Insurance explained

INSURANCE PRODUCTS WE OFFER

Health Insurance
Life Insurance
Disability Insurance
Long Term Healthcare
Medicare Supplement
Dental Insurance
Cancer Policies
Burial Policies
Additional Services

HEALTH INSURANCE

Affordable Heath Insurance?
If you're paying too much for your Health Insurance, or you are unhappy with your current plan or service that you are getting, allow Denton and Associates to provide you with a proposal for a quality, affordable health plan. We are a full service Health Insurance Agency representing several "Excellent" rated insurance companies, specializing in "Low Cost" health insurance for the individual and family as well as a small or large business.

Individual & Family Health Insurance
If you're one of the 40 million Americans without health insurance - or the millions more who are looking for better coverage -we can help. Individual health insurance is for people who either don't have insurance through their employer or need to supplement the insurance they do have. Individual and family coverage is generally available for anyone not covered by Medicare.
Get a free health insurance quote today!

Small or Large Business Health Insurance
Are you a small business owner looking to provide health insurance to your employees? Group health plans are designed for companies with as little as 2 employees, and are a valuable recruiting and retention tool for employers. Costs are generally shared with the employee and may be more reasonable than you might expect.
Get a free group health insurance quote today!

OTHER SERVICES at No Cost to you.....

Group Presentations
At enrollment time, presentation meeting will be held to meet the employer times frame --- meetings can be scheduled to keep to a minimum lost time from work

Billing Assistance
An associate will come to the employers place of business to assist the billing clerk on any billing problems they may have

Individual claim Assistance
Each individual will be given a business card with Denton and associates local phone number, our toll free nationwide 800 phone number as well as our fax number and encouraged to call for any help prior to using their insurance or for any dispute or claim problem encountered in the use of their insurance

Personal Service
Physical pick up of new applications out side of start up If needed, an associate can be sent per a request by the employer to the employers place of business to enroll any new employee after initial enrollment.

Group Meetings
If necessary, an associate will hold additional follow up meetings with the employees as requested by the employer. The meeting can be held at the employers place of business.

The intention of these no cost service items is to lessen the work of the employer, helping the employer save time and money on any business conducted through Denton and Associates.

LIFE INSURANCE

What is it for?
Believe it or not insurance is an expense and should be treated as such. No benefits should be paid unless the person/object insured has been disabled/burnt/died/destroyed etc. Then at that time the insuring company will pay the amount to either put it back as it was, pay to the beneficiary in case of death or pay disability benefits when the work life can not be performed. Insurance should never be used for a so called "saving" plan.

Do I have enough?
There are many formulas for coming up with a figure upon the death of a person. Using these thoughts should help.

Death benefits in the early years should be used as a paycheck replacement covering responsibilities left behind such as debt, college for the children, cost of home and transportation, etc.

In the later years life insurance could possibly be for burial expenses or death benefits can be used by the estate to either pay taxes or hand down to your heirs.

What type of insurance should I have?

Permanent insurance......costs more but lasts until the day you die. May be cheaper in the long run.

Term insurance......costs less, usually runs for a period of I to 30 years. It should be used for things that have a certain time frame attached to them such as children going to college, home loans, debts, etc.

Term increasingly gets higher at the end of every term period. If the saving isn't done to offset the higher cost of the term insurance, it normally becomes unaffordable in the later years. Most basic financial plans use a combination of term and permanent insurance.

So, who needs life insurance?
The classic argument to avoid life insurance runs, "If I die, why do I need money?" You don't......but your family your business or your favorite charity might. So anyone with dependents, human or otherwise, might need life insurance. Of course, if you don't need to protect anyone else, insurance is not a wise way to spend money. The only problem is that when you pass away, you will never know the problems that you left your loved ones in. They can either live as was planned or struggle for the rest of their life.
Get a free life insurance quote today!

Get a free group life insurance quote today!

DISABILITY INSURANCE

The most important insurance today for the working man or woman. We have a tendency to insure our car, our home, our boats but not insure the most important thing we have. The ability to work and earn a living. Disability insurance allows you to draw an income when you are not able to work.

Broken leg? Bad back?
You might not think of a broken bone, or an anxiety condition as disabling, but either of them could keep you out of work. About 30 percent of Americans age 35 to 65 will suffer a disability lasting at least 90 days sometime during their careers, according to the Health Insurance Association of America.

