Insurance

Every business, whether it is big or small, wants to survive, sustain and make profits. But business of any type or size is unpredictable and may get into losses due to unwanted or unexpected circumstances like natural calamities, fire, theft or other riots. It is very difficult for small businesses to protect their occupation or business if they face adverse situations with their meager budgets. Many small businesses perish as they fail to cover these losses. So, it is very important for businesses to have a risk management system for their business to protect themselves against unforeseen losses.Insurance, considered as a critical part of the risk management system is the only way for small businesses to protect themselves. Today, there are many types of insurance policies, of which Liability Insurance is considered to be the best one for small businesses as it provides compensation for the fines associated with liability cases.It covers following risks:Liability insurance protects a small business from loss or damage to the maximum extent. Business liability insurance options are very useful for businesses as they cover the business property, claims for injuries by employees and visitors, employee compensation and many more. Some of the common types of liability insurance for small businesses and their coverage are explained below in detail.Business property insuranceBusiness Property Insurance, as the name itself indicates covers the business property of the small business. Its coverage includes the building or buildings in which you do business, carpeting, curtains, outdoor signs, property of others etc. If you choose a right business insurance property, it covers all the important equipment such as computers, machinery, supplies, stock etc.Professional indemnity insuranceProfessional Indemnity Insurance, also called as Professional Liability Insurance or Errors and Omissions’ liability insurance, is an extremely important consideration for small professional businesses that are in service industry. They are exposed to a wide range of claims that may include areas such as errors, omissions, professional neglect, falsehood, breach of confidentiality etc. This insurance protects businesses from the claims made by clients against the delivery of poor service. This type of insurance is generally purchased by professionals such as a doctors, lawyers, engineers, architects, brokers, financial advisers, accountants, consultants, building contractors, and attorneys etc. who run their own business.Product insuranceProduct insurance or Product Liability Insurance protects the business owners from the lawsuits filed against them for manufacturing or producing defective products. This type of insurance is very useful for small scale manufacturers or importers. This liability insurance protects small businesses in case a person is injured or died using a product manufactured or developed by the business.Employment practices liability coverageEmployment Practices Liability Insurance covers small businesses against claims by employees or business associates when their legal rights are violated. This insurance policy protects employers against breach of employment contract, deprivation of career opportunity, discrimination, mismanagement of employee benefit plans, negligent evaluation, sexual harassment, wrongful discipline or termination etc.Excess liability coverageExcess Liability Insurance, also called as Umbrella Liability Insurance or Commercial umbrella insurance provides additional protection to any of several other policies that a small business might hold. It protects businesses when an accident or similar claim exceeds the amount of their existing liability coverage, which may include medical costs or other claim payments.Workers’ compensation insuranceWhen an employee gets injured at the workplace, it is the employer who is responsible for the payment of medical bills. Sometimes these medical bills may run into thousands of dollars, which can be very burdensome for the small business owners to pay. The workers’ compensation insurance kicks in during these kinds of situations. The workers’ compensation policy provides wage replacement, medical, and rehabilitation benefits to the employees who get injured on the job.Other insuranceApart from the above mentioned insurance policies, there are many other insurance policies that help small businesses such as: • Auto Insurance – to cover the company vehicles, • Health Insurance – to protect employees when they are sick, • Crime Insurance – to protect business against employee fraud, • Key Employee Insurance – to protect small business against the loss of their key employee etc.All businesses may not need the same type of insurance. In order to determine a perfect liability coverage for your business, you need to carefully consider all your needs and risks involved in your business. With a good insurance policy, small business owners can have peace of mind and focus on their business knowing that their business is well protected.

You have just completed an online form requesting a free health insurance quote and moments later you are being inundated with phone calls from insurance agents hoping to get your business. Try not to become overwhelmed or annoyed by these “pesky sales people” because they are really not telemarketers. Most of them are well-trained state licensed professionals who can really help you make a good decision regarding which health plan is best and most affordable for your individual or group coverage needs.You may be under the misconception that if you buy your health plan directly from the insurance company, and cut out the “middle person”, you will save money. This is absolutely not the case. In fact, insurance companies rely on agents for most of their business and that’s why they pay them commissions for bringing in customers. It does not cost a consumer one penny more to use a licensed California health insurance agent to obtain their insurance coverage.There are many differences between California health insurance and other states including how it is applied for.For example, while Blue Cross and Blue Shield are one company in other states, here in California, each is separate and applied to individually as Anthem Blue Cross of California and Blue Shield of California.California health insurance law AB 1672 is an improvement over the federal HIPAA law that covers all states in that it includes the following with regard to California group coverage:1. Individuals with pre-existing medical conditions may change over to a new group health plan without an exclusionary period.2. It allows small businesses and professional organizations to have access to health plans providing they have between 2 and 50 full time employees.3. It keeps insurance rates from climbing after a claim is filed.4. Employees who have health problems may change jobs or health plans without being rated higher for having pre-existing conditions.That said, the very best health insurance agent for your individual and business needs is an “Independent Agent.” Why? Because they represent multiple insurance carriers, not just one. An independent agent can help you select the most appropriate cost-effective plan offering the most benefits for your dollar as available from the major carriers, rather than feeding you just one company’s line of health plans which may not suit your particular needs. Many people are too complacent and settle for what their current insurance company has to offer. They could use a good independent agent to sort through the many plans available from multiple insurance carriers to find and provide the best choice of options.Another misunderstanding you may have is that insurance agents set the premium rates for the health insurance plans they sell. Thinking if you shop around you may get a better price for the same plan. Premium rates are based on your age, zip code or county in which you reside and are controlled completely by the insurance companies. Every agent uses the exact same rate guides set by the insurance companies. The condition of your health may affect your premium, which may be rated up after the insurance company’s underwriting department has reviewed your medical records. Again, the insurance company, not the agent, determines that outcome.Now, let’s talk about the benefits of having a good insurance agent representing you. Most consumers neither know nor understand the benefits of a health plan being offered and need the expertise of an agent to explain the benefits to them in full. For example, do you know what the difference is between an “out-of-pocket maximum” and an “annual deductible?”An out of pocket maximum is the most you will have to pay in a given year for deductible and coinsurance for covered benefits before your insurance starts to pay 100% of most expenses until the year ends.An annual deductible is usually the amount you pay each year before your health plan starts paying anything for covered services. Generally, the higher the deductible, the lower the premium. Certain services such as prescription drugs carry separate deductibles. Plans may vary and sometimes benefits will kick in before you have to meet the deductible.A knowledgeable health insurance agent can be a guide through the maze and help you choose the right plan to meet your needs and budget while obtaining the most benefits for your dollars spent. An agent will also make clear how the benefits for a generic prescription may differ from the benefits for a brand prescription on a particular plan.After you have a health plan in place, a good, caring agent will remind you to pay your premium on time so the insurance company doesn’t cancel you. Your agent can also be an enormous resource for assistance if you run into a problem with a health insurance claim. Instead of waiting on hold at the insurance company’s 800 number for thirty to forty- five minutes, call your agent and explain your problem and if you have chosen the right agent, you will get help and may save yourself lots of time and frustration, maybe even some money by having an expert in your corner where your best interests come first.So next time you or someone you know, fills out one of those on-line forms for a health insurance quote and you get several phone calls from health insurance agents wanting your business, be grateful that a professional wants to help you for free to choose the right plan and you’ll have an important friend for life.