Namaste and happy July!

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(818) 508-7177   |   RightPlan.com

Namaste and Happy July!

For this month's sharing, we are turning the spotlight on to our own Rightplan family! Each of our family of clients has gotten to know the amazing experts who work on delivering the best solutions for our insurance needs, day-in and day-out. This month, they each share a message straight from their desks of expertise.  You never know when these tips might come in handy!

While we don't know how the state of California is going to react to what is happening now with the pandemic and rising case numbers, what we do know is there is always an opportunity to take a deep breath. This recovery is not over yet, and we all must be patient, even though it is incredibly frustrating. If you are lucky enough to be strong right now, remember to support the less fortunate. And if you are feeling vulnerable, have questions, or need guidance, please reach out. The team are here to support you, physically, mentally, and spiritually. We will do everything in our power to help.

If possible, even if you don't travel, try and take some time off, even just for a short time.  The breaks during each day are fundamental to our well-being. Especially during summer, make sure to drink lots of water and light meals. Relax and let go of our daily worries.   

With love,

Naama and the Rightplan / A+  team

From the loving desk of Elayne Serrano

Group Benefits Specialist and mindful community leader

As we approach the middle of summer, now is a great time to review your current employee benefits program and see if there are new options with a different cost for your plan next year. For instance, Anthem’s employers' options 3rd quarter rates decreased, while Blue Shield, Kaiser Permanente along with Covered CA SHOP rates, experienced low increases for the 3rd quarter. We are hoping to see the same for the 4th quarter.

There are several golden opportunities in store for 2022 renewals, including an exciting new collaboration between Oscar & Cigna, which allow you to keep the cost for the Oscar coverage but with a full PPO network under Cigna,  and some excellent news for employer groups renewing soon.   

We are here to share the best conversations and options. Our online enrollment platform through EASE, and Rippling gives us the flexibility to work with many trusted payroll companies. Transactions are easy and inexpensive. Any transition to another carrier is done as smoothly as possible for you.  

E-mail me for a review: [email protected]  or call/text 818-508.7177.   

Sincerely,

Elayne Serrano

From the desk of Dyanne Weiss

RightPlan Medicare Specialist

Are you 64+? We would love to share some important information about Medicare that you might not know. Medicare is more complex than most people realize, so it's best to be prepared before you turn 65. Here are four things that I always advise our clients about:

• New to Medicare, just turning 65? it is now taking longer to enroll in part A&B. Do not wait until right before your 65th birthday – it's best to start the process 4 solids months ahead. Also, if you were born outside the U.S., you will need your date of naturalization and other data, such as your U.S. passport.

• Your prescription drug plan can make a huge difference in your premium costs, and your plan and coverage should be reviewed every year. There are low premium plans that are great for those who don’t take any medications regularly. However, if you take regular prescriptions, particularly insulin, there can be a huge difference in costs between plans. A drug may be in Tier 3 in one plan versus Tier 4 or not covered in another. Formularies prescriptions, tiers, co-payments and your needs can change annually. Be sure to ask us to review your coverage for 2022 in October of 2021.

• We also review Medicare Supplement options for clients. The annual enrollment period for those plans is the 60 days after your birthday. Recent pricing changes have us recommending changes to some clients – keeping the same excellent coverage but from another carrier. Don’t worry, a doctor who accepts Medicare also accepts any supplements, whether from Anthem, Blue Shield, HealthNet or AARP, Cigna.

• Medicare Advantage plans also need reviewing for drug coverage, networks and more. We’d be glad to review those plans in the fall of 2021 as well!

From the desk of Faye Jahangiri

Covered CA Specialist

I hope all is well with our wonderful clients, friends, and families, and you are staying cool this season!

On June 17th, the Supreme Court upheld the ACA, which originally passed in 2010 but faced many challenges. I have been lucky enough to be involved with this program from day 1, with the first enrollments in January 2014.

The ACA has seen some recent improvements coming from the American Rescue Plan. Most importantly for our clients, higher subsidies are now available, even for higher-income families, and the child tax credit that started to roll out on 7/14 will not be considered as part of the Adjusted Gross Income,  the number that Covered CA uses.

