Fitness University, a charity that we sponsor and volunteer with-   is a finalist to win  a $2000 donation from SafeCo Insurance. Fitness U is a  great (FREE) 6 week running program offered each summer by the Gate City Striders for kids  age 3-14- is dedicated to promoting fitness, fun and good health!

This week over 500 kids participated!

Can you take a moment to "like" the Facebook picture of volunteers Jessica Mathewson and her  daughters Nicole and Kellie (in red T Shirts!) 
 
VOTE HERE
 
We are so grateful if you can share this message and encourage others to vote- a vote is a like or a comment! At the moment we are 46 votes behind- but  are very close to winning-  Voting closes Friday 7/27 at 4 PM EST.

NH Medicare Supplement expert Stephen Donohue answers questions about NH Medigap Plan F.

The Plan F is often referred to as the most deluxe and comprehensive Medicare Supplement product that is sold today in NH. According to the 2017 NH Guide to Medicare Supplement Insurance guide published by the NH Insurance Dept. there are 18 different insurers that offer the Plan F in NH.

What does the Plan F Cover?
The Medigap Plan F covers the following:

• Medicare Part A & B Deductibles
• Medicare Part A Coinsurance and Hospital Costs
• Medicare Part B Coinsurance or Copayments
• Part B Excess Charges
• Foreign Travel Emergency

The NH Medicare Supplement Plan F pays almost ALL of the costs and deductibles that are associated with Medicare. For 2017 here is a quick review of Medicare out of pocket expenses that the NH Medigap Plan F Covers:

• Part A Deductible - $1316  Part A hospital  deductible 
• Part A Hospital copays days 61-90 $329/day
• Part A Hospital Copays days 91+ $658 /day
• Part B Deductible $183 annual
• Part B Coinsurance- Generally 20%

What does Plan F Cost in NH in 2017?
The cost for NH Medicare Supplement Plan F in NH varies with some insurers by gender and with ALL insurers by age. See 2017 top 5 insurers for the NH Medicare Plan F.

Female Age 65
$171.00     Globe Life & Accident Insurance Company
$174.60     Continental Life Insurance Company of Brentwood, TN
$175.35     First Health & Life Insurance Company
$175.54     Anthem Health Plans of New Hampshire (5% household spouse discount available)
$176.51     Mutual of Omaha Insurance Company

Male Age 65
$171.00     Globe Life & Accident Insurance Company
$188.09     First Health & Life Insurance Company
$192.50      UnitedHealthcare®
$193.09     Anthem Health Plans of New Hampshire (5% household spouse discount available)
$200.75     Continental Life Insurance Company of Brentwood, TN

The Plan F is just one of many available NH Medicare Supplement Insurance Plans- for more info about the different plans that are available - or for a NH Medicare Supplement insurance will cost for you, your spouse or your parent please call us today at 603-882-2909.

Atlantic Insurance & Benefit Co. in Nashua, NH helps NH Seniors make the best decisions for the medicare insurance plan. If you live in Southern NH, Hudson, Brookline, Hollis, Merrimack, Derry, Londonderry please let us help you today.

Stephen Donohue Nashua, NH Insurance writer provides interesting facts about the New Hampshire Homeowners Insurance market

The NAIC Report Card shows that NH Homeowners paid a total of $89,136,725,302 for home insurance in NH in 2015- that is a lot of money- but what does that mean to you? Here is a quick tally on how NH Homeowners Insurance rates compare vs. the US average.

US Average Homeowner's Insurance Yearly Premium Cost: $1132
NH Average Homeowner's Insurance Yearly Premium Cost: $ 905
(Source Trusted Choice)

How do insurers price home insurance here in NH?
New Hampshire Home Insurance companies will use several different factors to calculate your home insurance rates. Each insurer will file their NH homeowner insurance rates with and receive approval from the NH Insurance Department

To determine annual home insurance costs, NH Home Insurance Companies use several different rating factors including:

• Age, Condition and Size of Home
• Fire Protection Class
• Replacement Cost of the Home 
• Past Claim or Loss History of Applicant
• Credit Rating of Applicant (husband & wife)
• Location
• Amount of Coverage Purchased
• Discounts
• Deductible

 
What to look for in a New Hampshire home insurance company?
As a consumer it is best to shop around and get several quotes for your property. We recommend that our clients consider the following  5 factors when comparing home insurance proposals:

1. Cost- Premiums should be carefully weighed. Most insurers offer a variety of discounts for pay in full, multi-policy, no loss, good credit, etc.
2. Financial Stability of Insurer - AM Best is a company that provides credit ratings and financial strength reports for insurance companies. 
3. Customer Service Level & Claims Payment history of insurers.  The NH Insurance Dept. offers a useful tool the Consumer Complaint Summary- in laymen's terms companies with  a ratio of less than a 1.0 are performing better than their peers.
4. Coverage- not all home insurance polices are the same- some offer replacement cost on the building- but not on the contents.
5. Convenience - today insurers are competing for business and offer a ton of perks- including online bill payment, e-documents, and mobile phone apps that make managing your insurance policy easier.

Here at Atlantic Insurance & Benefit Company we do not expect our clients to be experts when it comes to insurance- that's our job! With some basic info we can compare your current home insurance coverage with what the market has to offer. We work with dozens of insurers and routinely save our clients up to 30% or more on their home insurance rates.

