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.

###

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

Commissioner Stewart Provides Tips and Information for National Fire Prevention Week
Dover, DE–Insurance Commissioner Karen Weldin Stewart recommends that all Delaware residents take a few minutes this week to test their smoke alarms, review fire escape plans with their families, and ensure that they have the proper insurance coverage in case their home catches fire. October 5 through 11 is Fire Prevention Week and this year’s theme is Smoke Alarms Save Lives: Test Yours Every Month.

Various data suggests that fires cause almost $4 billion in property damage and around 3,500 deaths each year in the U.S. So far in 2014, five people in the state of Delaware have died in fires. According to the National Fire Protection Association, NFPA, almost 60% of reported home fire deaths that occurred between 2007 and 2011 resulted from fires in home with no smoke or alarms or alarms that were not working. The NFPA says that working smoke alarms can cut the risk of dying in a home fire in half.

It’s recommended that you replace the batteries in your smoke alarms twice a year. Most people find it easy to remember to replace the batteries in the spring and fall when you change your clocks for daylight savings time. Smoke alarms should be installed on every level of the home and inside each bedroom. Smoke alarms should also be replaced every ten years.

Every home, with the various types of heating and cooking equipment available, poses its own risk. It’s important to discuss various hazards with your children and to create a fire escape plan for your family that you practice at least annually—during the day and night is ideal.

“Simple measures like keeping fire extinguishers in your home, especially one that is rated for grease fires in the kitchen, can make the difference between a burned cabinet and a burned-down home,” says Commissioner Stewart. “Chimney fires are also quite common in homes where people use fireplaces and woodstoves regularly. Now is a great time to hire a professional chimney sweep to inspect and clean your chimney, if necessary. The old saying that ‘an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure’ applies to all of these situations.”

We all know that a fire has the potential to destroy your entire home and everything inside of it but even a small fire can have a huge impact on your home and belongings. It’s essential that you have the proper insurance coverage to protect yourself from devastating losses—whether you own your home or rent. Renters should be aware that a landlord’s insurance coverage does not extend to your personal belongings. The proper insurance coverage can help pay for you to live in another location while your home or apartment is being cleaned or repaired.

When it comes to replacing all of the items in your home that have been damaged or destroyed in a fire the process will be much faster if you have previously completed a home inventory. The Delaware Department of Insurance offers a free home inventory PDF that you can print and fill out as well as a link to a free app for smartphones called MyHome Scr.APP.book. It’s important to keep duplicate copies of important forms in a fire-proof safe, another location outside your home, or saved electronically to your e-mail or online storage account.

For more information about Fire Prevention Week visit www.nfpa.org/safety-information/fire-prevention-week. Parents, teachers and other educators can find great resources for kids at www.sparky.org. For more information about insurance and to find home inventory resources please visit the DOI website: http://www.delawareinsurance.gov/

###

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.

 ###

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.”

Insurance Commissioner Urges Use of Stop-Smoking Programs

Commissioner Stewart advises consumers who want to quit tobacco use to
check with employers and insurers about stop-smoking services and benefits

Dover, DE–Smokers in Delaware who need help quitting smoking should check their insurance policies for coverage of stop-smoking programs and tobacco cessation medications/products.

Insurance Commissioner Karen Weldin Stewart recommends that people who want to stop smoking check with their health insurance companies or employers regarding coverage for smoking cessation services. The Commissioner signed a departmental bulletin Friday urging insurers domiciled in Delaware to offer stop-smoking coverage.

“Both of my parents were heavy smokers, and their lives ended too soon,” said the Commissioner, whose father died at age 49. “So this issue is important to me.”

In May, the U.S. Departments of Health and Human Services, Labor and Treasury announced that most health insurance policies and employer health plans should cover tobacco use interventions and counseling. The policies may not result in out-of-pocket costs for consumers or require prior authorization.

An insurance plan is considered to be in compliance with this requirement if it covers both screening for tobacco use and, for those who use tobacco products, at least two tobacco cessation attempts per year.

Each cessation attempt consists of four sessions of telephone, individual or group cessation counseling lasting at least 10 minutes each per quit attempt (including telephone counseling, group counseling and individual counseling). An attempt also includes FDA-approved tobacco cessation medications (including both prescription and over-the-counter medications) for a 90 day treatment regimen when prescribed by a health care provider.

“Everyone who wishes to stop smoking should speak to their insurance company or employer to learn about specific smoking cessation benefits provided under their policy,” said Commissioner Stewart. “Some health plans may offer additional smoking cessation services and programs beyond what the federal government suggests.”

###

For more information: Jerry Grant 302-674-7303

Dover, DE–Insurance Commissioner Karen Weldin Stewart announced today that she has named Jerry Grant as the Communications Director for the Department of Insurance.

“I’ve known Jerry for many years, and his communications skills and knowledge of the way the Legislature works will help us get the Department’s message out more effectively” said Stewart. “We were lucky to get him.”

Grant spent nine years with the Democratic Caucus in the State House of Representatives, the last two as Deputy Chief of Staff. Since February he has served as the analyst for the bipartisan Joint Sunset Committee in the General Assembly. He is a graduate of Salesianum School and the University of Delaware, and obtained a Juris Doctorate from Widener University School of Law in 1999. He practiced as an attorney in Pennsylvania and New Jersey before starting work in the House in 2005.

Grant has experience with implementation of the Affordable Care Act and with professional licensing practices, both concerns of the Department. “I’m anxious to get the word out about the good things the Department is doing right now, and help shape their plans for the future,” he said.

Grant served three terms on Newark City Council from 1994-2000 and was a candidate for state representative from the Newark area in 2012. He has also hosted a popular radio show on UD’s WVUD 91.3FM for 34 years.

For more information, please visit the DOI website: http://www.delawareinsurance.gov/

###

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