Did you know the cost of home healthcare continues to rise each year. In fact in Las Vegas the average cost of home healthcare services is $22,000 annually. This is based on the cost of group homes or rehabilitative medical care and personal care attendants who provide assisted living services to customers in the customers home.  

The average cost of home healthcare insurance policy cost as little as $20 per month 

The Department of Labor released a final ruling regulating association health plans (AHPs) as part of the Trump Administration strategy to revise regulations governing AHP's, short term medical insurance, and health reimbursement accounts to promote healthcare competition of choice. 

An association is able to form a specific group for the purpose of offering health insurance. Association can include realtors, trade contractors, or self employed individuals. 

There are few things to consider when choosing an association health plan, one being essential health benefits, availability of medical doctors and facilities accepting the health insurance.  

The essential health benefit include hospitalization care, maternity care, mental and substance use and prescription drugs. These benefits are included automatically under qualified health insurance plans. 

Cost Sharing Limits for 2019

Cost sharing includes a consumers expected out of pocket medical expenses for the health plan year. The new cost sharing limits are increasing to $7,900 for single individuals and $15,800 for families. In 2018 the cost sharing limits for individuals is $7,350 and $14,700 for families.  This is an increase of approximately 10% in additional medical expenses.   

Why the change according to The Balance healthcare costs consistently is increasing. The cost of hospitalization, doctor office charges, medical procedures are increasing approximately 5% each year.  

What can consumer do about the rising costs? Consumers has many options available to them to help reduce or control medical expenses. Examples include minimizing unnecessary trips to emergency rooms or urgent care facilities. Instead obtain medical care for your primary care doctor.  Many health insurance plans offer tele-health services and 24/7 nurse hotline. Tele-health medical services greatly reduces unnecessary trips to the urgent care or emergency rooms. 

Lastly, it is important to speak with your local independent insurance broker every year to review all of the health plans available. 

Insurance Group of Nevada Corp has been approved as a Nevada local emerging small business (ESB). The Nevada Governor's office has determined that Insurance Group of Nevada Corp meets the eligibility standards to be certified as Tier 1, local emerging small business (ESB) as defined in Chapter 231 of the Nevada Administrative Code (NAC) 

Public inspection can be reviewed and accessed on the State's website at www.diversifynevada.com 

We are pleased to accept this new certification by the State of Nevada. This certification would provide additional  opportunities to serve Nevada. 

Keeping your home secure

Everyone wants to keep their home safe from burglars or intruders, but not everyone wants to have an alarm system installed. There are plenty of people who prefer the do-it-yourself route, whether it’s home improvement or home security.
 
And nowadays, there are more options than ever when it comes to home security, so we at Insurance Group of Nevada want to help you sort through those options with a few tips.
 
Do-it-yourself options
The widespread availability of electronic tools means that homeowners can set up their own monitoring systems if they choose, without the help of a home-security company.

• Cameras: Smaller and more inexpensive than ever, cameras can be placed nearly anywhere on the exterior of your home and monitored from inside wirelessly — or set to record footage for review later. Available software even allows you to point your laptop camera in a particular direction (say, at the front door) and check the images from a remote location.
• Lights: Motion-detecting floodlights are an excellent deterrent to thieves, because they don’t want to be seen. Make sure they’re installed near entryways, and that they aren’t easily reached from the ground. And using timers for interior lights is a good way to give the appearance that your home is occupied.
• Alarms: Vibration alarms are available for windows, alerting you if someone is trying to get in. Similarly, other monitors can be installed near doors and programmed to sound if a person comes within a set distance. Some even emit barking sounds to make it appear that a dog is in the house.

 
Even if you aren’t interested in installing security equipment around your home, there are a number of things you can do to increase safety:

• Keep your home locked. It sounds simple, but you’d be surprised how many people leave windows or doors unlocked. Make sure that sliding doors and windows have extra security, such as a track lock or dowel in the track.
• Don’t leave a key outside. If you need to provide access to your home while you’re away, leave your key with a trusted neighbor or friend.

• Watch the landscaping. Thick shrubs and bushes around your porch or yard can give thieves a good place to hide. Keep them well-trimmed and ensure that problematic areas can be illuminated with your outdoor lighting.
• Use common sense. If you’re going away on vacation, cancel your newspaper and other deliveries. Ask a neighbor to keep watch, and park a car out front. Don’t post publicly on social media or leave a message on your answering machine or voicemail indicating that you’ll be away for an extended period.

 
Burglars really do consider deterrents such as alarms, cameras, dogs, etc., when looking at targets, according to a study released by the University of North Carolina.  So a small investment in security can make a big difference!
 
Sidebar:
It’s a great time for a home inventory
If your home was burglarized, would you know what was missing? A home inventory is a crucial tool to help replace everything that was lost. And we can help you do one! Give us a call at
702-996-6434 or visit our website at www.nevadainsurancegroup.com  to learn more.
 
Contact Us!
 
At Insurance Group of Nevada, we can work with you to make sure you've got the coverage you need, while at the same time using all possible credits and discounts to make that coverage affordable. Just give us a call  at (702) 996-6434 or send us a note at [email protected] We want to help you meet your goals, and make sure what's important to you is protected!
 
Content provided by Safeco Insurance