Lawley Insurance

Author: Chuck Allesi

  • Choosing a Medicare Insurance Option – The 5 Things You MUST Know!

    Choosing a Medicare Insurance Option – The 5 Things You MUST Know!

    Medicare Insurance can be complicated. At Lawley, we have developed a team of professionals to help you find, and enroll you in the Medicare insurance option that are best fits the needs of you and your family.

    Read below to understand the top 5 things you need to know when choosing a Medicare insurance option for your and your family.

    1. What is Medicare insurance?

    Medicare insurance is a federal health insurance program for Americans ages 65 and older, as well as those with certain disabilities. Through a combination of its four key parts, Medicare covers many health care costs for those enrolled.

    2. What are the four parts of Medicare insurance?

    Medicare insurance is broken into four parts: A, B, C & D.

    • Part A – Hospital insurance and covers costs associated with confinement in a hospital or skilled nursing facility.
    • Part B -Medical Insurance and covers physician services, outpatient care, tests, and supplies.
    • Part C – This is also known as Medicare Advantage Plan. It is an alternative program to Parts A & B offered by approved private insurance companies. These plans often include prescription and drug coverage and other benefits like vision or dental coverage. These plans usually have a network of providers who provide care at a lower cost to the enrolled participants.
    • Part D – Medicare D is an optional prescription drug plan offered by approved private insurers. These plans designate covered drugs and the pharmacies where you can get them, and vary from plan to plan.

    3. Are there other options for Medicare insurance?

    Medicare Supplement insurance options, offered by approved insurers, cover co-pays and deductibles that Parts A & B do not. They are accepted by any doctor who accepts Medicare assignments.

    4. What is the cost of Medicare?

    Lawley’s team of  Medicare & Individual Health Insurance Consultants will help you decide on the plan that best fits your needs, including your budget. Any associated costs will be determined once a plan is decided upon together.

    5. How do I go about choosing a Medicare insurance option that is right for me?

    The team at Lawley Medicare Solutions can discuss and provide knowledge on all aspects of Medicare insurance, including the many moving parts and enrollment processes. They can also help you understand changes with premiums, benefits & coverages, drug tiers & formulary, Medicare insurance deductibles, and life events (income, health, Rx).

    To discuss your options, call us at 716.849.8223 TTY- 711 or contact us here.

    We do not offer every plan available. Currently we represent eight organizations which offer 60 products. Please contact Medicare.gov, 1-800-MEDICARE, or your local State Health Insurance Program (SHIP) to get information on all of your options. We are a non-government entity.
  • Could HR Professionals be the Key to Saving Your Organization Money?

    Could HR Professionals be the Key to Saving Your Organization Money?

    Human Resources departments are essentially the administrative eyes and ears of a company, providing direction for employees when it comes to “what” working at an organization should look like. However, they are also some of the most statistically overused teams – stretched thin on a daily basis. They contribute to huge tasks including effective management of payroll, employee benefits, employee retention, and remaining in compliance with federal and state regulations. Without the HR department, your company could very well fall apart from the inside out.

    At first, it may not seem like there are many options to ease the workload being placed on Human Resources professionals. But, with advancing technology and alternative strategies, saving time and alleviating stress to this critical department isn’t just on the horizon, you can actually begin an implementation process right now. Here are a few examples of how to get started:

    How Can Your HR Team Save Time with a Benefits Marketplace?

    If your HR team hasn’t transitioned to a benefits marketplace, it’s time to reconsider. The marketplace approach to benefits will give your employees the ability to personalize their benefits packages. With the allowance given, they can choose what they need and skip what they don’t. Additionally, they can opt for payroll deductions for added benefits such as vision and dental.

    The selection process takes place online and employees are able to explore and choose the options on their own time. When they have updates and changes, for the most part they are able to submit those changes with little effort from your HR team. If every update is a 30 minute appointment for your HR professionals and you have over 200 employees, you could save your HR department at least 100 hours a year. Open enrollment is always chaotic for HR; a marketplace massively reduces the strain on their resources. As an added bonus, this paperless practice helps reduce the carbon footprint of your company.

    Can a Self-Funded Employee Benefits Plan Help Your HR Team?

    Usually, traditional employee benefits (paying a fixed premium for the year based on number of employees) seems like the ONLY option for many HR teams and organizations. However, there are alternative options that may appeal to organizations trying to create efficiencies and save money.

    Captives are a great way to switch from traditional employee benefits to a form of alternative or self-funding. They are like-minded groups who come together financially with the same set of goals in order to make the lives of their employees better. HR managers and team members are asked to participate in group forums with managers from other companies in the captive. During these meetings, ideas and philosophies are shared and Human Resources teams are able to benefit from what other companies are doing.

    Also, this type of employee benefits program helps HR professionals make a difference in their organization. This shared sense of creating a program together alleviates stress amongst HR teams in the captive program and gives them a constant support system.

    Does Your HR Team Have Time to Implement Corporate Wellness Programs?

    The most obvious return on investment (ROI) employers identify with is money saved or money earned. While wellness in the workplace can reduce insurance premiums for employers and out-of-pocket costs for employees, there’s a bigger picture to explore here.

    Happier, healthier employees who are actively engaged by wellness initiatives are turning up ROIs that add up on several levels. Companies with effective initiatives can expect greater productivity, less unscheduled paid time off, and increased employee retention and satisfaction.

    However, wellness programs are not instant initiatives that happen overnight. Instead, your HR team will bear the brunt of the work to put these wellness workshops into place. Thus, it is critical to implement technology that will assist your HR department as your wellness program grows. Currently, there are many wellness partners who have online-based platforms, allowing employees to log health scores, fitness, and nicotine-free lifestyles. When the HR department utilizes this technology, the time spent “hands-on” is less frequent.

    How Can Lawley Help?

    From employee benefit marketplaces, to self-insurance, alternative funding and captives, to implementing corporate wellness programs, Lawley Employee Benefits & Technology is here to support and assist your in-house HR team. Our practice group, comprised of 100+ employee benefits professionals, can get your organization on board with everything from transitioning to innovate employee benefit options to implementing technologically advanced wellness initiatives.