This means that you may pay less for your Medical coverage, freeing up some important benefits that you might missed in the past like enrolling in a Life, Disability, and/or Dental plan.

I recently came across this equation while studying for some CE credit to renew my license: Loyalty+Ethics+Competence = Trust.  It is my honor to practice loyalty to you all, and treat each and everyone ethically for all of your healthcare needs.

Wishing you all Health and Happiness😊

From the desk of Omar Oyanguren

RightPlan Travel Specialist

Summer is here! Travel is quickly picking up, but there are several new and different options in the Covid era. My desk is over loaded with so many people who travel. Don't wait until the last minute to buy a policy. Whether for inbound travelers coming to the US, or outbound international vacations, students or expatriates, don't leave home without a policy.

I would love to assist everyone in obtaining the correct required travel policy for your destination.Some world destinations require an accurate travel health policy.  Connect and email me at [email protected] u will need the following information for a quote: 

• Names of travelers

• Dates of birth

• Home zip code

• Countries of citizenship

• Destination and

• Dates of travel

• Do you have medical insurance in CA, are you covered under Medi-Cal ?

• Any special considerations

This information will help me send you the correct quotes.

Good medical coverage when you travel can change your experience. I often see people that need a visa letter (we can provide these), and can also help with coverage for items like tickets cost and cancellations - for those we will need the cost of the trip and the date of purchase. We can customize a plan that works for you!

Summer Travel

While the pandemic prevented most of us from traveling, the desire to take that previously scheduled trip or long-planned vacation hasn’t subsided. With all the cheap flights and vacation deals, you may be thinking that 2021 is finally the right time take that trip of your dreams.

Dreaming is one thing. Feeling ready to book a trip is another. Here are some steps you can take right now to plan a successful international journey.

• Do your research. Refer to agencies such as the Center for Disease Control and U.S. Department of State for the latest guidelines and travel advisories so you can choose your destination wisely, and better understand the requirements for re-entering the U.S.

• Make sure you are covered. Purchasing a short-term international health insurance plan is one of the smartest things you can do to protect both your health and your finances. You may be thinking, “Won’t the health insurance plan I already have be sufficient if I get sick or injured in another country?” The answer is that it probably does not have the right  protection you need when you travel outside the U.S.

• Get familiar with your destination. And get a travel insurance plan that provides a mobile app that you can download before you travel, so you can locate quality providers, view destination profiles, get the latest on any regional safety concerns, and so much more.

There are health insurance plans that are specifically designed for international travel. Some plans that have no deductible and cover important needs like medically necessary evacuations which can cost you thousands of dollars out-of-pocket and are typically not covered by your U.S. medical plan.

At Rightplan, we offer a range of travel insurance plans with flexible cancellation policies, that cover medically necessary COVID-19 testing and treatment, and include telemedicine services for contact less access to care in case you need it.

No matter where you plan to travel, a little preparation can go a long way to getting your international journey on the right foot.

US Chamber of Commerce National Summit on Equality of Opportunity: Moving from Conversations to Real Action

This month, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce held its National Summit on Equality of Opportunity: Moving from Conversations to Real Action, where leaders in the private and public sectors talked about how to bridge the underlying racial divides that contribute to broader, systemic inequalities in our society.

Jason Wright, President, Washington Football Team, spoke about how social change perpetuates itself going forward, and how we can use the markets to drive social impact. In fact, for viable business models in the future, integrating social justice is imperative. It's not only the right thing to do morally and ethically, it's smart business.

Carlos Rangel, Vice President and Chief Investment Officer, W.K. Kellogg Foundation also spoke at the event and talked about the positive impact racial equity has on businesses and how it helps achieve higher economic growth.

I also fully believe that when there is inclusivity in our business models, it will lead to a more productive workforce, which will lead to a boost in our economy.

How amazing and wonderful it would be to give everyone equal access to our resources and if we all lived in harmony with each other.  

Another important reminder: go to the beach, the pool, and feel the sunshine. We can't stop sharing with you enough, drink lots of water, and wear your sunscreen!

🌊  😎  💧 Naama and the Rightplan team!