipment it is necessary to survey the market take opinion of experts.

IVAN’S CRANE INC has one of the largest rental fleets. These fleets are specially designed to carry out industrial and construction tasks without any difficulty and ease. Hire crane rental services of Ivan’s Crane INC and complete your project in the right way.

 This article explains the benefits of renting company and discloses the facts about renting heavy machinery.

Source by OliviaGrace

Question: Hello i slipped and fell in a night club’s dance floor can i sue the club or there insurance company for not having a wet floor sign on the wall also can i be compensated for the time off of work medical bills and pain and suffering? Answer: Yes, you can sue the night club, but there are many factors which you need to consider before filing a lawsuit against the night club. You would not sue the insurance company, but the insurance company would most likely step in to defend against your claim. For starters, your email does not indicate in what state you live. Laws vary from state to state, so the law for slip and falls in Florida may be quite different than the laws where you live. You most likely have a claim for payment of your medical bills, and, a claim for your injury and pain and suffering. Claims in Florida are evaluated based upon the degree of liability that exists against the property owner, the specific nature of the injury, the amount and type of medical care and bills that you have had, and that you may continue to require in the future, and the amount of pain and suffering you have experienced in the past, and future. Lost wages and loss of future earning capacity can also be recovered in Florida. Keep in mind, at least in Florida, just because a person falls at a business, it does not automatically mean the property owner or manager is responsible for injuries which result from the fall. You have to be able to prove that the business owner knew or should have known of the dangerous condition that caused the fall. Generally, a business owner only owes two duties to persons lawfully on the property – maintain the property in a reasonably safe condition, and to warn persons on the property of dangerous conditions that the person may not be able to appreciate themselves. Your email does not give any details about how the accident occurred, so it is difficult to know whether you have a good claim to make. For instance, if you were dancing on the dance floor, and another person at the club spilled the liquid on the dance floor just a few minutes before you slipped in it, the Club would not have known about the wet floor, nor had a chance to clean it up or warn you and the other people at the club of the wet floor. Another example might be if the club allows special effects like foam or fog in the area of the dance floor that might make the floor slippery. In that instance, the club clearly would have knowledge of the possibility for a slippery floor, and should have taken steps to make the area safe for people dancing. The best advice I can give you is to speak with an attorney that specializes in premises liability claims, i.e. slip and fall. The attorney can advise you what the law is in your area for trip and fall accidents such as yours. There are many steps your attorney should take now, i.e. notify the insurance company for the club, find out what types of coverage are available, including whether any medical payments coverage exists. You’ll want to check to see whether there have been claims similar to yours that occurred at the location. There are also statutes of limitations which may apply and preclude you from bringing a claim if you wait too long. Most attorneys specializing in premises liability claims handle the claims on a contingent basis,i.e. the attorneys fee is a percentage of any money they recover for you, and offer a free, no-obligation consultation to discuss whether you have a viable case. You have nothing to lose to at least speak to an accident injury lawyer to see whether you have a claim, and also get a better idea of the value of your claim.

Source by Joseph M. Maus

It is how we communicate with our friends and family members. It is also how we spread jokes and chain letters to our co-workers, but are we effectively using email as a way to increase our contacts with potential clients?

Many insurance agencies and financial firms still press upon their sales teams the importance of the phone; cold calling, referral calling, calling a book of business. But more and more people are “turned off” by phone calls.

Our modern times have become so impersonal that fewer and fewer business people will sit and chat on the phone, instead turning to email or instant message for a quick conversation without having to stop what they are doing and pay full attention. In addition, many homes have turned off their land lines, opting for cell phone plans for both cost and privacy. So, how do you reach your consumers?

Invariably, business owners, whether corporate, medical, legal, any type of business person really, has spent quite a bit of time and effort training their reception staff NOT to let anyone through who seems to be selling something. Those people we lovingly refer to as “gate-keepers”. The best thing you can do is accept that sometimes you will get through and sometimes you won’t.

It is still recommended that you ask for the business owner or person in charge of handling the company’s benefits when you call, however, don’t be disappointed if they tell you that person is busy. Leaving messages does payoff with some call backs.

After you leave your message with the receptionist, be sure to ask for an email address, even if a generic one. Send them a note with some information that they can respond to. You can even go as far as asking for the receptionist’s email and when the receptionist receives it they can forward it to intended target. More often than not, a receptionist will comply with that request as it seems simple enough and doesn’t come across as too pushy.

Depending on your market, many businesses will have a website which provides an email address. Because of that, there are lead companies who have collected that information and will sell you a list with your target audience’s information and contact emails. This might be a source for prospecting for you, however don’t rule out some good ol’ fashioned prospecting on your own. It may be beneficial to your sale to look at a business’s website to get a feel for their environment. It can only assist you when you make your appointment and visit with the owner or HR person.

Sending information and collecting data via email is one of the most used forms of communication. In this highly impersonal world, it may be your ticket to breaking through the gate keeper barrier and reaching your intended party. They may not respond necessarily to your phone calls, but may be more likely to an email they can read when they have a moment. We are all more comfortable asking questions or sharing personal information when the receiving party cannot see our faces or hear our voices. However, test your email marketing and use the best results to get your foot in the door.

Source by Christee Fontanez