5 Nov 2007 22:10 Africa/Lagos
Insurance You Can Understand
Access America Launches New Policy with Customer-Friendly Language
RICHMOND, Va., Nov. 5 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ --
Access America, a leading travel insurance provider, today announced the launch of its "customer-friendly" Certificate of Insurance or Policy. This is the document that explains the insurance coverage purchased by the customer. The document has been completely rewritten in language that is easy for a novice to understand.
(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20071105/6397)
This is just the latest innovation for Access America which has recently redesigned its website, brochures and claim forms. "We took a hard look at how we present information to our customers and decided we could do better," said Mark Cipolletti, vice president of marketing communications for Access America. "Unfortunately, many people have a negative view of insurance because they've had difficulty understanding their coverage or interacting with their provider. We're trying to change that perception and build a deeper trust with our customers."
The design of the document has also been improved to make its content more digestible. The new layout makes better use of white space, charts help with navigation and unfamiliar "industry" terms are avoided.
The new certificate, or policy, has been approved by over 30 State Departments of Insurance and officially debuted on November 1. The document will be filed in all 50 states, plus the District of Columbia, by Access America's new underwriter, Jefferson Insurance Company. Jefferson was purchased by Access America's parent company, World Access, earlier this year.
About Access America
Access America provides travel insurance and assistance to millions of travelers each year and is a division and service mark of World Access Service Corp. A global leader in travel insurance and emergency assistance, Access America uses cutting-edge technology to deliver customized solutions to enhance value for resorts, airlines, travel agents, credit card companies and more. Access America is a division and service mark of World Access Service Corp., which is a member of the Mondial Assistance Group and part of the Allianz family of companies. Visit www.accessamerica.com.
Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20071105/6397
http://photoarchive.ap.org/
PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com
Source: Access America
CONTACT: Caroline Platt, +1-804-788-1414, cplatt@hodgespart.com, for
Access America
Web Site: http://www.accessamerica.com/
USEFUL LINK:
http://www.allinsuranceprofessionals.com/
Monday, November 05, 2007
Thursday, November 01, 2007
Health Insurance Agents Warn Against Imposing a 'Health Care Reform' Tax in California
Health Insurance Agents Warn Against Imposing a 'Health Care Reform' Tax in California
AGENT ASSOCIATIONS REMIND LAWMAKERS CALIFORNIA PREMIUMS ARE 17 PERCENT BELOW NATIONAL AVERAGE
SACRAMENTO, Calif., Oct. 31 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ --
At the Assembly Health Committee's hearing on Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's health care reform plan, the California Association of Health Underwriters (CAHU) and the National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors-California (NAIFA-California) urged lawmakers to avoid the mistakes made in New York and New Jersey, mistakes that have resulted in premiums more than 350 percent higher than in California, reminding them that individual health insurance premiums are 17 percent below the national average.
New York and New Jersey's mistakes were in mandating carriers to accept all applicants for coverage without effectively requiring residents to obtain coverage. "Without a requirement to both buy and to sell coverage, the cost of health insurance will skyrocket," warned Alan Katz, an independent health insurance agent and Vice President of Public Affairs for CAHU who spoke on behalf of both associations. "New York and New Jersey have demonstrated that if done wrong, the result is a health care reform tax on citizens who play by the rules. This tax is substantial and it's grossly unfair."
The agent groups noted that requiring Californians to obtain coverage means helping those for whom premiums are too expensive and called for premium subsidies, on a sliding scale, for residents in households earning up to 400 percent of the Federal Poverty Level ($82,600 for a family of four).
The associations also urged legislators to deliver on the promises it has made to the people of California before making new ones. "Nearly one million Californians are eligible for, but are not enrolled in, Healthy Families and Medi-Cal. The state needs to prove it can fix this travesty before promising to expand these programs or creating new ones. Yet the most recent budget cut roughly $66 million targeted for this purpose. Making promises is easy. Delivering on them is tough, but making those promises real is what Californians deserve," Katz declared.
The associations' testimony identified several areas where reform is needed, including achieving universal coverage and controlling skyrocketing medical costs. Katz noted that "health insurance premiums directly reflect the cost of medical care" and commended the Governor for proposing ways of reigning in these costs by seeking to leverage technology, improve medical outcomes, promote best practices and expand wellness and prevention programs.
The agent associations took issue with other aspects of the Administration's health care reform plan. "We believe regulators need to have the flexibility to assure a mandated Medical Loss Ratio does not have the unintended consequences of increasing premiums, discouraging competition in the individual market and limiting consumer choice. We believe those receiving state subsidies should not be driven into a state-run purchasing pool, but instead should have the same choices as their non-subsidized neighbors. We believe a minimum benefit package needs to be defined in legislation in order to determine the financial and market impact of the reform package," said Katz.