Should you ever need the protection a disability policy can offer, you'll be glad you took financial precautions. Without coverage, an unexpected disability can easily drive you into serious debt, possibly bankruptcy.

"Unless you're independently wealthy, you need insurance if you stand a chance to lose your income because of a disability," said David Woods, president of the Life and Health Insurance Foundation for Education.

Do you need it?
Most people say, I don't need disability coverage -- I've already got it through work. But most company-issued disability insurance only provides you with 60 percent of your salary and sets a monthly maximum of $5,000 to $10,000, which can be even less than 60 percent of a highly compensated employee's salary.

But here's the problem: Those benefits are also fully taxable, which means you're actually getting a lot less than 60 percent of what you're used to. You could easily find yourself trying to survive on about 40 percent of your salary -- or less, if you're a high wage earner -- if you don't buy a supplemental policy.
Get a free disability insurance quote today!

Get a free group disability insurance quote today!

LONG TERM CARE HEALTH INSURANCE

What is Long Term Care Insurance?
Long term care insurance can provide for a wide variety of services designed to help the chronically ill person compensate for limitations in their ability to function independently. These are for costs outside the hospital which your health plan covers.

Some services typically covered by LTC Insurance include:
Assistance with ADL's (Activities of Daily Living) • Bathing • Dressing • Eating • Transferring • Toileting • Continence and In-continence • Home Health Care-Adult Day Care • Respite Care • Assisted Living Care • Nursing Home Care

How does long term care insurance work?
Under a long term care policy, you receive a daily benefit to cover the cost of a nursing home stay or skilled or custodial care in your home. Generally, your benefits are paid when you are unable to handle the normal activities of daily living. You can also receive benefits if you suffer a cognitive impairment such as Alzheimer's disease.

Why Do You Need Long Term Care Insurance?

People are living longer
The graying of America is evident in the statistics that most people who are alive today will live to be age 85 or older. Increased age comes with increased odds that you may require Nursing Home Care (49% of all people reaching age 65 in the U.S. will spend some time in a nursing home*) or Home Health Care (75% of elderly living today rely on family and friends for informal at home care"). Elder care will replace child care as the #1 dependent care issue in the next century because I out of 3 workers will be caring for an aging family member.

Lack of Government Assistance
Medicaid was enacted to provide health care services for the impoverished of our nation. Recent legislation has made it extremely difficult for a person of modest means to qualify for Medicaid benefits by gifting or otherwise disposing of personal assets for less than fair market value. Even gifts to one's spouse do not help, since the combined assets of couples must fall within the eligibility levels. These levels range from a minimum of about $15,000 to a maximum of about $75,000 and are selected by each state. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) provided for additional restrictions. Effective January 1, 1997, federal law imposes criminal penalties on anyone who knowingly disposes of assets in order to become eligible for Medicaid, if disposing of the assets results in the imposition of a period of ineligibility for Medicaid benefits.

To Protect Your Assets
Long Term Health Care insurance can help pay the costs that ordinarily would come from your savings or other assets that you have accrued. Small premiums to ward off catastrophic expenditures relating to home health or nursing home care.

Independence
Long term Health Care allows you in most instances to stay home longer, pick out friends or neighbors who you know to help you while needing help at home and allows you the choice of what nursing home facility you would like to reside in.

How does Long Term Care compare to other common risks?
For every 1,000 people...
5 will have a House Fire ..... Average loss is $3,428
70 will have an Auto Accident ..... Average loss is $3,000
600 will need Long Term Care ..... Average cost is $50,000-$80,000 /yr.
Source: House Fire & Auto Accident/Society of Actuaries, 1995-, Long Term Care/HIAA, 1994. Agency for Health Care Planning and Research

What about Medicaid and Medicare? Won't they cover my expenses?
Unfortunately, you probably can't rely completely on government programs like Medicaid and Medicare for help. These programs can be hard to qualify for and they only provide limited coverage for long term care costs. For example, Medicare only pays for up to 100 days of nursing home care - and you have to be hospitalized before you can qualify for the benefits. The best protection against the escalating cost of long term care is your plan for the future.

