We are truly grateful for the many relationships we’ve built, over the years, with the hard-working agents we serve everyday. Wishing you a season of joy and looking forward to our continued success in 2018. The Management and Staff of United Security Assurance A Holiday Message As I look back on 2017, I am thankful for the many positive developments our company achieved. This year, we paid close attention to your requests and developed tools and plans to make it easier for you to do business with us. This was accomplished most successfully with a menu of on-line tools, such
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CVS Health’s proposed acquisition of Aetna
To our valued brokers, As you may have seen in the news, CVS Health, the largest pharmacy health care provider in the U.S., has agreed to acquire Aetna. This has no immediate effect on the products your clients have purchased or the products you are selling today. We are very excited about this combination. CVS Health and Aetna are joining to become the trusted front door to health care. Nearly 70 percent of the U.S. population lives within three miles of a CVS Health retail store and nearly five million Americans visit CVS Health every day. We will use CVS
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Guidance and deadlines for end of AEP enrollments
The 2018 Annual Election Period (AEP) ends Thursday, December 7. This means all Medicare AEP marketing efforts must cease on that date. Please make sure you follow the guidelines below when submitting your final AEP enrollments to us. Remember, we’re here to support you! Dec. 7 All AEP applications for a January 1, 2018, effective date must be completed, signed, dated and received by the agent no later than 11:59 p.m. December 7, 2017. You may not backdate the member signature date, agent receipt date, or agent signature date. Submit apps within 2 days We must receive signed enrollment applications
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“Big 5 insurers depend on Medicare, Medicaid for growth in enrollment, profits”
“Big 5 insurers depend on Medicare, Medicaid for growth in enrollment, profits,” by Susan Morse, HealthCareFinance “The nation’s five largest insurers are increasingly dependent on government programs such as Medicare and Medicaid for growth in enrollment, revenue and profits, according to a new Health Affairs study. UnitedHealthcare, Anthem, Aetna, Cigna, and Humana collectively cover 43 percent of the total U.S. insured population, the report said. Due in large part to an aging baby boomer population, Medicare and Medicaid account for nearly 60 percent of the big five’s revenues and 20 percent of their plan membership. . . . Medicare
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“SUNY study: Nursing homes in minority neighborhoods provide poorer quality care”
“SUNY study: Nursing homes in minority neighborhoods provide poorer quality care,” Times Union “Nursing homes located in minority neighborhoods and with more low-income patients have notably lower quality and worse fiscal stress, two State University of New York researchers have found. . . . The researchers found that: • Medicaid-dependent nursing homes have higher levels of fiscal stress than those that are paid with private funds; • A 1 percent increase in the number of neighborhood residents living in poverty was associated with a 1.2-point drop in ratings of quality; • A 1 percent increase in the number of
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“The cost of caregiving: ‘A sacrifice for our entire family”
“The cost of caregiving: ‘A sacrifice for our entire family’,” by Jonnelle Marte, The Washington Post “Alantris Muhammad says there was no question that she would leave her job after her mother was in a car accident that left her unable to walk or eat on her own. “Once they become caregivers, adult children are likely to commit a substantial amount of time — about 77 hours on average each month — to looking after their relatives, the researchers found. For people who provide round-the-clock care, the commitment is even greater. “But the true financial toll can be difficult to
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“What if the elderly could swap home equity for long-term care?”
“What if the elderly could swap home equity for long-term care?,” The Times of Malta “Home equity release could be one way of helping to guarantee better living standards for the elderly, according to Mario Vella, the Governor of the Central Bank of Malta. Addressing the annual dinner of the Institute of Financial Services (IFS) Malta on Friday evening, Dr Vella said: ‘We have a situation where many elderly persons are asset rich but cash poor. They live on relatively modest pensions while residing in large and relatively expensive homes. ‘This creates issues for financing long-term care, as many find
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Good News | Announcing GoldenCare’s “Industry Updates” 2017 Webinar Event
A Very Special End-of-the-Year Webinar Is Planned We’re pleased to announce that plans have been finalized for our special “Industry Updates – 2017 Year End Grand Finale” webinar event. GoldenCare is honored to bring you one of the most influential and respected people in long-term care, Steve Moses! He will be joining us as our special guest speaker for this presentation. Be sure to register – space is limited, and these seats will be going quickly! Click below to register: Wed, Jan 3, 2018 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM CST Read Full Good News Article #2017 #longtermcare #goldencareagent
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“Seven tips on becoming a ‘financial’ caregiver”
“Seven tips on becoming a ‘financial’ caregiver,” by Robert Powell, USA Today “Millions of Americans, most of whom are women, are not only providing care to aging parents and loved ones, but they’re also serving as “financial” caregivers. In fact, some 92% of caregivers are paying bills from their care recipient’s accounts; monitoring bank accounts; handling insurance claims; filing taxes, and managing invested assets, according to a new Merrill Lynch study, conducted in partnership with Age Wave. And all that financial caregiving comes with a big price tag. Consider: Some 40 million family and friend caregivers in the U.S. collectively
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“60 Percent of U.S. Kids Could Be Obese by Age 35”
“60 Percent of U.S. Kids Could Be Obese by Age 35,” by Alan Mozes, HealthDay “The majority of children growing up in America today will be obese by age 35, a new computer analysis predicts. . . . When extrapolated to reflect American society as a whole, the simulation concluded that more than 57 percent of American children today — nearly 6 of every 10 — would end up obese by their mid-30s.” LTC Comment (from Stephen A. Moses, President, Center for Long-Term Care Reform): Heavy news for LTC financing prospects. 60 Percent of U.S. Kids Could Be Obese by
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