News & Updates

New York Regulation 194 Requires Agents to Disclose Compensation

Effective Jan. 1, 2011, New York Regulation 194—“Producer Compensation Transparency”—requires insurance agents to disclose compensation details to clients.

New Florida Annuity Law Limits Surrender Charges, Affects Annexus Products

Florida law FL S 2176 goes into effect January 1, 2011 and limits surrender charges on the annuity products insurance carriers can issue to “Senior consumers.”

National Guardian Introduces Premium Calculator for Mobile Devices

National Guardian has introduced a new premium calculator for the Asset Guard product that is formatted for mobile devices. Run quotes anywhere with your phone.

Means Testing for Part D Premiums

Starting in 2011, Part D enrollees whose incomes exceed $85,000 (for individuals) or $170,000 (for joint tax returns) will pay more for their Part D premium.

CMS Star Ratings a BIG Deal in 2012

CMS announced that it will create a Special Election Period that allows Medicare beneficiaries to enroll in 5-star MA plans at any point during the year.

Global Accident Protection 24/7

The Global Accident Protection 24/7 plan fills in where other plans do not, ensuring coverage in the case of an accident.

eCareDiary.com Provides Online Tools and Resources to Long-Term Caregivers

eCareDiary.com provides comprehensive information, tools and resources to help those seeking and providing long-term care.

LIMRA: Half of U.S. Households Say They Need More Life Insurance

According to a recent survey by LIMRA, almost 8 in 10 American households do not have a life insurance agent or broker, and most of them say they never did.

New Pharmacy Saver Program From UnitedHealthcare

UnitedHealthcare is announcing Pharmacy Saver, a new enhancement available to both our Prescription Drug plan members and our MA-PD members.

Forbes Piece Smears Indexed Annuities

Fixed Indexed Annuities are under attack once again in the financial media.

Annual Disenrollment Period

The Health Care Reform bill eliminated the OEP and replaced it with an Annual Disenrollment Period (ADP) that runs from January 1 to February 14.

When, What, and Why to Buy Travel Insurance

Dan Drennen, director of Senior Market Sales' travel insurance division, offers a glimpse into why he bought travel insurance this week.

CMS Marketing Violations: A Cautionary Tale

In case you need a reminder that CMS is always watching, see last week’s announcement of CMS sanctions on three Medicare health and drug plan sponsors.

Indexed Annuities Raise the Bar With Third Quarter Sales

Indexed annuity sales for the third quarter totaled $8.7 billion, up 6% from last quarter and, with one more quarter to go, are on pace for a record year.

November Is Long-Term Care Awareness Month

November is designated as national Long-Term Care Awareness Month to build awareness for the type of care needed by those with a chronic illness or disability.