Could I make it on my savings?
For most people, the answer is no. Even if you have an emergency fund, today's medical costs and your living expenses can quickly exhaust your savings. What's more important, you may need your savings to pay your other day-to-day expenses.

Get a free long term care insurance quote today!

Get a free group long term care insurance quote today!

MEDICARE SUPPLEMENTS

If Medicare doesn't cover all your medical bills, you may want to supplement that coverage with Medicare supplement insurance. It can help you keep out-of-pocket costs down by paying some of the expenses Medicare doesn't.

What is covered by Medicare
Medicare has two parts:

1. Part A (Hospital Insurance) helps pay for:

Inpatient hospital care,
Some skilled nursing facility care,
Hospice care, and
Some home health care.

2. Part B (Medical Insurance) helps pay for:

Doctors' services,
Outpatient hospital care, and
Some other medical services that Part A doesn't cover (like some home health care).

What is not covered by Medicare
Part A and B Deductibles
If you need to stay in the hospital, you will pay the following amounts based on how long you need to stay in the hospital:

$812 total for days 1 through 60
$203 per day for days 61 through 90
$406 per day for days 91 through 150
All costs for each day beyond $150 days

For other non-hospital services you will pay $100

Part A and B Deductibles
You will pay:

20% of the Medicare-approved amount for most covered services
50% of outpatient mental health treatments and the co-payment for outpatient hospital services
5% of the Medicare-approved amount for inpatient respite care

Reasons to Buy Medicare Supplement Insurance

Without Medicare coverage, if you spend one night in the hospital, it will likely cost you $812 (the Medicare hospital deductible).
If you are sick or hospitalized while traveling abroad, you will need to pay 100% of all costs because Medicare does not have foreign emergency medical coverage.
If you develop a chronic illness, you can easily spend 10% or more of your annual income on prescription drugs because Medicare has no prescription drug benefit.
Medicare does not cover many medical services, like routine check-ups, cholesterol screenings, hearing tests, eye exams, and at-home recovery.
Even for the services that Medicare covers, you may have to pay up to 15% of the bill because doctors and hospitals can charge more than what Medicare finds is "reasonable."
If you don't buy Medicare coverage within 6 months of enrolling in Medicare Part B, you may be declined and you may be charged significantly higher premiums due to pre-existing conditions that you have or may develop.
As long as you keep paying your Medicare premiums, the insurance company must renew your policy, regardless of your health.
All Medicare policies come with a 30-day "free look" - if, within 30 days of purchasing a Medicare policy, you decide you don't want it, you can get a full refund.

Get a free medicare supplement quote today!

Get a free group medicare supplement quote today!

DENTAL INSURANCE

It's Important To Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is
When most people think about health insurance, they think first about covering costs of treatment for serious medical conditions or accidents. That's a natural thing to do. But there's another type of insurance that's equally important to your well being--dental insurance. Because dental disease is so common, being protected by dental insurance and using it wisely are essential safeguards for you and your family.

There's A World Of Difference Between Medical And Dental Disease...
Unlike medical disease, which can be both unpredictable and catastrophic, most dental ailments are preventable. Preventive care, including regular checkups and cleanings, is the key to maintaining your oral health. With regular visits to the dentist, problems can be diagnosed early and treated without extensive testing or elaborate and expensive procedures. That keeps the costs of dental care much lower than those of medical care. In fact, total spending for dental care is decreasing. In 1970, it made up 6.3 percent of total health care expenditures. But in 1991, dental care's share of health care spending was only 4.9 percent.

...And Between Medical And Dental Benefits
Medical insurance is designed primarily to cover the costs of diagnosing, treating and curing serious illnesses. This process may involve a primary care physician and multiple specialists, a variety of tests performed by doctors and laboratories, multiple procedures and masses of medications. Depending on the health, age and attitudes of people in the medical coverage group, costs can fluctuate widely.

Dental insurance works differently. Most dental coverage is designed to ensure that the patient receives regular preventive care. High quality dental care rarely requires the complex, multiple resources often required by medical care. A thorough examination by the dentist and a set of x-rays are all it usually takes to diagnose a problem. By and large, dental care is provided by a general practitioner, although some cases may require the services of a dental specialist. Because most dental disease is preventable, dental benefits plans are structured to encourage patients to get the regular, routine care so vital to preventing and diagnosing the onset of serious disease.

