Peter Lemieux Agency's Blog

SUPREME COURT TO HEAR CHALLENEGE TO HEALTHCARE LAW

Peter Lemieux — Sat, 19 Nov 2011 06:32:24 +0000

On Monday November 14, the Supreme Court agreed to hear a challenge to the Healthcare overhaul Law. Oral arguments are to be heard in March with a decision in the Summer of 2012.

The Court has scheduled five and one half hours of arguments rather than the usual one. The major issue is an Appeals Court decision saying the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act saying that the law overstepped Congressional authority and could not be justified by the constitutional power to “regulate commerce”.

The Supreme Court agreed to hear not only if the mandate is constitutional but how much of the balance of the law must follow it. Both sides expressed confidence that they would win.

The impending decision will go a long way to deciding if and how much of the law will actually take effect.

With a lot of this Law, Americans have been in a “wait and see’ position. Will people be required to own Health Insurance? Will Employers be required to purchase Health Insurance for all of their Employees? What kinds of policies will be available and what will be the cost?

Stay tuned but in the meantime keep your policies in force.

MEDICARE TIME

Peter Lemieux — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 01:12:41 +0000

For senior citizens who use Medicare Advantage Plans we are coming up to a very important season. From October 15 until December 7, they can disenroll and return to regular Medicare, change to another advantage plan with the same or another company. If people are not on an Advantage Plan they can join one at this time.

This year, like every year, the Advantage Plans are all changing. Our seniors will receive truckloads of mail, emails, and witness all kinds of television and radio advertising. What they really need is an educated honest person to answer their questions.

If you are friends or related to a Senior Citizen overwhelmed by all of this, please feel free to recommend that they call Peter Lemieux at 602-770-2226.

IMPORTANT EMPLOYEE BENEFIT

Peter Lemieux — Thu, 23 Jun 2011 23:27:03 +0000

HOUSE – INSURED : CAR – INSURED : LIFE – INSURED : WAGES – OH, NO!

The Wage Guard Solution

http://peterlagency.com/wage-guard-solution/

IMPORTANT EMPLOYEE BENEFIT

Peter Lemieux — Thu, 23 Jun 2011 23:21:28 +0000

HOUSE – INSURED : CAR – INSURED : LIFE – INSURED : WAGES – OH, NO!

The Wage Guard Solution

http://peterlagency.com/wage-guard-solution/

ANNUITIES! WHAT ARE THEY?

Peter Lemieux — Sat, 18 Jun 2011 21:47:28 +0000

Annuities are being purchased in record amounts. Why is this happening?
http://peterlagency.com/annuities-what-are-they/

40% RATE REDUCTION FOR THE UNINSURED

Peter Lemieux — Tue, 31 May 2011 22:53:21 +0000

The Federal Government announced on Tuesday May 31 that they are reducing rates for their guaranteed insurance in Arizona by 40%.
This comes after months with very low participation in the program.

To qualify for the plan, the applicant needs to meet two criteria. First, they must be uninsurable and second they must have been without insurance for 6 months.

If this sounds like someone you know, they could benefit from the lower rates which will take effect on July 1. The website for information on the plan is

http://www.health.gov/

KEEPING PEOPLE INFORMED ON HEALTH CARE CHANGES

http://www.peterlagency.com

Drastically drop the cost of your Company’s Health Plan

Peter Lemieux — Thu, 19 May 2011 21:36:03 +0000

http://peterlagency.com/health-reimbursement-a/

Concerned about Health Reform? Pay attention to Vermont

Peter Lemieux — Thu, 19 May 2011 17:32:19 +0000

The State of Vermont has taken steps to offer single payer coverage to all of their citizens. If the bill passes, and is signed by the Governor (both expected) then passes approval of the Health Care reform law, starting in 2015 all citizens of Vermont will be covered by Green Mountain Care, the State Health Plan.

Apparently nobody will need to purchase Health Insurance, as everyone will be covered by the State.

Here is what needs to be constructed. What is the level of benefits? How much will insureds have to pay for Doctor Visits, Prescriptions, and Hospital Visits etc.? It is realistic to expect that benefits will be income triggered. That is to say the poor will not be required to pay much while income earners will have some other level of responsibility.

How much will it cost and more importantly how will it be paid? Costs are argued, as the benefits haven’t been set up. The price of this program will be paid by taxes or required fees (another word for taxes). It is safe to assume that Employers will pay some and the rest will come from taxpaying individuals. It could come in the form of State taxes, property taxes, sales taxes or a combination of all three.

Will Doctors flee or stay? Jury is out on that one but a lot will depend on the level of compensation for procedures. It will have to be significantly more than Medicare or there will be a physician exodus.

Reading tea leaves is always imprecise, but right now it looks like the State of Vermont will launch the social experiment of universal single payer health care. Will it end up like Canada, with long waits and very high taxes? Will it be the relief and help that citizens need? Let’s wait and see.

For my friends with serious illness issues and restricted income, they might be looking at some way to establish Vermont residency. Imagine that many sick and financially strapped people established residency in Vermont. That would give them a higher percentage of claims without the payments. This could only drive the cost up. Will businesses and property owners in Vermont move out to avoid the taxes? That would create more cost exposure for the people who stay in the State.

Social experiments are always interesting. Like many well intended efforts, this one could be a financially ticking time bomb for the Green Mountain State. Stay tuned.

HEALTH REFORM

Peter Lemieux — Tue, 29 Mar 2011 22:28:24 +0000

Since the passing of Health Reform, we have seen these results.

19 - States where parents can no longer buy child-only insurance policies as a result of the law

30 - States suing to block the law from taking effect, or requesting waivers from its requirements

1,270 - New bureaucrats requested by the Internal Revenue Service to implement the law this year

$2,100 - Increase in individual insurance premiums due to Reform, according to the Congressional Budget Office

$2,500 - Premium reduction promised by candidate Obama “by the end of my first term as President”

6,578 - Pages of new regulations issued implementing Reform through March 14, 2011

2,624,720 - Total individuals in 1,040 plans granted waivers thus far exempting them from the law’s insurance mandates; nearly half of whom participate in union plans

7,400,000 - Reduction in Medicare Advantage enrollment as a result of Reform, resulting in a loss of choice for seniors and millions of beneficiaries losing their current health plan

40,000,000 - Firms subject to the health law’s new 1099 reporting requirements, which the National Federation of Independent Business called a “tremendous new paperwork compliance burden”

$118,000,000,000 - New costs imposed on states to implement Reform-budgetary costs that will lead to reduced services for other state programs like education or to higher state taxes

$310,800,000,000 - Projected increase in health costs due to Reform, according to the independent Medicare actuary, who called its promise of lower costs “false, more so than true”

$552,200,000,000 - Amount of higher taxes Americans will pay if Reform remains in place

$1,390,000,000,000 -Federal spending on new entitlements during fiscal years 2012-2021 according to the CBO, a 48% increase from an earlier estimate

RELATIONSHIPS COUNT

Peter Lemieux — Wed, 06 Oct 2010 06:20:54 +0000

Do people depend on you?

Are there people you love who depend on your income? Are there business partners or employers who depend on your productive efforts?

You can GUARANTEE their confidence in you. For mere pennies on a dollar you GUARANTEE income in the event of death or disability. Surveys show that people do not carry enough life insurance to pay their debts let alone provide an income for people who depend on it. The same surveys show that most people do not have disability insurance.

Unlike the National Financial crisis, this problem has a simple and affordable solution. It only takes a decision to truly provide for those who depend on you. This is done because our relationships really do count.