DOVER, DE – The Holidays are quickly approaching and most people have already begun shopping, decorating or planning a trip to see family or friends over the coming weeks. Take some time today to review your insurance coverage and to ensure that you, your family, and your home are prepared for the colder weather and other perils that occur more frequently during this time of the year.

Holiday gatherings for most people include indulging in great food and drinks. With all of that extra cooking and baking going on there’s just more potential for a fire. According to the Insurance Information Institute, the average home fire claim costs $34,306. A claim after a fire would likely be lower for renters, since they are only insuring the contents of their rented home or apartment, but many renters do not realize that their belongings are likely not covered by their landlord’s insurance.

While the kitchen remains the number one place where fires start in the home, holiday decorations and space heaters greatly increase the chances for fires if you aren’t careful. Never leave candles or space heaters unattended and keep them away from flammable objects. If you have a live Christmas tree, be sure to water it often. Get rid of old strings of lights that get hot and could cause a fire. According to statistics from Allstate Insurance, the median cost for a home fire caused by a Christmas tree is more than $100,000! Christmas trees burn hot and fast, so a tiny spark can become a huge fire in mere minutes. When plugging in lights and decorations outside, do not overload outlets or use substandard extension cords.

Allstate Insurance found that theft claims went up by 7 percent during the holidays, which makes sense since our houses and cars are often filled with expensive gifts. When shopping, keep gifts in your car out of sight and, when possible, schedule package deliveries for times when you will be home. Some people send deliveries to their workplace so they can sign for, and accept, deliveries during the work day.

Be sure to notify your insurance company if you buy high-value items, like jewelry, art or electronics. There are usually limits on how much the policy will pay for specific categories of items. If an item is worth a lot of money you should ask your agent about scheduling an endorsement (also referred to as a “rider”) to better protect your investment should an item be stolen or damaged in a fire, etc.

In today’s world of Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, remember that it’s not always a good idea to overshare the details of when your family will be away visiting Grandma. Don’t make it easy on thieves to come steal presents bought with your hard-earned money.

If you’re hosting a party, remember to serve alcohol responsibly and do not let intoxicated friends or family drive home. When the weather brings snow and ice be sure to clear sidewalks and put down salt or de-icer, if necessary. Homeowners and renters insurance policies both provide liability coverage if someone is injured on your property, but know the limits of your policy.

Don’t forget that it’s also open enrollment time for health insurance plans on the Health Insurance Marketplace (Healthcare.gov). All plans purchased through the Marketplace will expire on December 31, 2014, no matter when your coverage began in 2014. If you would like to re-enroll, change plans or sign up for health insurance for the first time you can do so until February 15, 2015. However, anyone who wants a plan to be effective starting on January 1, 2015, needs to sign up or re-enroll by December 15, 2014. For more information about your health insurance options visit www.choosehealthde.com or www.healthcare.gov.

If you have health insurance through your employer your open enrollment period may be going on now, or may begin soon. Pay close attention to the deadlines and be sure to give yourself plenty of time to review your options. There’s much more to consider than the monthly premium alone. Make sure you review the deductible; sometimes paying a little more in premiums will make for a much lower deductible.

If you are traveling, be sure to take your health insurance information with you. Always keep a record of your medications, and if you’re flying, it’s usually safer to keep medicine in your carry-on since luggage can sometimes be lost for days—if not forever. Remember, if you need to seek medical care and you’re out-of-network you will likely be subject to higher co-pays and/or deductibles. If you need medical care for a non-emergency issue find a local urgent care clinic or medical aid unit, which will typically be cheaper than an ER visit.

For more information about insurance visit www.delawareinsurance.gov

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For more information: Jerry Grant 302-674-7303

Two Additional Health Insurance Plans Now Available on the Marketplace

 Commissioner Stewart Announces Federal Renewal of Highmark Multi-State Options

 DOVER, DE–Insurance Commissioner Karen Weldin Stewart is pleased to announce that the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, OPM, has certified two multi-state health plans to be sold on the Delaware Health Insurance Marketplace for Plan Year 2015. OPM advised the Commissioner that contracts have been signed with the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, on behalf of its local plans, to renew two additional health insurance options under the federal Multi-State Plan Program.