Call us toll-free for a quote at 1-888-882-2909 or request a  NH Home Owners Insurance quote here online now! 

by Stephen J. Donohue, Jr. RHU Group Health Insurance Broker for small businesses
Neighborhood Health Plans new TELADOC lets you skip the waiting room and see a doctor on your I-phone!

Telemedicine is here and thriving.
Today in the northeast several health insurers offer their members the ability to have a Virtual Doctors Visit. With this emerging technology Neighborhood Health Plan members are now able to bypass the crowded doctors office and avoid the more costly visits to urgent care, or the ER.

TELADOC is an online service offered through a web camera enabled laptop, tablet or computer- or better yet through an app on your smart phone (I-phone or Droid). Patients can see a doctor who is licensed in their state and that physician can discuss symptoms, diagnose the issue and prescribe a treatment all over a SKYPE or FACETIME style video chat.

What does TELEADOC treat?

• Respiratory Infections
• Allergies
•  Bronchitis
• Cold & Flu
• Sinus
• Conjunctivitis 
• Other Common Illnesses

Members can register online and set up an account- or better yet- download the APP on their I-Phone or Droid here.

As an employee health benefits specialist clients are always asking me ways to save money- this is one great way. I love the telemedicine benefit for 4 reasons:

1. Immediate Access- better experience for the patient- most patients are seen within 10 minutes!
2. Low Cost (Same Copay as Primary Doctors Visit)
3. Lower Cost to the insurer (lower claims mean lower renewal rates!)
4. Frees up Primary Care Provider locations to address more urgent or complex cases 

For more info please visit nhp.org/teladoc today. Or download and share this brochure.

Stephen Donohue is a licensed health insurance producer in several states including NH, MA and ME. He focuses on helping small business offer attractive benefits to their employees.  

by Stephen Donohue, NH Medicare Supplement Broker

It's July, a time of year when many seniors with Part D RX coverage hit the dreaded "Coverage Gap" or "Donut Hole". The Donut Hole is where costs for RX can increase dramatically.

What is the Coverage Gap (donut hole)?
The Coverage Gap (donut hole) begins once you reach your Medicare Part D plan's initial coverage limit  which for 2017 is $3700. During the coverage gap seniors are expected to pay the following:

• 51% of  the cost of Generic Drugs  and
• 40% of the cost of Brand Name drugs

How Long Does the Coverage  Gap last?
The Part D RX Coverage Gap lasts until a Part D RX participant hits $4950 in annual out-of-pocket RX costs.

Seniors please see following 6 suggestions to lower your RX Costs:

1. Consider switching to generic or lower cost drugs
2. Choose a plan that offers better value during the coverage gap  
3. Pharmaceutical Assistance Programs- many drug companies offer programs like coupons or discount cards to help patients reduce their out of pocket costs.
4. State Pharmaceutical Assistance Plans (available in MA not NH)
5. Apply for Extra Help- Medicare and Social Security have a program that helps Low Income Seniors
6. Explore Local and National Charita how to save on Part D RX costs can be found here. 

Please visit Medicare.gov here to learn more about how to save on prescription drug coverage.
 
Steve Donohue, owner of Atlantic Insurance & Benefit Company, is an insurance agent who specializes in helping seniors in Hudson, Nashua, Merrimack, Hollis and Londonderry with their Medicare Supplement or Medicare Advantage plans. He can be reached at 603-882-2909.   

Between 2005 and 2010 the number of renters policies in the US doubled from 6.6 million to 13.2 million (NAIC). That's incredible! What is more important is in the US there are over 43 million households that rent. (So if my public school math is accurate that means there are 30 MILLION rental households in the US that are uninsured!)

Renters Insurance is an often overlooked policy by consumers and agents. It's an easy and affordable way to get coverage for that emergency situation. If you live in a rented apartment, home or condo your landlord's insurance doesn't cover your personal property.

Here are 5 interesting facts about renter's insurance that are true here in NH/MA and throughout the US:

$180 per year (or about $15 Month) is the Average Cost of Renter's Insurance in the US 
​               (It's cheaper here- in NH and MA we see most renter's policies go for about $125- $150)

Package with Auto And Save- In NH and MA many car insurers ALSO offer renter's insurance. Packaging a renters policy with your NH auto insurance will reduce your car insurance costs too. Often the DISCOUNT on the car insurance can pay 50% or more of the renter's policy cost.

Renter's Insurance Covers your stuff AND much more! Yes, renters insurance will cover your flat screen TV and your laptop computer. But did you know it can provide liability protection as well (if someone gets injured at your rented house and wants to sue you- a renter's policy will offer you protection.) Plus some large apartment complexes like Clock Tower Place in Nashua require  renters insurance.

College Students Need it too! College students living off campus in an apartment or house are not covered by their school. Also, if students are sharing a house with roommates they can often buy a renters policy together.

Renter's Insurance Policies in NH and MA can Cover High Value Items- Yes, just like a homeowner a renter can buy coverage for engagement rings, fine art, camera equipment and even musical instruments. In the insurance world this is called scheduling- which provides specific and BETTER coverage for items that are worth more.

If you have questions about renter's insurance -or- if you live in Nashua, Merrimack, Hudson, Hollis or anywhere in southern NH please call us for a quote at 1-603-882-2909.

Click Here for an online NH Renters Insurance quote!



Additional Information:
See NAIC Consumer Alert on Renters Insurance


Stephen Donohue is the owner of Atlantic Insurance & Benefit Company a local independent insurance agency  serving Hollis, Nashua, Hudson, Merrimack and Southern NH.