Katz urged Health Committee members to consider the Healthy Solutions health care reform package developed by CAHU, much of which is supported by NAIFA-California as a way to "improve today's system without destroying what works for so many of your constituents. You'll hear a great deal today about what's wrong with our health care system. We agree with some of these observations, but we also want to point out that Californians enjoy lower premiums and more coverage choices than most Americans."
CAHU and NAIFA-California represent, health and life insurance agents and brokers as well as financial advisors. Their combined memberships include over 7,500 insurance professionals who serve as counselors and advocates for millions of Californians.
Healthy Solutions may be downloaded at http://www.cahuhealthysolutions.org/. For more information, or to arrange an interview with CAHU industry experts, please contact Cynthia Downing at 800/322-5934.
Source: California Association of Health Underwriters
CONTACT: Cynthia Downing, Executive Director of CAHU, 1-800-322-5934
Web site: http://www.cahuhealthysolutions.org/
AGENT ASSOCIATIONS REMIND LAWMAKERS CALIFORNIA PREMIUMS ARE 17 PERCENT BELOW NATIONAL AVERAGE
SACRAMENTO, Calif., Oct. 31 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ --
At the Assembly Health Committee's hearing on Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's health care reform plan, the California Association of Health Underwriters (CAHU) and the National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors-California (NAIFA-California) urged lawmakers to avoid the mistakes made in New York and New Jersey, mistakes that have resulted in premiums more than 350 percent higher than in California, reminding them that individual health insurance premiums are 17 percent below the national average.
New York and New Jersey's mistakes were in mandating carriers to accept all applicants for coverage without effectively requiring residents to obtain coverage. "Without a requirement to both buy and to sell coverage, the cost of health insurance will skyrocket," warned Alan Katz, an independent health insurance agent and Vice President of Public Affairs for CAHU who spoke on behalf of both associations. "New York and New Jersey have demonstrated that if done wrong, the result is a health care reform tax on citizens who play by the rules. This tax is substantial and it's grossly unfair."
The agent groups noted that requiring Californians to obtain coverage means helping those for whom premiums are too expensive and called for premium subsidies, on a sliding scale, for residents in households earning up to 400 percent of the Federal Poverty Level ($82,600 for a family of four).
The associations also urged legislators to deliver on the promises it has made to the people of California before making new ones. "Nearly one million Californians are eligible for, but are not enrolled in, Healthy Families and Medi-Cal. The state needs to prove it can fix this travesty before promising to expand these programs or creating new ones. Yet the most recent budget cut roughly $66 million targeted for this purpose. Making promises is easy. Delivering on them is tough, but making those promises real is what Californians deserve," Katz declared.
The associations' testimony identified several areas where reform is needed, including achieving universal coverage and controlling skyrocketing medical costs. Katz noted that "health insurance premiums directly reflect the cost of medical care" and commended the Governor for proposing ways of reigning in these costs by seeking to leverage technology, improve medical outcomes, promote best practices and expand wellness and prevention programs.
The agent associations took issue with other aspects of the Administration's health care reform plan. "We believe regulators need to have the flexibility to assure a mandated Medical Loss Ratio does not have the unintended consequences of increasing premiums, discouraging competition in the individual market and limiting consumer choice. We believe those receiving state subsidies should not be driven into a state-run purchasing pool, but instead should have the same choices as their non-subsidized neighbors. We believe a minimum benefit package needs to be defined in legislation in order to determine the financial and market impact of the reform package," said Katz.
Katz urged Health Committee members to consider the Healthy Solutions health care reform package developed by CAHU, much of which is supported by NAIFA-California as a way to "improve today's system without destroying what works for so many of your constituents. You'll hear a great deal today about what's wrong with our health care system. We agree with some of these observations, but we also want to point out that Californians enjoy lower premiums and more coverage choices than most Americans."
CAHU and NAIFA-California represent, health and life insurance agents and brokers as well as financial advisors. Their combined memberships include over 7,500 insurance professionals who serve as counselors and advocates for millions of Californians.
Healthy Solutions may be downloaded at http://www.cahuhealthysolutions.org/. For more information, or to arrange an interview with CAHU industry experts, please contact Cynthia Downing at 800/322-5934.
Source: California Association of Health Underwriters
CONTACT: Cynthia Downing, Executive Director of CAHU, 1-800-322-5934
Web site: http://www.cahuhealthysolutions.org/
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