The two plans increase the number of plans offered on the 2015 Marketplace to 25, four more than this year’s choices. Multi-state plans may be sold only through the Health Insurance Marketplace and must include the essential health benefits offered on all Marketplace plans. Enrollees in Multi-State Plans are eligible for the same income-based savings as enrollees in other Marketplace plans.

All 25 plans are available until the close of open enrollment, February 15, 2015. If you want coverage to begin on January 1, 2015, you must enroll or re-enroll in a plan by December 15, 2014.  For more information, go to www.choosehealthde.com.

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For more information contact Jerry Grant at 302-674-7303

 (DOVER, DE) – Insurance Commissioner Karen Weldin Stewart today released Delaware’s Qualified Health Plan (QHP) rates for Plan Year 2015.  The Commissioner submitted the rates to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) in August and CMS approved the rates yesterday.

The rate chart includes a comparison of 2015 rates with 2014, and can be found at http://www.delawareinsurance.gov/health-reform/DEMarketplace.shtml

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 Our Mission: “Protecting Delawareans through regulation and education

while providing oversight of the insurance industry to best serve the public.”

It’s Time to Think about Your Health Coverage

Whether you’re covered under Medicare, or don’t have any health insurance at all,
the time to review your health coverage is fast approaching

DOVER, DE–If you are unhappy with your health insurance coverage, or don’t have any at all,Delaware Insurance Commissioner Karen Weldin Stewart wants to alert you to two important sets of dates coming up soon.

October 15 through December 7 is the time for Medicare Open Enrollment.  It’s the time when all people with Medicare are encouraged to review their current health and prescription drug coverage, including any changes in costs, coverage, and benefits that will take effect next year.

Call the Delaware Medicare Assistance Bureau, DMAB, at 1-800-336-9500 for help with all of your questions related to Medicare and Medicare prescription drug plans, such as Part D. You can also get information on DMAB’s website, www.delawareinsurance.gov/DMAB. Staff and trained volunteers are available to meet with Medicare recipients at various locations throughout each county to review your current prescriptions and options in-person.

If you want to change your Medicare coverage for next year, this is the time to do it. If you’re satisfied that your current coverage will continue to meet your needs for next year, you don’t need to do anything. Staff members are also able to help with questions about Medicare Advantage plans.

If you are not on Medicare and need health insurance, November 15 through February 15 is the open enrollment period for the Health Insurance Marketplace at www.HealthCare.gov.  If you need to enroll in a plan, or review your current plan and options, visit www.ChooseHealthDE.com to get connected to free, local help from a trained Marketplace Guide. Help is also available by phone at 1-800-318-2596 (this number connects to a national call center).

Many individuals and their families will qualify for federal subsidies to help lower health insurance premiums. Talk to a Marketplace Guide or set up an account on Healthcare.gov to get more information about plans and coverage available, as well as costs and subsidies.

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Delaware Department of Insurance: “Protecting Delawareans through regulation and
education while providing oversight of the insurance industry to best serve the public.”

Commissioner Stewart Reduces Highmark Rate Requests

 Rates on small employer individual grandfathered plans affect 3,300 Delawareans

Dover, DE – Insurance Commissioner Karen Weldin Stewart announced today that she has reduced to 9.9% a request from Highmark BlueCross BlueShield for a health rate increases on small employer grandfathered individual plans.

Highmark filed requests for increases in the rates for nine plans.  Four of the plans requested an increase of 17.6%. Five additional plans sought a 15% hike. After reviewing the filings and taking into account the interests of consumers, Commissioner Stewart reduced the amount approved to 9.9% for 8 plans and refused to grant one plan any increase at all.

The rates go into effect immediately and affect approximately 3,300 Delawareans.

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For more information: 

Jerry Grant 302-674-7303

For more information about the Delaware Department of Insurance visit www.delawareinsurance.gov.

Our mission: “Protecting Delawareans through regulation and education while providing oversight of the insurance industry to best serve the public.”