In fact, most dental benefits plans require patients to assume a greater portion of the costs for treatment of dental disease than for preventive procedures. By placing an emphasis on prevention, and by covering regular teeth cleaning and check-ups, Americans saved nearly $100 billion in dental care costs during the 1980s.

Dental Insurance Is Helping Keep America Healthy
The availability of dental insurance is the single greatest factor in helping you get the dental care you need. More than 48 percent of all Americans--113 million of us--are covered by privately financed dental insurance plans. This compares with just 12 million people who had such coverage in 1970. As a result of increased access to regular care and the widespread use of preventive measures, the incidence of dental decay has dropped sharply. Half of today's school children never have had a cavity.
Get a free dental insurance quote today!

Get a free group dental insurance quote today!

CANCER INSURANCE

There are few of us who haven't been touched by cancer in some way. Perhaps you've had first-hand knowledge of the effects of cancer. Or, maybe you've known a friend or a relative who has developed the disease. According to the American Cancer Society, in the U.S. men have a 1 in 2 lifetime risk of developing cancer, and the risk for women is 1 in 3.

If you've had your own personal battle with cancer, you're well aware of the toll it can take on you and your loved ones. If you're fortunate and have not had any symptoms in five or more years, technically you're "cured." Your life expectancy could be considered the same as a person who never had cancer. But, your financial well-being may not be as secure as it once was.

Basic Medical Insurance May Not Be Enough
Although new cancer treatments, procedures and equipment have undoubtedly saved more lives, they have also contributed to rising health care costs. Those of us who are still able to afford the high premiums typical of basic medical plans may find, to our dismay, that the coverage isn't as "comprehensive" as we imagined.

Typically, many major medical plans do not cover all hospital and doctor bills, specialists' fees, prescription drugs, operations, nursing care and therapists. You must pay the remainder of the cost, until you reach your plan's out-of-pocket expense maximum. Today, many major medical plans are forcing insureds to pay a larger portion of the cost, either through higher co-payments or premiums.

If your plan doesn't have a limit on out-of-pocket expenses, you could be under-protected. For example, chemotherapy is a commonly prescribed form of cancer treatment, but it's extremely expensive. Without supplemental insurance, your savings could be in jeopardy. Or, you could be forced to go without the treatment you desperately need. If you want to try an experimental treatment, you'd probably have to pay for it out of your own pocket.

Supplemental Insurance Can Help Prevent Financial Hardship
Cancer expense insurance has become a popular way to supplement basic medical insurance. The concept of supplemental cancer expense insurance is very simple. Benefits are paid directly to you, regardless of any other insurance you may have. You can then use the benefits to help pay for all of the extra costs associated with your cancer treatment.

Typically, this type of plan provides a lump sum payment on the first day the cancer is positively diagnosed (except skin cancer). Thereafter, you receive daily cash benefits—to use any way you wish. One important reason cancer expense insurance has gained in popularity: the price. You can purchase this type of insurance—for yourself and your entire family—at reasonable rates.

While we can all hope for a cure, the best advice is to take a pro-active, preventative approach. Eat right, don't smoke and see your physician on a regular basis. And, make sure you're better protected from financial strain with cancer expense insurance.
Get a free cancer insurance quote today!

Get a free group cancer insurance quote today!

BURIAL PLANS

Underwritten and almost guaranteed plans with denominations as low as $5,000. Universal Life plans as low as $25.000.

The enormous cost of your burial and other final expenses is not a burden you want to place on your loved ones. By purchasing adequate burial life insurance, you can eliminate this burden at such a time of sorrow -- at a very low cost.

Denton and Associates specializes in helping you find the best value in burial life insurance, while making the process as simple and painless as possible.

Did You Know...
The national funeral directors association estimates that the average cost of a funeral is close to $7,000. This does not even include other expenses and unpaid debts one might have. Social security only pays a death benefit of $255 (if you qualify).

The cost of settling an estate continues to increase. Unpaid hospital bill, legal bills, funeral and probate fees continue to increase the cost of dying. As a result, many Americans find themselves without the necessary financial resources. Most aren't even aware that a burial insurance policy can help protect against these
problems.
Get a free burial insurance quote today!